Visa applicants to France need medical insurance of 30,000 euros

Visitors to France on a visa are not covered by French public health insurance, so hospital bills fall to them or their insurer.

Algérie 360 reported that a visitor who falls ill still receives care at a French hospital. In an emergency, the hospital treats the patient first and sends the bill afterwards.

The French authorities remind visa applicants that any unplanned care, including emergency care, must be covered by health insurance taken out before entering France.

Why visitors are not covered

French health insurance assumes a stable and regular residence in France, so a parent on a short-stay visa cannot claim it, even when staying with an insured child.

Such a visitor also cannot be listed as a dependant on the host's "carte Vitale", the French health insurance card.

State medical aid (AME) and the scheme for urgent and vital care also exclude visitors with a valid visa.

These aids are meant for people in an irregular situation, which does not apply to a visitor with a valid visa.

The insurance required for a visa

To obtain a Schengen short-stay visa, the visitor must show travel medical insurance of at least 30,000 euros.

According to the European visa code, the policy covers emergency care, hospital stays and medical repatriation.

The cover must last the whole stay, and it must be extended if treatment continues beyond the planned date.

An expired contract leaves the patient alone with the bill.

Each contract also has its own exclusions, which often include illnesses known before departure and planned care, sometimes with an excess.

Travellers should read the conditions carefully and note the assistance number before they leave.

Paying and claiming

In the event of illness or accident, the priority is to receive care. The patient should then call the insurer's assistance service as early as possible, ideally when admitted to hospital.

Some contracts require this call before the insurer agrees to pay the costs.

At admission, the patient or family shows the insurance certificate to the hospital admissions office.

If the contract provides direct payment, the hospital contacts the insurer, and otherwise the patient must pay the full cost.

For care that is not an emergency, the hospital can ask for a deposit on admission, based on the expected length of stay.

The Public Health Code provides for this advance, which is partly refunded if it is more than the final bill.

The hospital sends its bill either to the insurer or directly to the patient. Without payment from the insurer, the bill stays with the patient or their family, and it can be high after a stay of several days.

Patients should keep all documents, including the medical report, detailed invoices, prescriptions and proof of payment. These will be needed to obtain a refund.

To be refunded, the patient must report the claim to the insurer within the time limit in the contract, with the invoices, medical report and proof of payment.