Glossary
Form S1 (formulaire S1)
A document issued by a French health insurance or pension fund that lets a person receiving a French pension or income join the public health system of another European Union country (or equivalent), without paying new contributions.
Form S1 falls under the European regulations on social security coordination (883/2004 and 987/2009). It applies in particular to French retirees settling long-term in another member state: once submitted to the local scheme, it grants the same rights as a member of the local public scheme, with France remaining the country that funds the cover.
The S1 is distinct from the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which only covers temporary stays. A long-term resident must switch from the S1 to full local affiliation.
Example
A French retiree settling long-term in Portugal requests a Form S1 from their pension fund before or shortly after settling in, to join the Portuguese SNS without paying new contributions.
Also searched as: pension posting form · S1 social security form
To go further: See a worked example: the Portugal country page