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Reader question: Can foreigners in France get the Covid-19 vaccine?

As France rolls out its Covid-19 vaccination campaign, here's what non-French people need to know about getting the injection.

Published: 15 January 2021 15:46 CET
Reader question: Can foreigners in France get the Covid-19 vaccine?
A doctor administers a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in Lille, northern France. Photo: AFP

Question: I am a non-French resident in France and I don’t yet have a carte vitale health insurance card. Is the Covid vaccine restricted to French citizens or can I still get vaccinated, and how much will it cost me?

What rights non-French residents in France have when it comes to getting vaccinated for Covid-19 has been a big question among the readers of The Local.

Firstly, there is no limit based on citizenship.

We contacted the French health ministry, who told us: “Everyone residing in France will be invited to get vaccinated according to the prioritisation of groups as outlined in the vaccination campaign.”

France has chosen a strict step-by-step vaccination scheme, placing vulnerable groups first in line to get the injection (more below).
 
What will it cost?

The vaccine will be free to everyone, even those who don’t have a carte vitale.

“Seeing as this is a public health issue, unregistered people as well as those in precarious situations [such as the homeless] can get vaccinated for free,” the health ministry said, referring to a government decree published on December 31st.

Everyone working or residing in France can get the vaccine for free, even if they aren’t registered in the French state health system.

This does not include tourists or second home owners.

What kind of documents should I bring?

There is no mention of whether or not the vaccine centres will demand a proof or residency or other documents. However we would advise non-EU residents to bring either a carte de séjour, the receipt acknowledging their application for a carte de séjour or utility bills.

EU citizens would to wise to bring their passports and a proof of address. 
 
Everyone – French or not – needs to take ID with them when they go to the vaccine centre.
 
Several readers of The Local have told us that not having a carte vitale caused a certain amount of confusion at the their local vaccine centre, because it is an unusual situation, but all of them received it in the end, one person after showing the French government decree linked to in this article.
 
When can I get it?
 
At present, the vaccination scheme is only open to over 75s and people in high risk group with serious health conditions, in addition to some priority groups – residents and staff in Ehpad nursing homes, health workers and emergency workers aged over 50.
 
Next on the priority list are 65-74 year-olds. They should be given access to the vaccine sometime in February, although the government has not yet set a date.

After that there is a strict order based on priority groups, with vaccines for the general population set to be rolled out out in the spring.

Over-75s and those in high risk groups may however already now book an appointment online, through the medical app Doctolib or call the government’s vaccine hotline.
 
 
 
 

Member comments

  1. A decree and a statement from the ministry is fine but I’m aware that the vaccination centre computer systems cannot accept people without a social security number, thus excluding those not in the health system. I hope this is a teething issue that is soon resolved.

  2. I just received the shot and I don’t have a carte vitale. I translated your article into French and handed it to the person checking me in and they took it. You do have to have an appointment or go to a pharmacy. Thanks to you, I have my first shot.

  3. If you are already registered with a generaliste/GP, I suggest ringing them to make an appointment. I got my RDV for 2 days later. Had my AZ vaccination without any problems. I’m still waiting on a Carte Vitale, so he couldn’t provide an official document to confirm I’d had my first shot ( a CV/Secu number is required), but hope to have this for my second vaccination in June.

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For members

LIVING IN FRANCE

How to prove to French authorities that you are alive

If you live in France you'll be used to official requests for all sorts of documents, but one that may come as a surprise is being asked to prove that you're still alive. Here's how to do that.

Published: 19 September 2024 15:57 CEST
How to prove to French authorities that you are alive

Official processes in France usually involve collecting together a big dossier of documents, and requests for certain type of certificate are common (the one for ‘a birth certificate issued within the last three months’ regularly baffles foreigners).

A request that is less common – but still vital – is the request for a Certificat de Vie – a certificate of life, which is basically a piece of paper asserting that you remain within the mortal realm.

Here’s how to get it and why you might need one.

Who needs it?

You only need to provide this certificate if it is requested from you.

The people most likely to get a request for a Certificat de Vie are pensioners. Pensioner providers regularly ask for proof that you are still alive, and if you don’t provide it it’s highly likely that they will stop paying out your pension.

The people most commonly asked to provide this are people living in a different country to the one paying out the pension (so for example people who have worked in France but then moved to another country, or pensioners who have moved to France) but they are fairly widespread for all types of pension.

The other people most likely to ask for it is the benefits office, especially if you are receiving a French Assurance invalidité (disability benefit) or Allocation de solidarité (top-up benefits) – as with pensions, failing to send the certificate can result in your payments being stopped.

Some people may instead be asked for an Attestation sur l’honneur de non-décès (sworn declaration of non-death). This is simpler to provide because it’s not a specific form it’s just something that you write out in formal French declaring that you remain alive, and then sign and date.

You can find templates for creating an attestation in the correct format and legal French here.

How to get it

There are two ways to obtain the Certificat de Vie – in person or online.

If you live in France, you go along in person to your local mairie and ask them to complete the form for you – it’s form Cerfa n° 11753*02, but the mairie staff will know that. Be sure to take with you official ID (ie passport or French ID card), and depending on your circumstances mairie staff may ask for extra paperwork such as proof of address.

Once you have the form, you can send it to whoever has requested it, either by registered mail or a scanned copy uploaded to an online portal.

You can find a sample copy here to show you what the form looks like.

If you live outside France, you can request the certificate at the French consulate, while some police stations will also provide it (depending on the country).

But for those living outside France there is also an online option, which now includes the option to verify your continuing life via your biometric details, meaning that you don’t even need to leave the house.

This would be useful to people who have worked in France for part of their career, meaning they get a partial French pension, but have then either returned to their home country or moved to another country.

In order to use this, you need to download the app ‘Mon Certificat de Vie’ – find full instructions on using it here.

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