A former colleague (a Brit) last week asked me a several questions about registering her S1 with CPAM, following receipt of her UK state pension. I explained that I was unfortunately pretty useless on S1s, being several years off getting my UK state pension, but I’d be happy to try and help her. I think I answered most with help from previous SF threads but there were three that I need to ask here. I hope nobody minds the questions, and I’ve encouraged said colleague to consider joining SF.
She’s been told to register the S1 using S1106 (aka CERFA 15763), yet that form clearly says it should not be used if you have an S1. I assume she still needs to complete it, since it appears to ask for information that CPAM will probably need to set up an ‘account’ for her (she’s not in Assurance Maladie at present). Any thoughts?
UK birth certificate copy. Does this copy need to be issued within the last 3 months, or will an ‘older’ one be accepted, that she happens to have to hand?
3.Does she also need to complete the detailed ‘questionnaire recherche de droits ressortissants européens inactifs’ (CERFA R710) that she’s been sent by CPAM?
She is sort of doing both stages as once. So first form is to sign up, which most do before getting S1. And then they hand over the S1 in due course, usually without any form as already in the system. So if she is not registered with COAM they will need this info.
No UK certificates need to be within 3 months. But may need to explain once or twice that they are not dynamic don’t expire like French ones.
Will the colleague be active or inactive? The R710 is mainly used to check whether somebody should be subject to the CSM - cotisation maladie subsidiaire. It ought to be irrelevant as she has her S1.
I would fill in what she can, and copy all her documents and take the whole lot to CPAM.
Take originals and a copy (for CPAM) of the following documents:
S1 (keep loads of copies) keep original if posting
Passport
Visa or CdS
Birth certificate (long version) - UK doesn’t need to be less than 3 months old.
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Divorce certificate (if applicable to show route from birth to current name)
Proof of residency (Utility Bills, rental contract etc.).
RIB - photocopy onto A4 paper as easier for CPAM to file.
Just adding to this from my reading -
We are S1 holders coming to France as ‘inactif’.
Amelie website.
Cerfa 15993
If you are a member of another country’s social security system, e.g. as a worker on a posting to France from another country or
as a pensioner, do not fill out this form. To set up coverage for yourself and your family members, you will need to submit an
S1 form “Registering for health care cover in the State of residence,” or an equivalent document for non-EEA countries, to your
local health insurance fund.
Although obviously you would have one, otherwise why would you be joining CPAM.
So you might as well send it as the “petit plus” that fonctionnaires anecdotally appreciate so much.
CPAM/CAF/Impôts/URSSAF etc often demand a current photocopy of your right of residence here e.g. CDS so I would not dismiss it just because its not on the list of requirements. S1 pensioners maybe covered by the UK for their health expenses but they still need to satisfy CPAM to get a carte vitale first.
We were going to register with CPAM first. Have three months to apply for C de S but I didn’t realise they were free to pick and choose what they ask for. I thoughts we could register from the off with CPAM and then it took two weeks to get a bank account. Now my wife has just applied for a copy of her birth cert from Poland. Thought we had that. Car registration is a pain. Hoping Mark Rimmer can smooth that one. Will buy health insurance now - hopefully one that can be converted to Mutuelle. Can’t find a definitive statement that we’re covered by just having our S1s before we are registered on French health system. I assume only I and not my wife needs to produce a C de S for CPAM if they ask.
I think to be pedantic that you are not covered before you are registered, but once you are registered your cover can be backdated. In other words you cannot claim any reimbursement before you are registered, but if you save up your brown feuilles de soin, you may be able to claim reimbursement on them retrospectively once you have been accepted.
Does my wife - EU citizen need to have unbroken residence in France for three months to join the French health system? She needs to travel to Poland to renew her passport.
She is supposed to. CPAM may ask for specific documents to prove this, or they may take her word for it. The documents they ask for may be logical or they may be totally illogical. Again, it’s a French admin thing.
The S1 has a valid from date and surely that’s the date CPAM will use? And that’s the date you’re covered from (via the UK). Though taking a Mutuelle before CPAM has registered you may be tricky…
When we arrived in Covid lockdown (with S1’s only, no private health insurance) we registered with CPAM, can’t remember when though before vaccinations commenced - when they did we still hadn’t heard anything. We took the S1’s to the first vaccination appointment and after a bit of inspection the doctors seemed happy to proceed. I think we had the numero social by the second vaccination - it all seemed very joined up.
And presumably @MichaelL has the UK GHIC which would also provide some assurance - after all pensioner S1’s and the health insurance cards are administered by the same people, NHS Business Services?
PS it has been reported that some Impot’s have wanted S1’s covering the whole tax year for exemption from France SS contributions.
Michael, I think you’re on a steep learning curve, but hope all goes well - and I’m sure it will!
However I think bringing your RHD car over was a mistake. It’s value will plummet here, apart from the current CT problems, and to get the best price on resale/trade-in, it would need to go back to the UK. And in the meantime it makes driving behind slow moving vehicles on on country roads a lot more difficult
