Return to France: getting your Social Security rights back

Getting your rights back is not automatic on the day you land: it depends on your employment situation on return. If you take up work again in France, your Social Security health rights open immediately. If you’re not working, three months of stable residency in France are required before your rights open. The same rule applies to your adult dependants (minors are attached directly, with no condition). This point is rarely anticipated, because it only arises at the moment of return, when attention is elsewhere (moving house, housing, children’s schooling).

The Caisse des Français de l’Étranger keeps a maximum of three months of cover in place free of charge from the date of return, giving you time to complete the steps with state health cover. This continuation only covers basic health insurance, for care received in France, and also applies to each dependant listed on the contract. This continuity needs to be planned before leaving your country of expatriation, not discovered at the point of return — see the return to France page.

1. Inform CFE of your return date as soon as possible, to start the steps with the state health cover of your new place of residence.
2. Request deregistration from the CFE personal account (“Mes contrats” > “Gérer mes contrats” > “Radier mon contrat”), then download the end-of-rights certificate, needed for re-affiliation.
3. Complete and submit to the state health cover fund for your place of residence form 1106 (any adult) and, where applicable, form 3705 (attaching minor dependants).

• Sickness or maternity daily allowances paid by CFE at the time of return: if you take up work again, periods contributed to CFE are recognised and ensure continuity of rights; without work, allowances stop after three months.
• Workplace accident occurring during your expatriation: rights managed by CFE stop as soon as you return to France; any relapse or related further care is then handled by the French state health cover fund.
• Temporary return (less than three months): care remains covered by CFE under general scheme conditions as long as the stay in France doesn’t exceed three consecutive months. Beyond that, the CFE contract must be cancelled and local re-affiliation carried out.

• Check your CFE affiliation status and your end date of health cover abroad.
• Plan ahead for the date you take up work again in France, which determines how quickly your rights are restored.
• Keep proof of continuous health cover throughout your expatriation.