French Health Issues
Lobbying for your healthcare rights in France and the EU
For UK citizens moving to, or already resident in France, (or another EU country), E-forms are provided by the UK government.
Under the terms of EU law, the E-forms shown below entitle you to affiliate to the host nation’s health service. As long as the E-form remains valid, your French health service costs will be met by the UK government.
Note that the French health system does not cover all costs. You should consider taking out “top up insurance”
The following is a brief summary of the most common E-forms available:
Form E106
Form E106 (Workers)
Form E109
Form E111 (Now EHIC)
Form E121 - retirement
Form E121 - Incapacity Benefit
Issued by the Pension Service to people under retirement age and with a satisfactory NIC record in the UK who move to live in another EU country. May be valid for up to 2½years. See here
Available from:
Department for Work and Pensions
The Pension Service
International Pension Centre
Tyneview Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE98 1BA
Phone: 0191 21 87777
Issued by HMRC in certain circumstances to people who work offshore or in the UK but live in France.
Normally renewable and issued for a period of 12 months.
For HMRC advice on application phone: +44 (0) 191 225 4811
Issued by HMRC for the dependants only of a person who is employed or self employed in the UK, but whose dependents reside in another EU country.
Normally renewable and issued for a period of 12 months.
The worker who is employed or self employed in UK will normally access the UK NHS and it will only be the dependants who live in France who benefit from the E109.
For HMRC advice on application phone: +44 (0) 191 225 4811
Now redundant and replaced by the EHIC.
Covers holidays and short periods of absence only. A UK form EHIC cannot continue to be legally used following a permanent move to France
Issued by the Pension Service to people of UK retirement age who are eligible for the National Insurance Retirement Pension. They are issued for an indefinite period.
Available from:
Department for Work and Pensions
The Pension Service
International Pension Centre
Tyneview Park
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE98 1BA
Phone: 0191 21 87777
Issued by the Department for Work and Pensions to people claiming UK Incapacity Benefit.
Note: Incapacity Benefit in the UK is currently under review. We do not yet know whether this will result in some current forms E121 being withdrawn and how this will be treated by the French authorities; or whether future recipients of Incapacity Benefit or its replacement benefit will be entitled to a form E121.
