This chapter informs you about your rights in terms of social security, if you come (back) to France after paying social security contributions in other States of the European economic area or Switzerland.

For the UK, each case needs to be assessed individually to determine whether a person falls within the scope of Art 30 of the Withdrawal Agreement, and so the EU Coordination Regulations apply, or whether they fall within the scope of situations described in Art 32 of the Withdrawal Agreement and/or come under domestic legislation and the Protocol on Social Security Coordination attached to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Social security and European regulations

If you leave to work in another country of the European Union or another country concerned by European regulations, as a rule, you no longer make your social security contributions in France, but rather in the new country where you work.

If you have lived, worked and/or paid social security contributions in another country of the EU, or in a country concerned by these same rules, the duration of your stay in one of these countries, the period during which you have worked there, or the contributions that you have paid there, may be taken into account when your allowances are calculated in France.

European regulations guarantee that:

• in France you will have the same rights and the same obligations in terms of social security as a French worker;
• your periods of activity and social security contributions in another country and in France will be taken into consideration in order to open the right to social security allowances in France;
• you will be able, under certain conditions, to receive social security allowances from your country of origin when you will live in France;
• your periods of work in other countries will be added up in order to open the right to social security allowances and in order to calculate their total; for example, for pensions in France.

Which allowances are concerned?

European coordination regulations in terms of social security provide for terms and conditions of application for the payment of social security allowances. The allowances concerned are:

• family allowances;
• healthcare allowances;
• sickness benefits (including maternity and paternity);
• disability allowances;
• allowances for accidents at work;
• job-related sickness benefits;
• unemployment benefits;
• old-age benefits;
• benefits for survivors;
• death grants.

What do you need to do?

If you have worked in another country of the European Economic Area or in Switzerland and you come (back) to France, you must have:

• proof of the payment of social security contributions, with the forms E104 and U1 (formerly E301), which you can obtain from the social security body and/or the employment department of the country that you leave. Check with them that you have all the necessary documents.

If you receive unemployment benefits from another country of the EEA or Switzerland, you can transfer these benefits to France in order to look for work there. You must complete the form U2 (formerly E303).

When you contact your insurance fund in France in order to obtain social security benefits, you must enter:

• the country where you have worked;
• the name and address of your employer there;
• the period during which you worked there;
• your social security number.

Jargon busters

• Coordination (in terms of social security): set of rules that are common to member States, facilitating a continuity of social security benefits for people who circulate within Europe (EU 27, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland).
• E104 Form: certificate concerning all periods of insurance, employment and residence. This document summarises the insurance periods paid for in a member state. It is used by the institution of a new State of employment in order to open rights to health and maternity benefits and death rights (benefits), when a worker begins an activity in a State and does not satisfy the conditions for opening rights of this State so as to be able to claim benefits.
• U1 Form: Periods to be taken into account for the granting of unemployment benefits. It is intended for the unemployed person who is claiming benefits in a member state, after working in another member state.
• U2 Form: maintenance of the right for unemployment benefits. This form is designed for unemployed people asking to transfer their residence to another member state in order to look for employment there.
• EEA: European economic area. It includes the 27 member states of the EU, in addition to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Know your rights

The following links provide further information about your rights. These sites are not the responsibility of the European Commission and therefore do not represent its viewpoints:

More information on the coordination of social security systems:

• site of the Centre of European and International social security matters (Cleiss).
• More information on the French administration's website regarding the stay and employment of citizens of the EEA.
• More information on health and social security in another country is available on the French administration's website.
• More information on the exportation of unemployment benefits on the Pôle emploi website.

Commission publication and websites:

• Coordination of social security in the European Union.

Who do you need to contact?

Pôle emploi is the sole point of contact for job seekers in France. This body brings together all types of job-seeking assistance in the same place: reception, orientation, training, placement of job seekers and payment of income support.

• website home page.
• page to find your local branch.

Health insurance on http://www.ameli.fr/index.php

Find the Health insurance fund closest to where you live on the dedicated page of the sickness benefits website.

The Family allowance office: https://www.caf.fr/.

Pension fund (general system) via the pension insurance website.