Do you live in France and work in Switzerland? Arrange your health insurance from the start of your employment. Affiliation, registration for care in France and any supplementary insurance are separate steps.
Identify your situation and the deadline
If you meet the option-right conditions, you can choose Swiss LAMal or the French system, commonly called cross-border CMU. The deadline is three months from the qualifying event. Moving to France while working in Switzerland may qualify; moving to Switzerland is a different situation.
Prepare proof of identity, residence and employment. Follow the authorities’ document checklist for your application and keep evidence of submission.
Work out your budget before joining a system
A monthly figure only tells part of the story. List the people who need cover, the income information required for the French calculation and the countries where you usually receive care. Our CMU/LAMal simulator helps you compare those assumptions side by side. Keep the result to help with your decision; completing a simulation does not replace sending the option form to the relevant authorities.
If you choose LAMal
Join a Swiss insurer and request an S1 document. Present it to the CPAM where you live to register for care in France. Also complete the choice form, have it certified by the CPAM and submit it to the competent Swiss authority within the deadline.
Care in Switzerland is covered according to Swiss rules. After registration, care in France follows French rules on behalf of the Swiss system. The S1 organises these entitlements: it is neither supplementary insurance nor a second system to choose.
If you choose the French system
Send the choice form and required documents to the CPAM for affiliation. Then submit the certified form to the competent Swiss authority. Urssaf calculates and collects your health contribution.
Care in France follows French rules. For care in Switzerland, distinguish outpatient consultations, emergencies and planned treatment that may require prior authorisation. Check with your institution before major treatment.
Complete your protection
Your partner’s and children’s entitlements must be assessed according to their own circumstances. Suitable supplementary insurance may cover some remaining costs, depending on the contract’s benefits and covered countries.
Focus on the costs that matter to you
Do you usually receive care in France but also want to consult a specialist in Switzerland? Start there, then consider hospital, dental and optical cover according to your needs. The cross-border supplementary health insurance comparison tool shows prices and benefits for Alptis and REPAM offers available to your profile. Check which benefits apply in France and which apply in Switzerland, alongside any limits and waiting periods.
Income protection during sick leave is a separate issue. Check existing cover, continued salary payments and your employment contract or collective agreement with your employer. No payment duration can be promised without reviewing these conditions.
Alperea Assurances helps you understand the steps and compare supplementary cover suited to your care in France and Switzerland.
