CVEC and InsuranceCVEC, liability insurance, health insurance
CVEC
In order to enroll at the university, you must pay the CVEC (la Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus, student life and campus fee) online using a bank card, or you may pay in cash at a post office in France but this service costs 5 euros extra and you will only receive your proof of payment 2 working days later, by email.
IMPORTANT: when creating your Messervices account to pay for the CVEC, be sure to indicate your family name(s), first name(s) and birthdate EXACTLY as they appear on your passport! In case of even a small difference between what is indicated on the CVEC and what is indicated in your enrollment forms, you will not be able to enroll until you correct your personal data so that all information matches up exactly.
If you have a merit-based scholarship (BGF - Bourse du gouvernement français, Eiffel scholarship, Talent's Academy financial award...), you will still be required to pay the CVEC.
Students who are receiving a need-based scholarship from the CROUS are exempt from paying the CVEC but they must still register online to receive a certificate of exemption.
Students coming in the framework of an exchange (Erasmus+, BCI, inter-university cooperations) are exempt from enrollment fees and are not subject to the CVEC. These students do not have any steps to take vis-à-vis the CVEC.
Candidates who come in the framework of continuing education (la Formation Continue, or FORCO) follow a specific procedure. This includes candidates who are currently employed, those who return to studies after a break of over 2 years, etc. Consult the website of the For.Co to learn more about continuing education at the UPPA and to learn what steps you should take, if this applies to you. These candidates do not have to pay for the CVEC either.
Third-party civil liability insurance
In order to enroll at the UPPA, you must provide proof of third-party civil liability insurance (une assurance responsabilité civile), an insurance policy which covers any damage that you accidentally cause to another person's property. You should know that third-party liability insurance is generally included in housing insurance, so be sure to check that you can get both housing and third-party liability insurance at once.
If you do not have private third-party civil liability insurance, you can take out a policy from a company online or once you arrive in France. Some companies offer inexpensive plans for students. You may also take out a third-party civil liability insurance policy from the bank when opening a bank account in France.
In any case, you must provide proof of civil liability insurance (une attestation d’assurance responsabilité civile) which is:
- in French,
- in your name,
- specifying the geographical coverage (including France), and
- valid for the current academic year (or for the duration of your stay if it is only a few months).
Health care
French health care "sécurité sociale"
You may enroll in the French government health care scheme called sécurité sociale as soon as you have finalized your administrative enrollment at the university, but not before. We strongly suggest that you take out private health insurance to cover you while you travel to France and during the first month or so of your stay, while you are getting settled and taking care of enrolling in the university.
After you obtain your enrollment certificate (le certificat de scolarité) from the UPPA, non-EU national students may apply for a French health care number on this website. This process takes several weeks, and in order to finalize your enrollment, you need to provide the number of a French bank account in your name and proof that you have validated your visa online with the French authorities.
You must advance any health expenses that come up after your enrollment at the university and before you receive your sécurité sociale number. Be sure to keep all of your receipts. After you are enrolled in the French healthcare system, you may submit your receipts for reimbursement.
Supplementary health insurance
The French healthcare system does not cover all health expenses. We strongly advise you to take out a supplementary health insurance policy once you arrive in France.
Specific cases
Students from the European Economic Area (European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) are not obliged to make health insurance contributions if they have a valid European Health Insurance Card (Carte Européenne d'Assurance Maladie).
Quebec students must follow a specific procedure. If you come over in the context of the BCI program, you do not have to pay contributions to the French health insurance system. Make sure you obtain form SE-401-Q-106 before you leave. You are strongly encouraged to obtain an health insurance that covers medical expenses – hospitalisation – repatriation.
