You are coming to France from a Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway) or Switzerland to give birth and/or spend your maternity leave here

The portable S2 certificate “Entitlement to scheduled treatment” authorizes you to travel to France to give birth. It means that your pregnancy and birth will be covered as provided by French law and according to French rates. Indeed, you will receive the same care as members of the French Social Security system.

You will need to apply for this document from your foreign health insurance fund. You must apply for your authorization far enough in advance so that your local health insurance fund can process it before you leave.

Your authorization will not be granted automatically and conditions apply. To determine whether or not it can grant your application, your insurance fund will notably consider the following two criteria:

• Portable document S2 must be granted to you if the planned birth is covered by your local health insurance fund but, in light of your current state of health, no treatment as effective or identical can be obtained within a reasonable timeframe within your State of membership.
• Portable document S2 cannot be issued to you if the birth is not covered by your local health insurance fund.

NB: If you do not live in the competent State, you will need to apply for authorization of scheduled care through the institution of the place where you live, which will immediately forward your application over to your fund of membership (competent institution).

In this case, authorization can be granted:

• if the care is among the treatments covered domestically in the Member State where you live, and
• if the care cannot be provided within a medically acceptable time frame, in light of your current state of health and the expected course of your state of health.

Important: When you are in possession of the S2 certificate you will need to show it to the admissions department of the hospital facility (hospital or clinic) where you plan to give birth. Make sure your care is covered locally pursuant to local law (at government-regulated rates: tarifs conventionnels).

Your entitlement to daily maternity leave benefits

Cash benefits or daily maternity benefits will be paid directly by your foreign fund of membership. You must send it your application for daily benefits directly.

This situation applies, for example, in the event where your unborn child's father is in France and you wish to join him. In this case, you must apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the health insurance fund you are affiliated to.

This card guarantees direct access to the public health system in France, with no need for prior application to the French local health authority, and enables you to receive the medical care necessary for your pregnancy and birth. The benefits are paid under the same conditions as if you were insured in under the French Social Security scheme.

If you forget or lose your card, if it is stolen or you do not have it with you (card was not issued quickly enough or it is temporarily unavailable), your health insurance fund can issue you with a “provisional replacement certificate”. This certificate, valid for a limited duration, can then be used under the same conditions as the EHIC.

NB: it is a good idea to contact the hospital where you wish to give birth or the local primary health insurance fund (CPAM) to check that the costs of the birth will be covered on presentation of the EHIC in your situation.

Your entitlement to daily maternity benefit

You receive maternity insurance benefits

To continue to receive daily maternity/illness insurance benefits, you must notify your health insurance fund of your stay in France.

You do not receive maternity insurance benefits

If you fulfil the conditions required to receive daily maternity benefits on French territory, you must:

• visit a French primary care physician, before starting your prenatal leave, to obtain a medical certificate which you must send directly to your foreign health insurance fund.
• send your employer a medical leave certificate or a certificate of incapacity for work issued by a French primary care physician.

Your cash benefits or daily maternity/illness benefits will be examined and paid directly by your health insurance fund.