It was more the point - do I need to wait until the restrictions are lifted then go or post it in the meantime.
Unless you have a query I see no point in going in person. It will be sent to a national processing centre in any case, it wonât be processed by your own CPAM.
Form completed and all additional forms now prepared.
There is no indication where to post it to - telephone line has a simple answerphone message. Any ideas where to send the comoleted form to?
If you donât know the address of your local CPAM, google will be your friend.
They donât process it themselves but they do record it, forward it on and liaise between you and the central processing office.
Thank you.
And use la poste site to get your letter sent suivi, here
May I add a thought⊠no idea what docs they are asking for, but I would be loathe to send original certificates etc⊠I would scan and send a copy⊠just in case things go adrift⊠somewhere along the way.
I know that our local CPAM took copies and gave me back the originals⊠they then sent the whole package to the âhead officeâ who subsequently lost everything⊠(yes, it does happen) ⊠phew I was so glad it was only the copies they had lostâŠ
anyway⊠that is my tale from years ago⊠things have probably changed⊠just throwing it in for considerationâŠ
Do all these documents need to be official translations that you post off? And do you need to obtain medical records from UK before leaving. Thanks.
Medical records is up to you. If you have a chronic illness and are likely to need specialist care then it will speed process of getting that, and getting prescriptions you need. Also if you need to register an ALD. But some doctors will want to recheck the diagnosis anyway. No medical details will be asked at application stage.
Translations is very variable. The theory is that since English is an official language of the EU then translations can no longer be demanded. But some areas refuse to accept this and still want certified translations. We just did our own translations, making them look as professional as we could and that was accepted.
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Brilliant thatâs really helpful thanks. I have a good standard of French and have a masterâs from a French university in teaching it so feel I should be able to do my own.
Your replies have been helpful.
Mrs Sarah Little
From home email
slittle72@btinternet.com
07715696177
Hello Michael, Iâve just come across your topic. Weâre in a similar position though several months behind - can I tap into your knowledge please?
Adrian, thereâs a wealth of information on here. Youâre in the right place! Ask away on this thread -if appropriate. We may need to wait until next year if my wife fails to shake off
problems following CV19 infection .
Whatâs your plan?
Hello and thanks Michael. Best wishes to your wife for a speedy recovery.
Weâve had a holiday home in France for the last 6 years, along comes Brexit and of course now the deadline looms. Up until very recently our plan was to stay UK resident but get a long stay visa for France next year, re-applying annually etc, so that we could be in France renting out our UK home for perhaps 5 years.
I posted a question regarding visas on SFN last week, got a lot of responses / help. However an early suggestion coming from that was that surely it would be altogether better to take up residence in France before the end of this year, rights guaranteed etc assuming I get the adminâ right. A lot of benefits. So I started exploring that option. Now we get to your topic and bullet point plan that you opened up back in February - early retirees and health care.
So yes Iâm 60, retired early due to a chronic illness, have a private pension income but no S1 of course. Having done my research over the last few days my questions areâŠ
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taking your plan points (totally agree with them), pending acceptance by PUMA (lets assume for now), weâll need âcomprehensive private healthcare coverâ according to what Iâve read. How long is that needed for? Open ended until PUMA settled?? What sort of costs have you encountered on the insurance? I got a BUPA quote for nearly ÂŁ7k a year! Would a similar quote from a French Mutuelle be much more reasonable?
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possibly more worrying was a French Gov website that told me I wasnât elegible for PUMA (despite my understanding that the criteria are being resident for 3 months plus, having independent means, being a non worker and taking out private medical insurance) if I didnât have an S1.
Any thoughts and guidance would be gratefully received.
Hi Adrian,
Bupa is great (weâre also working with them) but they are very pricey and donât allow you to easily opt-out of their plan the first year whereas we do have offers that could be cancelled when youâre accepted into the French system which is a huge plus.
Happy to assist if youâd like but in the meantime you can also have a look online to get an idea of the premium involved => http://www.fabfrenchinsurance.com/
Cheers,
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Of course you are eligible for PUMA. Every french resident is as itâs a universal scheme. We were in the french health service for years before OH got his S1. It costs approx 8% of your income above a threshold of 10,000. (This is a rough estimate, before someone jumps in and says that x is excluded and you have to add y).
If you can just get short term health cover for the first 6 months you should be fine. Or Fabienâs option os one you can cancel is even better.
Iâm glad you decided to jump now. If it doesnât suit you can go back, but the opportunity to become a french resident with withdrawal agreement benefits wonât ever be replicated. Knowing that our state pensions will be index linked, and we have the S1 for life is a massive, massive thing.
Thank you Jane thatâs all very reassuring to hear. Appreciate your help last week on my other post too, wonât be long Iâm sure before my next questionâŠon a roll now 
Iâm glad you are receiving the information you need Adrian. You are in the right place. As you already have a home in France I imagine things will be more straightforward for you.
I am having to address the possibility that we will not be able to move until next year if my wifeâs health fails to improve in time.
As far as health cover goes, we would need to pay for the mutuel anyway. What Iâm wondering is what extra expense would we have to cover. Would it be solely the cost of continuing to pay for Puma after my state pension age? I realise that my pension wouldnât be index linked. Iâm also wondering how Mutuel costs might be loaded by pre-existing conditions.
I donât think anybody really knows what will be in place from next year. Itâs a whole new ball game as freedom of movement will no longer exist and I think itâll be a question of applying for a visa as all other non-europeans currently have to do. The whole S1 and reciprocal health care comes to an end too (for those arriving from next year onwards). Others will probably be able to give you more accurate info as Iâm not really up to speed with the latest! 