HR sheet · Company employee guide
An employee’s first assignment abroad: the information to gather to start a cover study
For an HR manager as for an employee going abroad for the first time, a serious cover study starts with a complete file. This sheet lists the information to gather, the questions to ask the employer and the social protection schemes to check before requesting the study.
The information to gather
Eight points are enough for an advisor to understand the project and study the solutions that fit the case.
- Destination country and city. Insurance rules, the healthcare offer and contract conditions vary by country, sometimes by city.
- Planned duration. Initial length of the assignment and possible extension: a stay of a few months and a lasting move are not covered in the same way.
- Status. Seconded, expatriate or local contract. It determines the social protection scheme that applies (see below).
- Departure date and desired effective date. Ideally, protection is in place from arrival, with no gap from the previous one. The actual effective date depends on the contract.
- Make-up of the accompanying family. Spouse, children, ages, any planned pregnancy, and each person’s departure date if it differs. Conditions depend on the contract.
- Any cover already provided by the employer. Company top-up cover, group international contract, assistance: who is covered, for which care, until when.
- Local insurance obligations. Some countries require insurance or affiliation for the visa, the work permit or hiring. To be checked with the employer and the country’s authorities.
- Specific needs. Regular follow-up, pregnancy, frequent care, wishes about where to be treated. These are discussed with the advisor: the study request asks for no medical data.
Questions to ask the employer
Several answers can only be found at the company. To request in writing before departure:
- Which status is planned (secondment, expatriation, local contract) and where does it appear in the contract or rider?
- Does the employee stay affiliated to French Social Security? Will a form A1 be requested?
- Is international health cover planned? For the employee alone or for the family? From what date and for how long?
- Who pays the premium, and what happens to the cover at the end of the assignment or on a change of country?
- Are income-related protections (incapacity, disability, death) maintained during the assignment?
- Is there an insurance obligation in the host country, and who handles it?
- Who is the contact person at the company for cover questions during the assignment?
The social protection schemes to check
The status decides the basic scheme. Three situations occur, to be confirmed against documents and not from the job title:
- French scheme maintained. This is the case of the seconded employee, whose affiliation is evidenced by form A1 (or an equivalent certificate). What is actually covered locally remains to be checked.
- Host-country scheme. An expatriate or local-contract employee falls under the social security system of the country where they work. Rights, waiting periods and caps are those of that country.
- Top-up or voluntary protection. Whatever the basic scheme, top-up cover may be provided by the employer or chosen by the employee. The CFE or private insurance guide helps place the options.
To tell the first two cases apart, the seconded or expatriate guide and the status diagnostic tool give a method.
How this information is used to start the study
These eight points form the starting file. An advisor relies on them to study the solutions you can access for the situation described, compare what they guarantee (cover, exclusions, deductibles, caps, zones) and explain their recommendation. The more precise the file, the fewer questions have to be revisited afterwards.
No price is communicated automatically and no solution is presented as universal: the study starts from the file, not from a ready-made offer.
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Frequently asked questions
Who should gather this information: the employee or the employer?
Both, because it is not all in the same place. The employer knows the planned status, the contract, the assignment date and any group cover. The employee knows their family, their care habits and their expectations. A sheet completed together, before departure, avoids back-and-forth.
Do you need to know your status before starting a cover study?
It is most useful to know it, because it determines the social protection scheme that applies. If the status is not yet confirmed, mark it as “to be confirmed” and have it checked against documents: employment contract or rider, form A1, local registration. The seconded or expatriate guide details this check.
The employer already provides cover: is a study still needed?
Simply state what is planned: who is covered, for which types of care, from what date and until when. This shows whether the cover meets the need or whether points remain to be examined, for example the family, the end of the assignment or a change of country. No conclusion is possible without reading the contract conditions.
Should the family be included from the first study?
Yes, even if they leave later. The make-up of the family (spouse, children, ages, any planned pregnancy) influences the solutions to examine. Conditions depend on the contract: also give the planned departure date for each person.
Does an employee going abroad for the first time stay covered by French Social Security?
It depends on the status. A seconded employee holding form A1 stays attached to the French scheme during the assignment. An expatriate or local-contract employee falls under the host country’s scheme. In both cases, the real level of reimbursement for costs incurred locally needs checking, as it may not cover all costs.
What happens once the information has been sent?
The service is being launched: an advisor studies the request and gets back to the applicant to clarify their needs. No price and no automatic quote is displayed. The study covers the solutions you can access for the case, and the recommendation is explained.
Service being launched: an advisor reviews your request and gets back to you to clarify your needs.