CFE guide
CFE or private insurance?
Three options exist once you’re living abroad: stay on CFE alone, top it up with private insurance, or give it up for first-euro health insurance. This guide explains what each one really changes — it contains only facts that have already been checked and sourced, nothing is shown without evidence.
The Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE)
CFE lets you stay affiliated with French Social Security while abroad. The MondExpat Santé scale (individual membership) runs from €291 to €909 per quarter depending on age — full detail and age-based simulator. An 11% increase took effect on 1 April 2026.
CFE always reimburses on French negotiated rates, never on the real local cost — see how reimbursements are calculated and the real cost of care country by country to measure the actual gap for your destination.
Source: cfe.fr
Why top it up
CFE reimburses on French Social Security bases, not on the real rates of your country of residence — often much higher abroad, for reasons specific to each local healthcare system. A top-up health plan picks up this out-of-pocket cost, without replacing the CFE affiliation. See how a CFE top-up works.
First-euro health insurance
It entirely replaces French Social Security and covers you from the first health expense, without going through a reimbursement based on French rates. The main specialised international insurers all work on a personalised quote rather than a published pricing table: a real quote depends on your profile (age, country, level of cover). See first-euro health insurance.
Not sure which of the three options applies to your situation? Run the status diagnostic
Written by Expavy
Sources