WELCOME STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS AND FOREIGN ARTISTS IN MOBILITY

Foreign artists and cultural professionals must ensure prior to their arrival in France that they have health coverage during their stay. The formalities involved will differ depending on your situation and your type of activity in Île-de-France.

If you move to France, you may be enrolled in the Social Security general fund and the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM) (Local Health Insurance Fund) of your place of residence. The application must be made with your first employment.

If you are covered for health insurance in a European Union country, you can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) prior to your arrival in France. This card will entitle you to coverage by French Social Security during your stay.

Download: demande de sécurité sociale pour un assuré social européen (Application for Social Security for a person with European health coverage)

Depending on your situation (employee sponsored by a foreign employer, self-employed worker), the bilateral Social Security agreement signed between your country of residence and France may entitle you to social coverage in France. You will need to apply for a form from the health fund processing centre in your country of origin.

For more details, consult the website of the Centre des Liaisons Européennes et Internationales de Sécurité Sociale (CLEISS) (Centre for European and International Social Security Liaison) or email us at baape@ciup.fr.

Private health insurance

If you are neither employed in France, nor hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), nor benefit from a reciprocity agreement, you must take out private health coverage.

After having spent three months in France, you may be entitled to apply for Couverture Maladie Universelle (CMU) (Universal Medical Coverage) from the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM) (Local Health Insurance Fund) of your place of residence.

For more details, write to us at baape@ciup.fr.

Social legislation

Cultural organisations inviting or sponsoring artists and/or cultural professionals in the Île-de-France region are subject to social legislation that varies depending on the context: direct recruitment, sponsorship by a foreign employer, artists or cultural professionals residing in Europe, existence of bilateral Social Security agreements between France and the person’s country of the residence.

There is no set answer to the questions that cultural organisations are liable to ask. The BAAPE (Orientation Office for Foreign Professional Artists) is able to answer questions as varied as:
- If I recruit foreign artists and technicians for performances: where do I have to pay social security contributions? In France or in their country of residence?
- If I sign a copyright transfer contract with a foreign entrepreneur who remains the employer of the artists and technicians, in which country do the contributions have to be paid?
- If I host non-European artists residing in a European Union member country, what principle must I apply for the payment of contributions?

So don’t hesitate to contact us by email at baape@ciup.fr.

You can also download the document: cotisations sociales (Social Security contributions).(coming soon)