While living in a foreign country, going to the doctor is inevitable, whether for an emergency, sickness, to get a prescription, or simply for a check up.
If you are living in France, this blog will detail everything you need to know about going to the doctors as a foreigner, a guide that I wish I had when I had first moved to France!
At a glance :
A little back story
How to book any type of doctor’s appointment in France
Should you get a primary care doctor in France?
How to pay for your doctor’s visit
Health insurance in France : La carte vitale and la mutuelle
Important words in French when visiting the doctor
A little back story
When living in another country, it is almost certain that you will eventually have to visit the doctor for one reason or another. Whether you need to follow up on care you received in your home country, need to refill your medicine, or ultimately if you become sick from a cold or any disease.
Knowing how to take care of yourself in these situations can take out a lot of stress, especially if a sickness comes from out of the blue (aka flu season)!
When I first moved to Lyon during my study abroad, I had the worst stomach flu for about 3 days, which at first I thought was food poisoning, but looking back, I think it had to be the stomach flu.
I had never been to the doctor before in France, but luckily I had girls in my program living in my building that helped me get food and other necessities. I eventually got myself to the doctor, and it ended up being quite simple.
However, knowing ahead of time how to get to the doctor would have made me more at ease!
How to book any type of doctor’s appointment in France
For any type of medicinal need you might have, you can search for the right doctor via Doctolib.fr. In their seach bar, you can type in the specialty you are looking for, your preferred location, and Doctolib will populate with results showing doctors with the next availability.
You can also filter the results to show doctors who only speak specific languages, if you are not comfortable going in French.
You can book your appointment, or rendez-vous (RDV) directly within the app or website, and you will have an email confirming your visit.
For some cases, if your appointment is a video call, you will most likely need to put your credit card in when reserving your time slot in case of a no-show (no fee will be charged when reserving your rendez-vous).
Should you get a primary care doctor in France?
If you plan on living in France for at least 1-2 years, I definitely recommend getting a primary care doctor.
Personally, I never had one while I lived in Lyon, or during my time as an Au Pair when I first moved to Paris. Since, I have realized how convenient it is to have a dedicated doctor for any health questions or even just refilling medicine.
It is also quite easy to find a primary care doctor! In French they are referred to as your “médecin traitant“, and all you have to do is make a normal appointment for a check up, see if you like how they operate, and then you can ask them if they are taking new patients as a médecin traitant.
Once you have a médecin traitant, it is much easier to book a rendez-vous for any need you may have, as they prioritize their patients.
Even finding a doctor on the whim for a sudden sickness is quite easy if your médecin traitant has no availibility! You can always book an appointment with any available doctor.
Another good reason to have a médecin traitant, is that they can refer you to specialists such as a dermatologist, cardiologist, ear nose and throat doctor, among others. Your médecin traitant provides you will the referral/prescription, also called an ordonnance, and then you are able to make your appointment.
Sometimes you can still visit these specialists without an ordonnance. However, the ordonnance allows you to be eligible for reimbursement through health insurance.
How to pay for your doctor’s visit
Paying for your doctor’s visit in France varies, depending on what type of care you received and what type of health insurance you have.
Without health insurance, a regular doctor’s visit will cost between 25 and 30 euros out of pocket. This can typically be payed for by card, however some doctors do not accept credit card. You will know when booking your appointment if they accept credit card or nott.
If you have la carte vitale, which is your personal health insurance card related to France’s national health insurance, about 70% of your visit will be covered. Additionally, if you have a mutuelle, which is the health insurance that either your company provides or that you have signed up for, your mutuelle will cover generally the rest (30%), though it always depends on the type of mutuelle you have.
Health insurance in France : La carte vitale and la mutuelle
La carte vitale
La carte vitale and la mutuelle compose the health insurance in France.
From the age of 16, all French citizens have a carte vitale, and they can request one from the age of 12 at the earliest.
For foreigners, we can request la carte vitale once we have a social security number (numéro de sécurité sociale). You can apply for a social security number with a valid visa, birth certificate, proof of residence in France, and French bank account.
La carte vitale is completly free, you have no fees to pay.
To see what percentage of your care is covered by la carte vitale, refer to this table.
La mutuelle
In addition to la carte vitale, there is la mutuelle, which compliments what the carte vitale does not cover.
For instance, a physical therapy session is 60% covered by la carte vitale, and the rest could either be completely covered by your mutuelle, or by only a portion.
The amount of coverage and reimbursement by your mutuelle depends on the type of contract your company has with the provider, so this can vary from person to person.
Having a mutuelle is really what makes the difference when living long-term in France, as it provides you the most benefits with your health care visits.
Important words in French when visiting the doctor
When visiting the doctor in France, even if you choose an appointment in your native language, it is helpful to know some common words that might help you on your visit. Some doctors say they speak English, yet I find that overall it is easier to speak French with them!
Below is a chart that can help you through your doctor’s visit in French, with common phrases you may need.
| English | French |
| Hello, I have an appointment at 3pm. | Bonjour, j’ai un rendez-vous à 15h. (always greet with bonjour/bonsoir before speaking!) |
| Do you have health insurance? (When greeting the receptionist) | Avez-vous la carte vitale ? |
| I have a sore throat / headache. | J’ai mal à la gorge / la tête. |
| I think I have the stomach flu. | Je pense que j’ai de la gastro. |
| I would like to fill this prescription (when at the pharmacy). | J’aimerais utiliser cette ordonnance. |
| General doctor | Le médecin généraliste |
| Primary care doctor | Un médecin traitant |
| It hurts here… | J’ai mal à… |
| The flu | La grippe |
| I am allergic to… | Je suis allérgique à… |
| Can you please refill this prescription for me? | Pourriez-vous renouveler l’ordonnance s’il vous plaît? |
| I would like to fill this prescription (when at the pharmacy). | J’aimerais utiliser cette ordonnance. |
| How can I schedule my next visit? | Comment puis-je prendre mon prochain rendez-vous ? |
I hope you found this blog about visiting the doctor in France as a foreigner helpful!
If you have any questions about this process, or anything else related to living abroad in France, feel free to leave a comment!
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Xx,
Carmela