Before going to France, you should apply to any main Post Office for an E11 form which gives you cover for emergency medical treatment. As soon as you take up a job or have had a state pension transferred (contact D.S.S. for more information), you need to be registered with the French Social Security. If you are retiring, please see Retirement/Transfer of pension.

NB: There are specific regulations for registration with the social security if you work in France:

 For less than 12 months for an employer based in the UK As self-employed And members of your family have their residence in the UK
 And in any other member state at the same time.

Please contact D.S.S. - Overseas Branch
EU Office Longbenton
Newcastle upon Tyne NE98 1YX
tel: 0191 213 5000

1/ Make sure any doctor or dentist you consult is "conventionné" e.g. works with the French sickness insurance scheme. The local Caisse de Sécurité Sociale keeps a list of the doctors who charge the official social security rate. You should apply for reimbursement of your expenses to your local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM).

2/ If you are given a prescription, take the "vignettes" (detachable stamps) off the medicine containers, stick them on the "feuille de soins" and send this along with the prescription to your local CPAM to apply for a refund.

3/ French social security cover for medical treatment is only partial and it may therefore be wise to take out insurance to cover excess charges you will incur should you need treatment. ("mutuelle" ou "complémentaire maladie" - contact insurance companies for subscription).

4/ Hospital treatment: If you get treatment in an approved hospital then the Caisse de Sécurité Sociale will pay direct 80% or more of the costs to the hospital. You are liable for the balance and the fixed daily hospital charge (forfait journalier).

For further information on sickness benefits and maternity benefits, please contact the D.S.S., EC Section (see address above).

(Datas provided by the Consulat Général de France, London)

Make sure you Drive Alive! Drive on the right!

·         Be especially careful when setting off from service stations or restaurants on the left side of the road.

·         Take care when overtaking - allow more space between you and the car in front so you can see further down the road ahead.

·         France has strict drink driving laws, blood alcohol levels being stricter than in the UK (0.5 mg/ml rather than 0.8). Rather than present you with meaningless figures relating to blood/breath alcohol levels, our advice is if you're driving, don't drink.

·         Seat belts front and rear are obligatory everywhere.

·         Speed limits, shown below, are implemented rigorously. Radar traps are frequent. In France, anyone caught travelling at more than 25km/h above the speed limit can have their licence confiscated on the spot.

·         Remember - Speeding and other traffic offences are subject to on-the-spot fines.

·         Be aware that urban speed limits begin at the town or city sign (not always where the first 50km/h sign is situated), usually denoted by a white name panel with a red border, and the limit ends where the name panel has a diagonal black bar through it.

A full UK driving licence is required. As in the UK, seat belts should be worn front and rear. Below are motoring regulations relating to France.

Take care in built-up areas where the old rule giving priority to traffic coming from the right (Priorit� � droite) still applies unless a yellow diamond indicates you have priority. On roundabouts you generally give priority to traffic already on the roundabout, in other words, coming from your left as you enter the roundabout.