About French medical system (CPAM)
* To obtain access to the French health system, residents without an "E" certificate must choose between :
- buying a TOTAL private medical policy (called 1st Euro coverage to provide basic + additional cover)
- paying 8% of total income to CPAM and getting a Carte Vitale to obtain access like "E" residents
* Whereas Residents having an E121 certificate have automatic access to the basic health system (CPAM) : additional medical cover is advisable
Basic complimentary medical insurance policies will only refund a part of the cost not covered by the French state system.
Some French medical insurance providers like Aviva will refund almost all your medical costs at the hospital, for instance even the most expensive operations.
Residents having an "E" certificate or those paying 8% get a Carte Vitale
This card contains no medical information but only administrative details
It is imperative to retain the paper "Attestation Vitale" and show it to each professional : in many cases you will not need to send the CPAM document called «Feuille de soins» because it gives exemption in advance.
It is the third part payment " Tiers payant "
Carte Vitale has no deadline but it must be upgraded (mise à jour) after each important change in your life : wedding, move, maternity, long-term illness ...
Advice : choose a referring doctor, if not CPAM will keep an excess for each refund
Changing your Health insurer is as easy as changing your Car or House insurance : there is no medical questions !
About french car registration
If you live in France, you must have French plates
To obtain French plates, you must have a "carte grise" (car identification document)
To obtain a carte grise you must go to your Prefecture or Sous préfecture with :
· Previous foreign registration documents
- Certificate of Conformity from car bulider (evidence that the car complies with French rules)
- Quitus fiscal (modèle 1993 VT REC) : See Centre des Impôts which proves that you are fiscal resident in France
- French " contrôle technique "
- Passport
- Last invoice from EDF
Units for car tax assessment are "chevaux fiscaux"
When driving, you must have :
- Carte grise and Driving licence (Home country or French)
- Green certificate : insurance document,
- Constat amiable : accident form
Click here for translation of Constat Amiable : Accident form
About the No Claim Bonus
Each year with 'faultless claim' or non claim at all, the net premium to pay will be calculated by deducting 5% bonus from the gross premium i.e for a 1,000 € gross premiumfor the 1st year, the 2nd year would be 950€ ... and so on until 13th renewal the NCB will be 50%.
Once the 050 stage has been reached and held at last three years, there will be no increase in net premium in the case of the first claim.
Conversely, during the first 16 years where you make a claim and you were 'at fault', the next year's premium will be increased by 25%, and the same formula repeats in the case of a second claim ...
All French insurance companies operate this no claims bonus system.
To obtain the maximun NCB, you must bring a "Relevé d'informations" from your previous insurer stating your current no claims status as well as the policy that you have held prior to arriving in France.
If you don't show any "Relevé d'informations", the insurer will provide you with a policy with no bonus, as a young driver !
About Cancellation of insurance contract
All French contracts are annual contracts.
Any cancellation must give 2 or 3 months notice ("préavis")
You must consider the date of renewal : Echéance principale or Echéance anniversaire (once a year) is always written on your last policy version.
Cancellation must be made with a specific letter sent "Lettre recommandée"
If you miss that "préavis", the contract may be cancelled within 20 days after the renewal document is sent by the previous insurer (keep the envelope !)
Advice : To be safe, ask your Agent to deal with that job for you !
About Chimney sweep
There are two types of fire place.
Firstly the open fire and secondly the enclosed glass fronted, les inserts, or foyers fermes.
- The open fire must be cleaned at least once a year and by mechanical means.
- The enclosed fires must though be cleaned twice a year : one cleaning during the fire burning season, the second at the end of the season.
One of these cleans must be mechanical and the other can be by the preparatory blocks.
Remember when using the professional sweep to demand your 'certificat de ramonage' and keep 'la facture de ramonage'.