Feuille de Soins in France: What It Is and How to Use It
Last updated: 6 April 2026
This post is part of my Healthcare in France for Expats series. If you found it helpful, check out my other articles and more to make navigating the system a little easier. Check back often—I’m adding new guides regularly to make French healthcare a little less confusing!
If you have been following my series on navigating healthcare in France, you already know about the carte vitale, that small green card that makes reimbursements automatic and painless. But what happens when you do not have it yet, or you forget it at home, or your doctor does not use the electronic system? That is where the feuille de soins comes in.
Think of it as the old-school paper version of the carte vitale process. More steps, more patience required, but it works, and understanding how to use it correctly will save you from losing money on medical visits while you are still getting set up in France.
Table of Contents
What Is a Feuille de Soins?
A feuille de soins is a paper claim form that acts as proof you have received medical care from a healthcare provider in France. When your carte vitale is not being used, either because you do not have one yet, forgot it, or your provider does not use the electronic system, the feuille de soins is how you manually submit your visit to CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) for reimbursement.
The form lists the details of your treatment, the fees you paid, and your provider’s information. You fill in your personal details, sign it, and post it to your local CPAM office. They process your reimbursement just as they would if it had come through electronically via your carte vitale, it just takes longer.
When Will You Need One?
You will be given a feuille de soins in the following situations:
- You do not have your carte vitale yet, common for newcomers still waiting on their permanent social security number.
- You forgot your carte vitale at home.
- You are seeing a doctor, specialist, or dentist who does not use the electronic téléconsultation system, this still happens, particularly with some specialists and smaller practices.
- You are seeing a replacement healthcare professional (médecin rémplacant).
- You are visiting France as a tourist using an EHIC or GHIC card and the provider does not process those electronically.
How to Fill Out a Feuille de Soins
The good news: you do not fill out most of it. Your healthcare provider completes the bulk of the form, your treatment details, their information, the fees charged. Your job is limited to the section called Personne recevant les soins et assure(e), which is usually the first box on the form.
Here is what you need to fill in:
- Your full name and date of birth.
- Your social security number, if you have one, even a temporary one starting with 8, include it.
- Your address in France.
Keep in mind: sign the form at the bottom. An unsigned feuille de soins will not be processed. This is the single most common reason for rejected claims.
Tips to Avoid Common Mistakes
- Sign the form before you send it. It sounds obvious but it is the most frequent error.
- Include your temporary social security number if you have one, even a provisional number starting with 8 will help CPAM link the claim to your file.
- Make a photocopy or take a photo of the completed form before posting it. If it gets lost in the post, you can ask your provider for a duplicate and you will have a record of what you sent.
- Send it by lettre recommandee avec accuse de reception (LRAR), registered post with acknowledgment of receipt. This gives you proof of the date it was received, which matters if there is ever a dispute about the 2-year submission deadline.
- Keep all receipts from the appointment together with the form before posting. Some forms require receipts to be attached; in any case, having them is useful if CPAM requests additional documentation.
- You have up to 2 years from the date of treatment to submit a feuille de soins. If you lose the form, ask your healthcare provider for a duplicate.
Where to Send It
Where you send your feuille de soins depends on where you live. Your CPAM office is determined by your place of residence, not your place of work.
If you are in Paris:
Assurance Maladie de Paris
75948 PARIS CEDEX 19
If you are outside Paris, the easiest way to find the correct address is through your Ameli account. Log in at ameli.fr, click the menu in the top left, go to Besoin d’aide, then Contacter l’Assurance Maladie, then L’envoi d’un document. Select the type of document you are sending and the system will give you the address to use.
Alternatively, you can find your local CPAM office directly at ameli.fr using the office finder.
What About Your Mutuelle?
If you have a mutuelle (top-up insurance), you will usually need to submit the feuille de soins to them separately after CPAM has processed it, or in some cases at the same time. Check with your mutuelle provider for their specific process, as it varies. Some mutuelles accept digital copies; others require the original or a certified copy.
If you are sending to both CPAM and your mutuelle, make sure you have copies of everything before anything leaves your hands.
How Long Does Reimbursement Take?
It honestly depends on your CPAM office and how busy they are. In my experience with Paris and Hauts-de-Seine, it has taken around two weeks from the date of posting for the reimbursement to appear in my Ameli account.
You can check the estimated processing time for your specific CPAM directly in your Ameli account. Log in, go to Mes Demarches, then Consulter les delais de traitement de ma CPAM. Enter the date you sent in your paperwork — whether by post or dropped in a letterbox, and it will give you an estimated timeframe.
If it has been longer than that estimate and nothing has appeared, call 3646 to follow up. If your French is not strong enough for that, the CPAM English-speaking helpline is available at 09 74 75 36 46, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, though wait times can be long.
Resources
Ameli account (check reimbursements and processing times)
CPAM Paris mailing address: Assurance Maladie de Paris, 75948 PARIS CEDEX 19
CPAM helpline (free from French numbers): 3646
CPAM English-speaking helpline: 09 74 75 36 46, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm
Carte Vitale in France: How to Get Yours as a Foreigner
How to Apply for French Sécurité Sociale as a Foreigner
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