Social Security registration for an employee who arrives in France

Verified 08 March 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

On a 1er in some cases, social security procedures may be necessary. You must provide your employer with your social security number or, if not, your waiting identification number to allow them to complete their formalities. Registration formalities vary depending on whether you were born in France or abroad, regardless of your nationality.

Please note

Any person who deliberately refuses to become affiliated or who persists in not committing the procedure for compulsory membership of a social security scheme shall be punishable by six months' imprisonment and a fine of €15,000, or only one of those two penalties.

Born in France

You only have to be born in France to have a Social Security number.

If you do not have a document with your Social Security number (for example, vital card, attestation of right, salary slip), you can go to a sickness insurance reception point.

You must present an identity document (national identity card or passport).

An advisor will give you your Social Security number.

Foreign born

General case

You must contact the Health Insurance the following 2 documents:

  • Identity or residence permit allowing your identification
  • Civil status document to confirm your identity (example: full copy of birth certificate)
Who shall I contact

FYI  

this civil status document must be accompanied by a translation into french unless the document originates in a country of the European Economic Area, Switzerland or if you are exempted from international agreement.

If the identity or residence permit and the civil status document allow your identification and provide sufficient guarantees of authenticity, the social security body will issue you a waiting identification number.

The body shall forward the file to the National Old-Age Insurance Fund.

The latter decides, after checking the documents, on the allocation of your social security number.

If only the identity or residence permit meets the requirements, the social security body will issue you a waiting identification number.

He informs you that you have 3 months to produce the missing civil status document.

If you do not respond to the request (document not transmitted or not allowing your authentication) within this period of 3 months, the social security body will instruct you to produce the missing elements within a new period of 3 months.

If, after this new period of 3 months, you have not provided the requested document, the organization temporarily suspends the payment of benefits and allowances.

The social security body then has a further period of 3 months to take a decision on whether or not the production of this document is possible.

You're an agricultural worker

You must send the following 2 documents to the Mutualité sociale agricole:

  • Identity or residence permit allowing your identification
  • Civil status document to confirm your identity (example: full copy of birth certificate)
Who shall I contact

FYI  

this civil status document must be accompanied by a translation into french unless the document originates in a country of the European Economic Area, Switzerland or if you are exempted from international agreement.

If the identity or residence permit and the civil status document allow your identification and provide sufficient guarantees of authenticity, the social security body will issue you a waiting identification number.

The body shall forward the file to the National Old-Age Insurance Fund.

The latter decides, after checking the documents, on the allocation of your social security number.

If only the identity or residence permit meets the requirements, the social security body will issue you a waiting identification number.

He informs you that you have 3 months to produce the missing civil status document.

If you do not respond to the request (document not transmitted or not allowing your authentication) within this period of 3 months, the social security body will instruct you to produce the missing elements within a new period of 3 months.

If, after this new period of 3 months, you have not provided the requested document, the organization temporarily suspends the payment of benefits and allowances.

The social security body then has a further period of 3 months to take a decision on whether or not the production of this document is possible.