Is travel/repatriation insurance mandatory for France?

An ex pat type, who having moved to France now knows everything about France, French law, French travel, etc. insists it’s is now compulsory and to prove it has shown a jpeg image of a French document, which says who knows what.

There is a world of difference between domestic off-the-shelf travel / repatriation insurance (in the sense of being flown home following say hospitalisation abroad, following an accident abroad or death whilst on a holiday) - which is what we took to be the subject of this thread - and insurance to comply with local laws or requirements for someone living or working abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.

My Travel insurance covers me for death or injury (subject to certain conditions *) abroad whilst on company business. I am then insured separately as well by my company, whilst I am abroad - on company business - too. Both are based on the understanding that I do not live or work abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. Were I to move to live or work long term abroad I wouldn’t be ‘Travelling’ obviously (so that policy would be useless to me) and my employer would need to amend the insurance they bought on my behalf, to recognise that I am now effectively an ex-pat. That is not unusual. No doubt some countries (France might be one, I have no idea) might well demand some sort of insurance or bond of anyone living or working long term in the country, especially if there was no reciprocal agreement. More importantly, anyone living or working overseas without it, might be pretty dumb, especially if it was indeed a local law or requirement.

I’d suggest that your friend obtains proper advice in France, not least as it seems (based on what you’ve told us) to be a French requirement, not a UK one. Though of course, the UK might well demand the same of foreign workers or residents living and working here. As I am not a foreigner in my own country, I have never felt obliged to find out. No doubt my employer’s HR bods know, or at least they should do.


* In essence that it is ‘blue collar’ type work, of the type that I conduct in the UK, along with some other stuff which I forget. Probably something about oil rigs or military action not being covered.

PS Racing abroad is a different matter. Sometimes it is the race organisers - not the host country - that demand that a competitor and or team members have insurance, separate to any that might be arranged by the organisers themselves.
 
It’s a no brainer really. For the average person it costs the same as a couple of pints of beer a day on a single trip policy for Europe. Not worth risking it
Incidentally, I use LV.com as it’s one of the policies that still cover biking. More of them now have removed that level of cover.
 
Wouldn't it be good if every country was as good as Argentina - healthcare free to everyone - visitors as well.

I used to travel around Europe with gay abandon armed with my Lloyds Bank account insurance and EHIC 111 - I hope things haven't degenerated. :eek:
 
If bike broke, I would just fly home on a cheap flight, and return same way with parts to repair it, making the retrun trip a second holiday.

:jes :jes :jes :jes

Yeah, right...of course you would.

And it'd be SO MUCH cheaper and less hassle than simply having suitable insurance, wouldn't it ? :rolleyes:
 
:jes :jes :jes :jes

Yeah, right...of course you would.

And it'd be SO MUCH cheaper and less hassle than simply having suitable insurance, wouldn't it ? :rolleyes:

He’d pay for it out of the money he’d put in the jar each month, instead of paying it to the rip-off insurer. Just like everyone does. No?
 
He’d pay for it out of the money he’d put in the jar each month, instead of paying it to the rip-off insurer. Just like everyone does. No?

that's a different thread, you naught boy...
 
OP, in a word or two, for UK passport holding, simple holiday makers and light business users, conventional Travel (ie holiday visits / trips and occasional business type work) insurance is NOT compulsory in France. Likewise, repatriation cover for the same UK passport holding simple holiday makers / light business use, is NOT required in France either.

Reciprocal medical care, following say an accident or illness whilst in France is available to UK nationals carrying the new UK Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic) card, which replaced the former European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) after Brexit. But, as with the former card, the Ghic card does NOT cover all eventualities. For instance, it does NOT cover repatriation costs ie. the costs associated with bringing a person back to the UK for further treatment, nor does it cover the costs of returning (repatriating) a corpse following death abroad. In other words, conventional Travel insurance enhances (often quite widely) and / or fills in gaps in cover provided by the reciprocal Ehic card. Anyone would be very stupid NOT to buy Travel insurance or to skip getting a Ghic card out of nothing more than laziness, bloody mindedness or because they view it all as a rip-off or some infringement of their rights. That being said, I don’t think that any French hospital would refuse to treat anyone brought, dripping with claret, to a hospital’s doors; it is not a third world country. It is only afterwards that the fun and games (caused by no Ghic card, compounded by no insurance) might start. In short, have both, not least as it is simple and not hugely expensive to do so and the Ghic card is free / easy to apply for.

