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Healthcare & Insurance in Strasbourg

French healthcare is genuinely excellent — but the system is layered, the vocabulary is specific, and the process of registering as a newcomer has a few traps. This guide explains everything from your first GP appointment to the mutuelle, the Carte Vitale, and the special insurance situation for EU institution staff.

France has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. As a resident, you are entitled to access it — and once you are registered, the cost of medical care is remarkably low compared to most countries. The catch is that registration takes time, requires specific documents, and involves understanding a system that works in three layers.

In this guide
  1. How French healthcare works — the three layers
  2. Registering with CPAM and getting your Carte Vitale
  3. Finding a GP — your médecin traitant
  4. Booking appointments — Doctolib and alternatives
  5. The mutuelle — what it is and why you need one
  6. Healthcare for EU institution staff — Henner and JSIS
  7. Pharmacies in Strasbourg
  8. Emergency numbers and urgent care

How French healthcare works — the three layers

French healthcare is funded by social contributions and operates in three layers. Understanding this structure helps everything else make sense.

01
Assurance Maladie (CPAM)
The state health insurance system. Covers 70% of standard GP consultations, 100% of serious illnesses (ALD), and varying amounts for specialists and medication. Everyone legally residing in France is entitled to register.
02
Mutuelle
A private supplementary insurance that covers the remaining 30% not paid by the state (the ticket modérateur). Without a mutuelle, you pay this 30% out of pocket every time you see a doctor. Essential.
03
Optional extras
Additional private insurance for dental, optical, or specialist care above standard tariffs. Less critical if you have a good mutuelle, but useful for high-cost items like glasses or orthodontics.
⚠️ The standard GP consultation fee in 2026 is €30. The state reimburses 70% (€21). Without a mutuelle, you pay €9 every visit. With a mutuelle, you typically pay nothing. For specialists, the gap is larger. Don't delay getting a mutuelle — it pays for itself very quickly.

Registering with CPAM and getting your Carte Vitale

The CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie) is the local branch of France's national health insurance system. Registering with them is your first healthcare task after arriving in Strasbourg.

Who can register and when

How to register

  1. Go to ameli.fr ↗ and create an account, or visit the CPAM office at 2 place des Halles, Strasbourg
  2. Submit your documents: passport/ID, proof of address, work contract or visa, and for non-EU citizens your titre de séjour
  3. Wait for your numéro de sécurité sociale (social security number) — this takes 4–12 weeks
  4. Your Carte Vitale (the green health insurance card) arrives 2–4 weeks after your number is confirmed
⚡ Don't wait for the Carte Vitale

You can see a doctor before your Carte Vitale arrives. Ask CPAM for an attestation de droits — a paper certificate confirming your health coverage. Most doctors and pharmacies accept this while you wait for the physical card.

Also: your bank account needs to be open before registering with CPAM, as reimbursements are sent directly. See our Admin & Banking guide for how to open one quickly.

Finding a GP — your médecin traitant

One of the most important things to do in your first weeks in Strasbourg is to register with a médecin traitant — a named GP who becomes your primary doctor. This is not optional: without a registered médecin traitant, the state reimburses only 30% of your consultations instead of 70%.

Finding a GP who is accepting new patients (qui accepte de nouveaux patients) is increasingly difficult in Strasbourg as in much of France — the shortage of GPs is a real problem. Here is how to find one:

Once you find a GP, you formally register them as your médecin traitant by signing a declaration form at the practice — they submit it to CPAM on your behalf. This takes effect immediately.

The GP shortage reality: Finding a GP in Strasbourg who is accepting new patients can feel like finding a flat with a reasonable guarantor — technically possible, but requiring persistence. Start looking on Doctolib the week you arrive. Some people spend 2–3 weeks searching before finding one. In the meantime, you can still see a doctor — you'll just be reimbursed at the lower rate until you have a registered médecin traitant.

Booking appointments — Doctolib and alternatives

Doctolib is France's dominant medical appointment platform and your primary tool for booking any medical appointment in Strasbourg. It covers GPs, specialists, dentists, physiotherapists, midwives, and more — and it has an English interface.

Download it as your first app after arriving. It will save you an enormous amount of administrative friction.

For urgent but non-emergency care

The mutuelle — what it is and why you need one

A mutuelle is a complementary health insurance that covers the portion of medical costs not reimbursed by the state — typically 30% of standard fees, plus any gap fees charged by doctors who bill above the standard tariff (dépassements d'honoraires).

Without a mutuelle, you pay these amounts out of pocket every time you see a doctor, fill a prescription, get dental work, or buy glasses. A good mutuelle essentially makes most routine healthcare free at the point of use.

If you are employed in the private sector

French law requires employers to provide a group mutuelle and pay at least 50% of the premium. Your HR department will enroll you automatically or ask you to choose from a list of options. You can opt out only if you have equivalent coverage elsewhere — for example, through your partner's plan.

If you are self-employed, freelance, or job seeking

You need to find and pay for your own mutuelle. Comparison sites like LeLynx ↗ or MeilleureAssurance ↗ help you compare plans. Budget €30–80/month depending on your age and the level of coverage.

What a good mutuelle covers

Healthcare for EU institution staff — Henner and JSIS

If you work at the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, or another international organisation in Strasbourg, your healthcare situation is different from standard French residents — and significantly better in most respects.

Council of Europe and ECHR — Henner

Henner is the private health insurance provider used by the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights for their staff and families. It is a comprehensive international health insurance plan that covers medical costs at a high level — often at 100% of real costs, depending on the contract.

⚠️ Henner and the French CPAM system: As a Council of Europe staff member, you are typically not registered with the French CPAM — your institution provides coverage instead. This means you do not get a standard French Carte Vitale. When seeing a French doctor, you pay upfront and claim reimbursement from Henner. Keep all receipts and medical documentation for claims.

European Parliament staff — JSIS

European Parliament staff are covered by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) — the EU institutions' own health coverage system. JSIS covers 80% of most medical costs (100% for serious illness), with staff paying the remaining 20%. Many EP staff take out a complementary mutuelle to cover this gap. Ask your HR or colleagues which mutuelles are most commonly used within the institution.

⚡ For institution staff — practical tips

Always ask the doctor's receptionist whether they accept tiers payant (direct billing) or whether you need to pay upfront and claim. With Henner or JSIS, most claims are submitted after the fact — keep a folder for medical receipts from day one.

For partners covered by Henner: confirm with HR exactly what documentation the non-working partner needs to access coverage. The process differs for EU and non-EU partners — and for non-EU partners, this links directly to the titre de séjour situation covered in the Work guide.

Pharmacies in Strasbourg

French pharmacies are excellent — pharmacists are highly trained and can advise on a wide range of conditions, dispense many medications without a prescription, and provide a first line of medical advice without an appointment. Look for the green cross sign on every other street.

Emergency numbers and urgent care

⚡ One more thing

Download the Ameli app even if you are covered by an institution plan — it gives you access to your French healthcare file, prescription history, and the ability to find duty pharmacies and medical facilities near you. Free and available in English.

For apps covering everyday life beyond healthcare, see our Essential Apps guide — it covers everything from booking restaurants to finding a hairdresser.