What the Carte Vitale is
The Carte Vitale is the health insurance card of the French social security system. It identifies you as a beneficiary of l'Assurance Maladie, lets doctors and pharmacies check your coverage, and sends your medical expenses for reimbursement without paper forms. Most healthcare professionals in the country can read a Carte Vitale, so you avoid paying the full amount upfront and waiting for a refund.
The card itself is a plastic smart card of the standard credit card dimensions, 85.6 × 54 mm, with an embedded chip that stores your personal and health insurance details. Security features such as holograms and barcodes protect it against fraud. To get the card, you send a recent passport-sized photo with your application.
Carte Vitale photo size explained
The picture follows the usual ID standard: 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. In our template the head takes about 34.5 mm from chin to the top of the head, with about 4.5 mm of space above the hair. The background is plain white, and it is in colour. For a print, 600 DPI keeps the image sharp at these small dimensions; for a digital file sent online, the file stays under 2000 KB.
The same 35×45 mm dimensions are used for other documents, but each one has its own photo rules. If you also need a photo for travel or residence papers, see our passport photo, ID card photo and visa photo pages.
Who can get a Carte Vitale
You can apply if you live in the country and are covered by its social security system. This includes citizens, EU citizens who reside there, and non-EU citizens with a valid residence permit and social security coverage.
How to apply, step by step
- Register with the social security system. If you are not registered yet, do it through the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM). You need proof of identity (passport or national ID), proof of residence (a utility bill or rental agreement) and, if it applies, proof of employment or student status.
- Fill in the application form. You can get it at your local CPAM office or download it from the official website.
- Send the documents. Add a recent passport-sized photo, a copy of your identification document, a copy of your social security registration certificate and anything else the CPAM requests.
- Wait for processing. It may take several weeks. You can follow the status of your application online on the official CPAM website.
- Receive the card by mail. Check that all the information on your Carte Vitale is correct. Contact your local CPAM office right away if something is wrong.
Photo pour carte Vitale: the terms you will see
In French, the photo you need is called a "photo pour carte Vitale", and some sites say "photo de carte Vitale". Both mean the same 35×45 mm colour photo described on this page, so a French guide to the photo pour carte Vitale and our checklist below cover the same picture. A photo de carte Vitale taken years ago is a poor choice for a new application, because the CPAM asks for a recent photo that still looks like you.
Carte Vitale checklist
- Correct size: 35×45 mm, head about 34.5 mm high.
- Plain white background, no shadows or patterns.
- Neutral expression, mouth closed, both eyes open.
- Head straight and centred, whole face inside the frame.
- Recent colour photo, sharp, with no filters or retouching of your features.
Keeping your card up to date
If you change your address, marital status or health insurance coverage, update your details with the CPAM so your Carte Vitale stays valid. If the card is lost or stolen, report it to the CPAM immediately to prevent misuse, and request a replacement through the CPAM website or office.
