Question: I am a non-French resident in France and I don’t yet have a carte vitale health insurance card. Is the Covid vaccine restricted to French citizens or can I still get vaccinated, and how much will it cost me?
What rights non-French residents in France have when it comes to getting vaccinated for Covid-19 has been a big question among the readers of The Local.
Firstly, there is no limit based on citizenship.
We contacted the French health ministry, who told us: “Everyone residing in France will be invited to get vaccinated according to the prioritisation of groups as outlined in the vaccination campaign.”
The vaccine will be free to everyone, even those who don’t have a carte vitale.
“Seeing as this is a public health issue, unregistered people as well as those in precarious situations [such as the homeless] can get vaccinated for free,” the health ministry said, referring to a government decree published on December 31st.
Everyone working or residing in France can get the vaccine for free, even if they aren’t registered in the French state health system.
This does not include tourists or second home owners.
What kind of documents should I bring?
There is no mention of whether or not the vaccine centres will demand a proof or residency or other documents. However we would advise non-EU residents to bring either a carte de séjour, the receipt acknowledging their application for a carte de séjour or utility bills.
After that there is a strict order based on priority groups, with vaccines for the general population set to be rolled out out in the spring.
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A decree and a statement from the ministry is fine but I’m aware that the vaccination centre computer systems cannot accept people without a social security number, thus excluding those not in the health system. I hope this is a teething issue that is soon resolved.
I just received the shot and I don’t have a carte vitale. I translated your article into French and handed it to the person checking me in and they took it. You do have to have an appointment or go to a pharmacy. Thanks to you, I have my first shot.
If you are already registered with a generaliste/GP, I suggest ringing them to make an appointment. I got my RDV for 2 days later. Had my AZ vaccination without any problems. I’m still waiting on a Carte Vitale, so he couldn’t provide an official document to confirm I’d had my first shot ( a CV/Secu number is required), but hope to have this for my second vaccination in June.