That deals with the needs of most normal holiday makers and light business travel bods’ requirements. Obviously enough, that will embrace most of the correspondents to this forum and, as we have seen, will dictate the type of replies you’ll get to your opening post. Your post #19 changed things a bit, which maybe bods are not spotting.

Things may well change if someone from the UK is permanently or semi-permanently resident in France (ie they are NOT on holiday) or for someone working in France for an extended or regularly reoccurring period. They are not, by any stretch of imagination, on holiday or travelling. The French may well require something different of them. Similarly, it may well be different again for non-UK passport holders. This is maybe what your friend’s unknown French document says….. or maybe it’s something entirely different, like a restaurant menu?

Axa, the huge French insurer / financial institution has a fairly simple guide. I can only suppose it is current (it’s certainly post Brexit) and accurate:

https://www.axa-schengen.com/en/france-travel-insurance-uk

If nothing else, it’s in English. This bit is maybe what your friend is reading in the French document, perhaps:

Non-U.K. nationals living in Britain who wish to travel to France

If you are traveling from the U.K. but are a citizen of a country without a visa-free travel arrangement with the European Union and Schengen Zone, you need to apply for a Schengen Visa for visits lasting fewer than 90 days, meaning you will need travel insurance covering you for medical and repatriation costs up to €30,000 that is valid in all 26 Schengen states, including France. It is essential to obtain insurance and a certificate before applying for your French Schengen Visa.

PS My parents were permanently resident (before Brexit) in France for 25 years. Dad very quickly realised that France is full of non-French speaking Brit’s who publish all sort of garbage, which then people believe or spread about as gospel. He took the simple expedient of not bothering with any ‘Brit centric’ publications. In other words, he avoided anything that smelled as if it was started by: “My friend says…..”. Instead, he relied on the news from the French government itself (helped sometimes by the local mayor) as they - and they alone - knew what is required of bods.
 
You should always get the best insurance you can afford.

When I do my US trips, I insist everyone get's top quality travel insurance which must include repatriation. If the worst does happen, the on going costs for the family would be eye watering.
 
Just a thought, does being an Irish passport holding U.K. resident affect what level of medical care I might get before any insurers are called upon to contribute to the costs?

Here's a link for information about the EHIC/GHIC card.

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/he...-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

The answer is (sort of) at the bottom of post #28.

By inference, you are, by happy chance, an Irish passport holder but resident in the UK. Ireland is part of the EU, so you are NOT subject to visa requirements and, as such, are NOT required to take out the compulsory insurance required of non-UK and non-EU nationals. You’ll receive whatever care is provided by the French to Irish passport holders, under whatever reciprocal agreements exist between the two countries. You’d still be wise to buy conventional Travel insurance too, just the same.

If in doubt, contact your embassy in London or the French authorities.
 
Yep that all makes perfect sense, thank you again.

I've just filled in the application form for the GHIC card as per my link above. One can also apply for a card for one's spouse and/or children on the same application. It took 30 seconds and all you need are the applicants respective namess, addresses, dates of birth and N.I. numbers so couldn't really be easier.
 
I have moved this thread into the insurance section, not least as it gives lots of advice on the good advice to buy travel insurance, whether someone regards it as a rip-off or not.

Richard
 
When I was in ‘the job’ I was signed up to the group insurance and when I retired I stayed with it.
A friend of mine from the job was on a group motorcycle tour a couple of years ago in the states. Second day in he had a near fatal crash in Yosemite. He ended up in hospital for 5 weeks and then after leaving hospital had to stay in a hotel until able to fly home from San Fran. Due to his chest injuries the insurance arranged all transport from the states to his front door, business class coming home so he could lay down. The bill at the end £363,000, he paid the £100 excess.
A moments lack of concentration and suddenly you realise how glad you are being covered.
 
You should always get the best insurance you can afford.

When I do my US trips, I insist everyone get's top quality travel insurance which must include repatriation. If the worst does happen, the on going costs for the family would be eye watering.

Do you recommend a particular insurance company/policy to your group?

