Obtaining a residence permit for a sick foreigner
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The application process for a residence permit for medical treatment (for sick foreigners) allows a seriously ill person to obtain a residence permit to receive medical treatment under certain conditions and for the duration of the treatment.
Who is concerned?
To be eligible for the procedure, you must:
- Be a foreign national who is not a citizen of a European country
Non-eligible European countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.
- Usually reside in France
- Have a medical condition requiring medical care and lack access to appropriate medical treatment in your country of origin
- Not pose a threat to public order
- If you are an asylum seeker, have filed an application within the last 3 months
You may apply if you are the parent or legal guardian of a sick minor.
The steps in the procedure
For a list of the documents you need to provide, visit the Public Service page titled “How can a sick foreigner obtain a residence permit?". There you will find a list of documents tailored to your specific situation.
To submit your application, visit the website of the Digital Immigration Office in France (ANEF).
Select the option that applies to your application.
Next, fill out the form by selecting the following option: I am a foreign national who usually resides in France, and my health condition requires exceptional medical care.
Once the application is complete, your file will be forwarded to the prefecture, and a receipt of submission will then be available in your personal account on the website of the Digital Administration for Foreigners in France (ANEF).
Once your application has been approved by the prefecture, you can download your medical form, which is also available in your personal account on the website of the Digital Administration for Foreigners in France (ANEF).
You must print out your medical form, enter the date, and sign it (Section 1). Your primary care physician must then complete it.
Your primary care physician must:
- Date and sign your medical certificate in the “psychiatric condition” and “somatic condition” sections (even if they do not write anything on these pages),
- Enter their physician number (Shared Directory of Healthcare Professionals)
- Add their professional stamp; otherwise, your application will be non-compliant and cannot be processed.
You must date and sign the request for the disclosure of medical information to allow the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) to communicate directly with your primary care physician.
Once you have downloaded the kit, you have one month to send it off along with all your original documents (except the instructions). Please send it to the Medical Department of the Regional Office for your area of residence. To find the address of your Regional Office, please visit the Help page.
Remember to include all original copies of recent medical documents you have regarding your state of health (blood tests, further investigations, hospital discharge summaries, etc.).
Please send the original documents
All documents you submit to the OFII Medical Service must be originals; photocopies will not be accepted.
Send it by registered post
For evidential purposes, please send your file by registered post with acknowledgement of receipt, marking the envelope ‘Confidential – Medical confidentiality’. No documents sent by email will be accepted.
Keep copies
It is also advisable to keep a photocopy of all the documents you submit to the OFII.
Your application will then be processed by the OFII. The OFII’s medical department may contact you by post to arrange a free medical examination.
If you are unable to attend the medical examination due to health reasons (for example, if you are in hospital or undergoing surgery), please notify the OFII’s medical department. Send a letter accompanied by a medical certificate explaining why you are unable to attend the examination.
A medical report is then drawn up and forwarded to a medical panel comprising three doctors, who will review your application and issue a favourable or unfavourable opinion.
The opinion of the OFII Medical Board is sent to the Prefect. The Prefect decides whether to grant or refuse the residence permit.
Whilst your application is being processed, the OFII must be able to contact you promptly (via text message, email, telephone, or a precise and full postal address). You must therefore inform the OFII immediately of any change of address, telephone number or email address.
What next?
- If your application for a residence permit for medical treatment is approved and you are in France on a long-stay visa, you must pay a €25 stamp duty. You can purchase a stamp duty stamp on the website timbres.impots.gouv.fr.
You can also visit a tobacconist’s to obtain a stamp duty stamp.
- If you are in France without a residence permit (irregular status), you must pay a €25 stamp duty and a €200 regularisation visa fee (totalling €225). You can purchase a stamp duty stamp on the website timbres.impots.gouv.fr.
You can also visit a tobacconist’s to obtain a revenue stamp.
- If your application for a residence permit for medical treatment is refused, you may then lodge an appeal with the administrative court.
It is refused if you receive a written decision of refusal. Visit the Service-Public website to find out more.
How can I get help?
You can contact the Citizen Contact Centre (CCC) if you have any questions about your application or any other issues you may be experiencing.
- Either by filling in a contact form on the Digital Administration for Foreigners in France website.
- Or by calling 0806 001 620, a free, dedicated helpline staffed by specially trained advisors
For information on the procedure, you can also contact the OFII:
- Telephone (free call): 01 53 69 53 90
- Email: infoem@ofii.fr
In summary
A residence permit on medical grounds (“sick foreign national” permit) allows a seriously ill person to stay in France when the medical treatment they need is not available in their country of origin. Applications must be submitted online through ANEF. You must then have a medical file completed by your doctor and send it to OFII. Depending on your situation, OFII may invite you to attend an additional medical examination. OFII’s doctors issue a medical opinion, which is sent to the prefecture. The prefecture then decides whether to grant or refuse the residence permit.
DGEF
Ofii
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