What is state medical aid (MEA)?
Verified 01 April 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
State medical aid (MEA) is a mechanism that allows foreigners in an irregular situation to benefit from access to care. It allows to be exempted from the advance of fees. It is granted under conditions of residence and resources. We present you the information to know.
Warning
THE SOUL is not applicable in Mayotte.
General case
You must reside in France for more than 3 months.
You must not have no residence permit for more than 3 months.
You have to collect resources not exceeding certain ceilings.
These ceilings are different if you live in metropolitan France or Dom.
The resources taken into account are those of the last 12 months.
Composition of the hearth | Annual resource cap | |
|---|---|---|
Metropolis | DOM | |
Single person | €10,421 | €11,599 |
2 people | €15,632 | €17,398 |
3 people | €18,758 | €20,878 |
4 people | €21,885 | €24,358 |
Per additional person | €4,169 | €4,640 |
The minor children benefit from the AME without delay even if you do not meet the condition of more than 3 months in France.
You can elect residence with a communal center for social action (CCAS) or an approved association and thus help you to build your file with one of these organizations.
If your situation in France regularizes, you will be entitled to health insurance taking into account your professional activity or your stable and regular residence.
The AME entitles the support at 100% your medical and hospital care within the limits of social security rates.
You don't have to advance the costs.
Your dependants (person you live with as a couple, children under the age of 16, or up to the age of 20 if they continue their studies) may also benefit from the MEA.
The following medical expenses are not supported :
- Technical act, examination, medicine and product necessary for the realization of a medical aid to reproduction
- Medicinal product with medical service rendered low reimbursed to 15%
- Thermal cure.
However, for minors, medical expenses remain covered at 100% in any case.
Warning
Certain care and treatments non-urgent cases are only taken care of after a period of 9 months after admission to the AME for any new major beneficiary or for one who has not benefited from the AME for more than a year.
Application Package
You have to distinguish according to your status.
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General case
You must fill in form cerfa n°11573:
Request for medical assistance from the State (AME)
You have to drop off your 1er apply to the health insurance fund of your place of residence.
The file can be filed in all branches of the caisse.
However, in some departments, the file can only be submitted to agencies dedicated upon receipt of MEA requests. These departments are as follows:
- Aisne
- Ariège
- Expensive
- Gard
- Paris
- Loire-Atlantique
- Haut-Rhin
- Seine-Saint-Denis
- North
- Pas de Calais.
FYI
The obligation to submit the file personally to the reception desk makes it possible to verify the physical presence of the applicant in the territory when submitting his application.
You can also file this file in a public service home authorized by the health insurance organization.
You can file this file in a structure France Services which offers you, less than 20 minutes from home, advisors accompanying you in all your daily administrative procedures.
Who shall I contact
The 1era The application may also be filed with a health facility or health care access center (PASS) where you or a member of your household is cared for.
In this case, the institution shall forward the application file within 8 days to the health insurance body.
Under certain conditions, the 1era The application can also be submitted to a health center or a health center or an association.
Isolated minor
The application can be filed with a health insurance organization by
- Either a structure for the care or support of these people
- Either an association defending the rights of users of the health system or people in precarious situations.
Form cerfa n°11573 must be completed:
Person with reduced mobility
The 1era applications can be submitted to the following services:
- Health Insurance Organization
- Health facility in which the applicant is cared for
- Communal or intercommunal social action center of your place of residence
- Health and social services of the department of residence
- Associations or non-profit organizations approved for this purpose by decision of the representative of the State in the department.
FYI
For a waiver of the in-person filing of the 1era AME application, you must provide a sworn attestation stating that you cannot deposit the file at the caisse due to your reduced mobility.
Form cerfa n°11573 must be completed:
Person under guardianship or curatorship
Your guardian or trustee can file the 1era request from the following services:
- A health insurance body that conducts the examination by delegation from the State
- Health facility in which the applicant is cared for
- Communal or inter-communal social action center of the place of residence of the person concerned
- Health and social services of the department of residence
- Associations or non-profit organizations approved for this purpose by decision of the representative of the State in the department.
FYI
For a waiver of the in-person filing of the 1era AME application, a copy of the guardianship or trusteeship judgment of the applicant must be provided.
Form cerfa n°11573 must be completed:
The form contains a notice indicating the documents to be provided.
Please note
Social services and associations or non-profit organizations approved for this purpose by the prefect of department can help you in your approach.
Your CPAM: titleContent inform you of its decision no later than 2 months after the deposit of your request.
If you have not received a response after this period, your request is refused.
If your application is accepted, you are summoned to come and collect your admission card to the AME. This card is to be presented to the health professionals you consult.
FYI
If you reside in France irregularly and you do not have AME (you do not meet the conditions or your application is pending), you can benefit from a care of your urgent care in the hospital.
Ask your CPAM.
The MEA is granted for a duration of one year from the date of submission of the application.
If you dispute a refusal to grant the AME, you can make a appeal free of charge to your CPAM within 2 months of receipt of the decision.
You can also apply to the administrative court of your place of residence within 2 months of the decision date.
Asylum seeker
You cannot benefit from AME.
However, you benefit from the universal protection disease (Puma) after 3 months of residence in France.
During these 3 months, you can be taken care of under the urgent care system.
The urgent care provided is:
- Care the absence of which would be life-threatening or could lead to serious and lasting impairment of your health or that of an unborn child
- Care to prevent the spread of a disease to others or to the community (e.g. tuberculosis)
- All the care of a pregnant woman and a newborn: preventive examinations carried out during and after pregnancy, childbirth
- Interruptions of pregnancy (voluntary or for medical reasons).
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For additional information
Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM)If you live in Paris and want to be helped in your efforts
Paris - Center d'action sociale de la ville de Paris (CASVP)
National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
Solidarity Complementary Health Fund
Solidarity Complementary Health Fund
Ameli.fr