What is the CFE ?

The CFE (Caisse des Français de l’Aranger) is a private organization that operates on the same reimbursement scale as that of Social Security.

Who is concerned by the CFE?

Created in 1978, the CFE, as its name indicates, intervenes for the French abroad. It reimburses you for part of your care in return for a quarterly contribution calculated according to your income, age and family situation.
You can choose between a “1st euro” insurance (without CFE) and a complementary insurance to CFE.
Other people can also join the CFE:

• Nationals of a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, when they are expatriated outside their country;
• Other foreigners, outside their country and employed by a company which has affiliated its staff to the CFE.

It concerns expatriate employees, non-salaried workers, people without professional activity, retired people and students.

What insurance does CFE offer?

The CFE covers 3 risks:

• Health: illness, maternity and disability.
• Occupational risks: accidents at work and occupational diseases
• Old age: retirement

They operate independently and must be taken out separately. You are not obliged to subscribe to all 3, you can choose the insurance you need.

CFE: protection for all

All expatriates can join the CFE, regardless of

• their family and professional situation during their expatriation
• their country of residence
• their age
• their state of health

There is no need to complete a medical questionnaire before joining. And there are no exclusions for the coverage of health expenses.
It is recommended that you join the CFE as soon as possible, as a waiting period applies if you join more than three months after the start of your expatriation. This period is :

• Three months for people under 45 years of age.
• Six months for people over 45 years of age.

The CFE: continuous protection

The CFE ensures the continuity of rights with the French social security system. On their return to France, its members immediately return to their social security system.

The limits of the CFE: taking out complementary health insurance

The Caisse des Français de l’Étranger only covers part of your health expenses abroad, such as hospitalization costs or a consultation with a general practitioner or a specialist.
It only reimburses on the basis of the conventional tariff, and does not take into account the cost of expenses incurred abroad. To cover the difference, it is essential to take out supplementary insurance for expatriates, particularly in countries where the cost of medicine is high.