Reader feedback: how long does it take to get a carte vitale in france?

IT TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN THE OFFICIAL ADVICE OF TWO TO THREE WEEKS FOR MOST RESPONDENTS IN OUR SURVEY The Connexion asked readers to share their experiences of getting a French health card.

Here are your responses. The carte Vitale (French state healthcare card) allows for easy reimbursement of healthcare costs and represents an essential item for people living in France.

However, the application process, which represents a bureaucratic hurdle for some - can be a seemingly impassible barrier for others. Click here if you would like to participate in our

survey on how long it takes to get a carte Vitale. HOW LONG DID THE APPLICATION PROCESS TAKE FROM START TO FINISH? Official advice states that the application should take two to three weeks

- but it took much longer for the vast majority of respondents in our survey. Some applicants reported ongoing problems - in some cases multi-year, ongoing legal battles - in trying to get

their card. WHAT TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPH TO USE IN THE APPLICATION? There is no obligation to use an accredited French photo booth or professional photographers for a carte Vitale application.

The rules concerning what type of photographs to use are the same as for an identity card, which you can consult here. However, applications with photos that do not satisfy these

requirements may be rejected. The results of our survey show that people use a wide variety of photographs. WAS YOUR INITIAL APPLICATION REJECTED? Anyone with a French social security number

has a right to a carte Vitale. However, a quarter of respondents to our survey saw their initial application rejected Here are some of the reasons given: * ”I forgot to sign it” * “We had

to unsubscribe from the UK health service and provide a letter from the NHS confirming this.” * “They said I was not considered as a permanent resident because I was often out of the

country” * “I moved house and changed region” * “I had to apply for a new birth certificate in the UK and sent that” DID YOU TRY TO CONTACT YOUR CPAM HEALTH AUTHORITY BY TELEPHONE OR EMAIL

TO SEE HOW THE APPLICATION WAS PROGRESSING? Applications for a carte Vitale are made through the French state health insurance website Ameli, however the applications are processed by the

regional Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (Cpam, healthcare services).  There is significant regional variation between these regional Cpams, some of which may have more work - fewer

resources - than others. IF YOU CONTACTED YOUR CPAM, WAS IT ANY HELP? The Cpam system operates an English language advice line 09 74 75 36 46 - which several respondents described as “very

helpful”, however others said it was “always busy”. READER TIPS ON APPLYING FOR A CARTE VITALE 1. Be patient - it can take a long time 2. Follow-up your application with a call * “A good

French friend said, ‘Call them, keep on them or your application will go to the bottom of the pile.’ So I did.” 3. Use France Services * “They said they had sent it out but hadn’t. Within

two weeks after France Services were involved, I got my card.” * “I will be using the France Services for everything from now on.” 4. Prepare more documents than you think you will need *

“They want to know every name you've used since birth.” * “We overlooked, for example, that you need to unsubscribe from the NHS before applying to the French system.” 5. Be ready for

surprises * “My original card was cancelled as I had not updated at a pharmacy. I (and everyone I asked) did not know this was needed.” * “Mine took almost a year, my daughter’s took three

months.” * “My husband got his in 10 weeks. Mine came 10 weeks later—only after we got France Services involved.” * “CPAM asked for additional documents by letter(!) instead of email, with

the deadlines already overdue by the time they arrived.” 6. Keep all records in case of problems 7. Some regions are more helpful than others 8. Get help if you are stuck in a bureaucratic

loop 9. Remember that the system works for most people  * “It was very straightforward. They said it would take a certain period of time and at the end of that time the card duly arrived.” *

“The process was easy, although quite a long wait (more than 10 weeks).”