Why put your carte Vitale (French health insurance card) on your smartphone?
No more searching through your bag or your wallet. Having your carte Vitale on your phone means:
Your entitlements are always up to date and right at hand.
A record of your reimbursements visible at a glance.
Greater simplicity for you and for your carer.
Is it secure? Yes, even more so than a plastic card. If you lose your phone, no one can see your data without your PIN or your face recognition.
What to check before you start
Your phone must be:
Recent: Android 10 or iOS 16.6 as a minimum.
NFC-enabled (a small technology that transmits your details contactlessly). To check, go into your phone settings and look for “NFC”.
Please note: only use the official app from the Assurance Maladie (the French national health insurance service), downloaded from Google Play or the App Store. Never click a link received by text message or email (risk of fraud).
The steps, in five minutes
Open the app and log in to your Ameli account. No account yet? Create one online using your social security number.
Download the official “Carte Vitale” app.
Verify your identity: photograph your ID document, then record a short video of your face (the app guides you through it).
Activate: within 48 hours you will receive a notification. At that point, choose a 4-digit PIN.
You’re all set!
How do you use it at the doctor’s or the pharmacy?
Open the app.
Enter your PIN.
Hold your phone a few centimetres from the reader (just like a contactless payment).
It takes one second.
Common questions
Phone lost or stolen? Don’t worry. Without your PIN, no one can use it. You can block the app from your Ameli account on a computer.
Your plastic card remains valid: you can still use it whenever you wish.
In short
A little effort at the start for a great deal of peace of mind every day. This service is free, secure, and makes life simpler at the doctor’s surgery and at the pharmacy alike. One more step towards health care that is easier to manage.