Anyone with a scrap of common sense would take out top notch travel insurance when (errrrrr) travelling, but it's such a minefield. Wapping and wessie are experts in this field and always tell us to read the policy and make sure it's right for us but FFS, it's bloody hard work for 'Joe Soap' (hello)

I'm bright enough :)augie) to know that I need guidance when dealing with insurance. Do you have a preferred, recommended insurer?

I'm just interested in how you run things, I'm not looking for a recommendation for a trip that I'm planning. No need to mention any particular company or policy...:)

Great thread, many thanks to the experts for the genuinely 'free' advice....AND apologies to the OP for the slight hijack......:thumb2
 
Do you recommend a particular insurance company/policy to your group?

Anyone with a scrap of common sense would take out top notch travel insurance when (errrrrr) travelling, but it's such a minefield. Wapping and wessie are experts in this field and always tell us to read the policy and make sure it's right for us but FFS, it's bloody hard work for 'Joe Soap' (hello)

I'm bright enough :)augie) to know that I need guidance when dealing with insurance. Do you have a preferred, recommended insurer?

I'm just interested in how you run things, I'm not looking for a recommendation for a trip that I'm planning. No need to mention any particular company or policy...:)

Great thread, many thanks to the experts for the genuinely 'free' advice....AND apologies to the OP for the slight hijack......:thumb2

as has been already hinted at by the "other expert" any recommendation can only be valid on the day it is made as policy T&Cs change. I have had to change my preferred insurer this year as the underwriter for Get Going has walked away from the UK due to Brexit. They were a German firm based in Munich. Currently, I am back with a broker, Puffin, that sells policies from Axa. They are a French company but hopefully have such a big investment in the UK across all insurance markets that they will stay.

Just a few posts up, we have found Direct Travel no longer cover motorcycle riding over 125cc.

My advice when buying travel insurance is to get a few quotes from links you see in threads like this and then create a short list. Come back here to seek advice between those policies on your short list based on the travel you have planned. A policy for a solo bike trip for a week in the Ardennes might not be suitable for a 3 month trip riding through the Darién Gap or taking a family of 4 hiking in Nepal.
 
as has been already hinted at by the "other expert" any recommendation can only be valid on the day it is made as policy T&Cs change. I have had to change my preferred insurer this year as the underwriter for Get Going has walked away from the UK due to Brexit. They were a German firm based in Munich. Currently, I am back with a broker, Puffin, that sells policies from Axa. They are a French company but hopefully have such a big investment in the UK across all insurance markets that they will stay.

Just a few posts up, we have found Direct Travel no longer cover motorcycle riding over 125cc.

My advice when buying travel insurance is to get a few quotes from links you see in threads like this and then create a short list. Come back here to seek advice between those policies on your short list based on the travel you have planned. A policy for a solo bike trip for a week in the Ardennes might not be suitable for a 3 month trip riding through the Darién Gap or taking a family of 4 hiking in Nepal.

You'll struggle with the Darien Gap. :D:D I'm no Helge Petersen so I shipped my bike over by air - properly insured of course. :thumb2
 
Meanwhile, the point of the original post - is travel and repatriation insurance mandatory for entry to France, remains unanswered. Wapping assures us it isn't but Snafu2 posted a link, which appears to say it is. If it is or if it isn't, it's pretty difficult to find a definitive answer from an authoritative source.
 
Meanwhile, the point of the original post - is travel and repatriation insurance mandatory for entry to France, remains unanswered. Wapping assures us it isn't but Snafu2 posted a link, which appears to say it is. If it is or if it isn't, it's pretty difficult to find a definitive answer from an authoritative source.

The answer to this question depends on the origin of the traveller, which is clear from the information already posted in this thread.

If someone is a citizen of the EU, UK or an EEA country and therefore has access to EHIC or GHIC then travel insurance to cover medical costs is not needed.

If someone needs to apply for a Schengen Visa, such as my friend from South Africa joining me in Reims in May, then part of the application process includes showing insurance is in place. The friend also has to provide evidence of a return travel ticket from her UK home and details of pre-booked accommodation.

What the French government wants to know is that if you need medical treatment then either your insurance or reciprocal arrangement with your home country will foot the bill.
 


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