Care abroad

Holidays in Europe: get a European Health Insurance Card!

Publié le 16 juin 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Summer is approaching and holidays are getting ready: before leaving, don’t forget your European Health Insurance Card. Service-Public.fr explains how to get it.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) facilitates access to healthcare for every traveler and enables medical treatment in any European country, as well as Switzerland and the UK. It attests to your rights to French Health Insurance.

The menu is nominative and individual : each family member (including young people under 16) must have their own card. Provided free of charge, it is valid for 2 years.

Be careful, it is not usable in France and does not replace your Vitale card.

FYI  

Since March 18, 2025, it is possible for all insured holders of the identity card in bank card format (CNIe), to save their Vitale card in their mobile phone via the France Identité application.

How to obtain or renew the EHIC?

Just log in 15 days before your departure to your account ameli :

  1. Sign in with your login or create an account.
  2. Go to the section “My steps” then “Order an EHIC”.
  3. Check his address.
  4. Your card will be sent by post.

Please note

You can also order your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the Ameli Account for Smartphone application on theApp Store and Google Play.

If you do not have an ameli account and cannot travel, you can contact one of the health insurance advisors at 3646 (free service + price of a call).

You can consult the video tutorial to create your ameli account.

FYI  

In case of emergency or late application, a replacement provisional certificate is issued and immediately downloadable to your account. It is valid for 3 months.

The request must be made to your health insurance body.

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