Glossary
CFE (Caisse des Français de l'Étranger)
A voluntary social security body that lets French nationals living outside France keep social protection modeled on the general scheme, in exchange for a contribution.
The CFE is a private-law social security body carrying out a public-service mission, overseen by the ministries in charge of the budget and social security. It was created so that French nationals leaving the general scheme to settle outside France could keep contributing to equivalent social protection, across three branches: health, maternity and disability; workplace accidents and occupational illness; and old age.
Unlike Assurance Maladie in France, joining the CFE is neither automatic nor compulsory: it happens on the insured person’s own initiative, in exchange for a quarterly contribution that varies depending on the plan chosen (MondExpat, JeunExpat, RetraitExpat) and the member’s age. The details of how it works, contributions, and reimbursements are covered in the CFE guide.
Example
An employee who leaves France to work in Singapore under a local contract loses their affiliation to the general scheme and must decide, before leaving, whether to join the CFE to keep coverage close to what they had in France.
Also searched as: social security for expats · Assurance Maladie for French nationals abroad
To go further: CFE guide: how it works, contributions, reimbursements