France🇫🇷

France is stricter on paper than most of its neighbors. Two rules apply.

• Visa applicants: a Schengen short stay visa requires travel medical insurance of at least 30,000 euros covering emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation, valid across the Schengen area for every day of the stay. See Schengen visa insurance or our France visa insurance article.
• Visa exempt visitors: France-Visas, the government's official visa site, says that on arrival travelers with a short stay visa or exempt from one must be able to satisfy requests from the border police, including proof of lodging, means of support and an insurance certificate covering medical and hospital expenses, repatriation and death.

Visa exempt travelers, who may stay up to 90 days in any 180, are seldom asked for the certificate, but the French guidance is clear enough that carrying one is sensible. Your entry is recorded in the EU Entry/Exit System, fully operational since April 10, 2026 according to the European Commission. ETIAS, the planned online travel authorization, had not started as of early October 2026.

You can compare travel medical insurance for France on Ombrela and download proof of cover after purchase.

French hospitals and emergency medicine are highly regarded, and care is widely available in every region.

• Visitors from outside the EU are not part of French health insurance and pay the full bill. Public hospitals may ask for a deposit or send an invoice to your home address; private clinics want payment or an insurer guarantee.
• EU and UK visitors can use a European Health Insurance Card or UK Global Health Insurance Card for necessary care. They still pay the patient share that residents pay and reclaim part of it.
• Doctors: you can see a general practitioner without a referral and pay at the end of the visit. House call services such as SOS Médecins operate in many cities.
• Medicare: medicare.gov says it usually does not cover care outside the US.

We do not publish French hospital prices. The medical cost estimator gives a general sense of scale.

• Strikes and demonstrations: the State Department advisory cites terrorism and civil unrest. Protests are mostly peaceful but can close transport and occasionally turn violent, with police using tear gas.
• Theft: the State Department notes that pickpocketing and phone theft are common in crowded places, especially in Paris.
• Heat: summer heat waves are regular, and many older buildings lack air conditioning.
• Mosquitoes and ticks: the CDC lists dengue for France. The CDC suggests considering tickborne encephalitis vaccine for travelers with heavy outdoor exposure, mainly in the east.
• Mountains and sea: skiing in the Alps and Pyrenees is a leading cause of visitor injuries. Rescue on marked ski runs is normally charged to the skier.

• Medical and hospital cover of at least 30,000 euros, plus repatriation, to match both the visa rule and what France-Visas says border police may ask to see. Higher limits give more room for a long stay in intensive care.
• Emergency medical evacuation to move you to a suitable hospital or back home.
• Winter sports or adventure rider if you will ski, snowboard, climb or paraglide. Check piste rescue and helicopter transfer.
• Acute onset of preexisting conditions. Atlas International, Patriot International Lite, Patriot Platinum International and Safe Travels International, the international plans compared on Ombrela, do not cover preexisting conditions, and acute onset benefits have age limits.
• A certificate you can show on your phone or printed, in case it is requested at the border. Visa applicants are typically told to choose a zero deductible.

None of the international plans in our catalog exclude France as a destination. This guide covers mainland France; check the wording if you are going to an overseas territory. Definitions are in the glossary.

One Schengen compliant policy also covers onward travel to Spain, Italy or Germany. Once your dates are fixed, compare plans on Ombrela for the whole trip.

Dial 15 for the SAMU, where a doctor assesses the call and sends an ambulance or advises the next step. Dial 112 if you are unsure which service you need, and 18 for the fire brigade, which also responds to accidents.

• For non urgent problems, start at a pharmacy or book a general practitioner. You pay at the visit and receive a treatment form, the feuille de soins, which serves as your receipt.
• Before a hospital admission, call your insurer's assistance number. They can confirm cover to the hospital and may arrange direct billing.
• Keep the invoice, the feuille de soins, prescriptions and the medical report.

Our guide on how to file a claim explains the forms.