How to get healthcare in France as a tourist

It’s something you would hope to avoid, but if you are in France on holiday you may fall sick or be injured, in which case you will need to access healthcare. Here’s how that works for tourists and visitors.

If you’re in France on holiday or to visit friends or relatives over the summer then you won’t be registered in the French healthcare system.

However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot access care – either emergency or non-urgent – if you need it.

Doctor

If your problem isn’t urgent enough for hospital treatment then you will likely want a GP/family care physician, known in France as a médecin généraliste.

Unlike in the UK, you do not have to be registered with a specific doctor, you can see any généraliste who has appointments available.

The easiest way to find one is to search on the useful medical website/app Doctolib. This allows you to search for généralistes in your area, and also includes a language filter so if necessary you can select doctors who speak English.

If you’re in a very rural area, you may find no doctors listed on Doctolib – that could be because there aren’t any (shortages of doctors is a serious problem in some parts of France), but it could also be because they don’t use the website. In that case it’s better to ask around, especially at the local pharmacy.

At the end of your consultation the doctor will ask you to pay – the standard fee for a généraliste appointment is €30, but doctors listed as ‘sector 2’ can charge higher prices. Most doctors these days accept cards, but there are still a few who are cash-only. If you’re booking via Doctolib, the doctor’s profile will tell you what payment methods they accept.

At this point you may also be asked for your carte vitale – this is the card that shows you are registered in the French health system, which you as a visitor will not have. If you have travel insurance or private health insurance you may be able to claim back the cost of the appointment, so ask for a receipt instead.

If you need medicine the doctor will give you a prescription, which you then take to the pharmacy – you will need to pay for medication too.

Pharmacy

French pharmacies are great resources and almost every town has at least one, easily recognisable by the green illuminated cross outside.

If you need to visit one on a bank holiday or Sunday, then you can search for the nearest ‘pharmacie de garde’ in your area.

By law, every pharmacy must have at least one qualified pharmacist on the premises, and they can give advice about a wide range of ailments, offer over-the-counter medication and treat minor injuries.

They can also perform in-store tests for common illnesses like tonsillitis/strep throat or urinary tract infections, and prescribe antibiotics without the need for a doctor’s visit.

They can also offer advice on local medical services and how to find a doctor if you need one. In big cities and tourist areas, most pharmacies have someone who can speak a bit of English.

Out-of-hours doctors

If you need a doctor over the weekend, a public holiday or outside normal working hours, you can also use the SOS Médecins service, which offers either telephone consultations or a home visit from a doctor.

For a house-call on holidays, weekends, and nights, you can expect the fee to range between €56.50 to €86.

Full details on how the service works here.

Dentists

If you have a dental emergency you can visit a French dentist. The system works in the same way as for doctors – you find a nearby dentist (they are also listed on Doctolib) and make an appointment.

You then pay upfront for the cost of the appointment and any treatment that you need. Because dental care can be expensive, the dentist will likely discuss your level of health coverage with you, and perhaps offer you an expensive and a cheaper option.

Hospital

If your problem is more serious, or if you have an injury and think you might need an X-Ray or scan, then you will need to visit the hospital.

The Urgences department – Accident & Emergency or Emergency Room – operates on a walk-in basis, with patients seen in order of priority. If your problem is not an emergency then you may have to wait for treatment, and wait times are usually higher during the summer when many staff are on holiday.

During the check-in process, you will likely be asked if you have a carte vitale – you can still access care if you don’t, but be aware that there will be a bill at the end

If you go to a hospital emergency department and have a consultation but are not admitted to the hospital, the standard fee is €25, plus the cost of any prescription or treatment that you may need.

The standard charge for a hospital stay (excluding treatments) is €20 per day, or €15 per day for a psychiatric hospital. There are exemptions to this including pregnant women, newborn babies and victims of terror attacks.

Upon leaving hospital, you will usually be asked to settle up the bill. You may be able to claim back the costs via travel or health insurance.

Ambulance

If you are in an urgent or life-threatening situation, or you cannot transport yourself to the hospital, you can call the emergency services.

The number for the ambulance is 15 and the number for the pompiers (emergency fire and rescue workers who have extensive medical training and are regularly called to incidents such as car crashes or falls) is 18. You can also call the general European emergency number 112 – you are more likely to find English speakers on this number and they can also dispatch an ambulance to you if required.

If you are hearing-impaired, there is an SMS service on 114.

If you need to call an ambulance the call-out itself is free but you may be charged for the trip to the hospital. Being taken to the hospital by the pompiers is free, but prank calls to emergency services can lead to a fine of more than €400.

Claiming back costs

Non-residents will need health insurance, but some are eligible for government-run schemes.

EU – If you are resident in an EU country other than France, you can use the European health insurance card. This is an EU-wide scheme whereby EU governments agree to pay for the medical treatments of their citizens when they visit other EU countries. The card has slightly different names in different countries, but can be obtained from the state health system in your country of residence.

British – Brits are no longer entitled to the European health insurance card since Brexit, but for residents of the UK there is a new card known as a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) which France has agreed to accept.

Coverage – both the European card and the GHIC, however, only cover emergency or unplanned treatments. They rarely cover the cost of repatriation, so visitors are advised to also have their own travel insurance with health cover.

Non-Europeans – once you’re outside of Europe, things become more complicated since it’s a question of bilateral agreements on medical cover, so you need to check what your state health insurance (if it exists) covers – for example Canadians are covered for medical treatment in France over a maximum period of three months.

If your country doesn’t have a bilateral agreement with France, or does not provide state medical care, then you will need a private health insurance policy that covers visits to France in order to claim back the cost of any medical treatment.

Vocab

Médecin généraliste – GP or family doctor

Une ordonnance – prescription

Je veux prendre un rendez-vous – I would like to make an appointment

Le cabinet médical – a doctor’s practice

Y a-t-il un médecin anglophone dans le cabinet ? – Is there an English-speaking doctor in the practice?

Un chirurgien dentiste – a dentist or dental surgeon

How to get healthcare in France as a tourist

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