La Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE)

What is the CFE?

The CFE (Caisse des Français de l'Étranger) is the social security fund for French nationals living abroad. Financially autonomous, the CFE is a private organisation responsible for a public service. It is governed by the Social Security Code and placed under the supervision of the ministries in charge of social security and the budget.

Voluntary membership of the CFE is done individually or through the employer and covers 3 types of risks:

• Sickness, maternity and disability

• Work-related accidents and occupational diseases

• Retirement (social security pension managed by the CNAV)

Expatriate employees have the option to insure themselves against one or more of these risks, depending on their family situation, the particularities of the country of expatriation and their financial resources. Other French nationals living abroad can insure themselves against the risk of illness and maternity, regardless of their situation.

How much does the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE) cost? What will be their reimbursements?

CFE premiums are calculated according to your age and your family (solo or family contract). You can estimate the amount of your premiums on the CFE website.

By joining the CFE as soon as you leave France, you ensure the continuity of your rights: there is no waiting period, and you will not lose any quarters for your pension.

In return, you benefit from partial reimbursements for your care. Since 1 January 2020, their scale is expressed as a percentage of the health costs actually incurred or as a fixed amount, and sometimes varies according to the country, divided into 5 zones. For example, they are :

• 70% with a maximum reimbursement limit of €25, for a consultation with a general practitioner or specialist, regardless of your country of residence

• 10 to 30% for dental care, depending on your area of residence;

• 19 to 67% for hospitalisation, again depending on your region.

You will therefore have to pay a co-payment, depending on the care provided. Additional reimbursement from an international health insurance company is therefore very often necessary, especially if you are going to live in a country with high health costs.

> For example: in the United States, the cost of a specialist consultation in the private sector is around €260 and €263 in Hong Kong ⁽¹⁾. But it will be reimbursed by the CFE at 70% of the €25 limit. You will therefore have to pay more than €230 if you do not have supplementary expat health insurance to cover it.

Caisse des Français de l'Étranger or private insurance?

It is perfectly possible to combine your affiliation to the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger with a complementary insurance policy taken out with an independent international insurer. And if the latter is on its list of partner organisations, you can benefit from the remote transmission of your reimbursement requests: they will be managed in an optimal way.

Another possibility is to choose to be reimbursed from the first euro by your health insurer, without joining the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger. The insurer will therefore no longer intervene as a top-up, but will pay your reimbursements in full, according to the level of cover and deductible you have subscribed to.

For more information on the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE)

Visit www.cfe.fr

APRIL International, health insurance partner of the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger

Hospitalisation, routine medical care, optical and dental care... Our expatriate insurance plans also automatically include repatriation for medical reasons to the most appropriate hospital or to your home country! From the 1^st euro or as a top-up to the CFE, benefit from fast and effictive services and reimbursements.