Legal status and visa requirements for those who were forced to leave Ukraine
- Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport do not need a short-stay visa to travel to the Schengen area and therefore to France.
- Those wishing to go to France and who do not have a biometric passport (or do not have a travel document) are invited to go to one of the consular posts in the states bordering Ukraine (Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc.) so that their situation can be studied (obtaining a visa or a laissez-passer).
- Within the Schengen area, Ukrainian nationals are legally resident for 90 days. They can then, if they wish, obtain protection in the country in which they find themselves.
Refugee status/ Asylum seeker status/ Temporary protection status
- Temporary protection is an exceptional device authorized by the decision of the Council of the European Union of March 4, 2022.
- The persons concerned by this mechanism are Ukrainians, refugees in Ukraine as well as foreigners who have a legal and permanent residence in Ukraine and who cannot return permanently and without danger to their country or region of origin. The families of the persons mentioned are also concerned.
- Ukrainian citizens wishing to stay in France for more than 90 days are invited to contact the prefecture of the department of their place of arrival via their website quickly to request an extension of their right of stay.
Learn more about your stay in France:
Access to healthcare services
Legal prerequisites for healthcare services and fees
No legal prerequisites are required for the foreigners to have access for the healthcare services, as it is immediate once needed.
Those seeking for help with health care and preventive medical examinations, need to contact the following structures listed in Livret de santé bilingue Français/Ukrainien (Health booklet).
1. Comede National Hotline
which provides information on access to health care, access to the right to stay in the country for medical reasons, including mental health issues
Support and assessment of the situation for access to health care, clarification of the procedure for obtaining a compulsory health insurance policy, legal mechanisms for staying in the country for medical reasons and other services related to the health of foreign citizens.
Social and legal hotline: 01 45 21 63 12, Monday - Friday, from 9:30 to 12:30
Support and expertise related to health care, prevention, health checks and medical and legal aspects of foreigners' rights
Medical hotline: 01 45 21 38 93, Monday - Friday, from 14:30 to 17:30
Support and assessment of the situation for access to health care in mental health centres. Information and exchange of experience on issues related to the treatment of refugees and the right to stay in the country for medical reasons.
Mental Health Hotline: 01 45 21 39 31, Tuesday and Thursday, 14:30 to 17:30
Comede National Center (Comed) in Bicetre Hospital (Іle-de-France): La Force building, port 60.
01 45 21 38 40
Tuesday and Thursday, 14:30 to 17:30
2. CASO of the independent international movement Madsen du Monde – Centres for orientation and primary access to the primary health system to obtain the right to adapted medical help, and to get access to information rights and state medical structures.
There are 20 reception centres in the mainland of France
Dial in 01 44 92 15 15 or visit medecinsdumonde.org to find the closest CASO centre
3. Louis Guillaume’s structure for the right to adapt medical and social care in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, as well as for information on funding opportunities for health care in Brittany:
Samara Building
12 TER, Avenue of Poland, 35200 Rennes 02 99 32 47 36
Health House
17th place Arno Bernard, 31000 Toulouse , 05 61 23 01 37
During non-working hours, the Health Centre provides constant care,
only in case of extreme necessity: 06 28 33 18 31
Where can the Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine go for the following healthcare services?
The general information on medical care for Ukrainian refugees is available on the website:
- Everyone living in France is entitled to health insurance, which allows them to cover the cost of treatment fully or partially. While waiting for this health insurance to be issued, people can refer to:
- To the emergency department of hospitals. However, in order not to receive a bill for the provided medical services, which will be much more difficult to cancel later, it is better to first contact a social worker of the hospital;
- in the Duty of access services to medical care;
- or to one of the specialized centres due to the lack of emergency departments.
Acute treatment
The patients should refer to Accident and Emergencies at Hospitals at solidarites-sante.gouv.fr
Chronic/long-term treatment
Chronic services, including screening, testing, and vaccination are available through private practices.
Visiting family doctors
Please refer to the following structure: CASO of the independent international movement Madsen du Monde – Centres for orientation and primary access to the primary health system to obtain the right to adapted medical help, and to get access to information rights and state medical structures.
There are 20 reception centres in the mainland of France
Dial in 01 44 92 15 15 or visit medecinsdumonde.org to find the closest CASO centre
Other services
ISM Interprétariat provides translation services throughout France, including video conferencing:
- for interpretation by phone: 01 53 26 52 62 or telephone@ism-mail.fr
- for interpretation with the personal presence of an interpreter 01 53 26 52 52 or deplacement@ism-mail.fr
- for interpretation by videoconference: 01 53 26 52 72 or video@ism-mail.fr
Services for People Living with HIV
HIV-testing
In the countries of the European Union, people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and who have been granted temporary protection, have the right to medical services, including HIV therapy at aidsmap.com
To take a free test, sign up for a CeGIDD consultation. Similar tests are also performed in some CPEFs. You can also get tested for HIV or other STIs in a city lab at your doctor’s request (after consulting your GP or GP) if you have health insurance.
You can also take a rapid HIV test (TROD) at an association, CeGIDD. Associations that use TROD can give them to you for free to test for HIV at home.
For more information on STIs and HIV, visit info-ist.fr or contact the Sida Info Service at 0 800 840 800 (call anonymous and free, 24/7), or visit sida-info-service.org
All HIV care and medications dispensed by a hospital pharmacy are free of charge.
Non-governmental organisations which can provide support to refugees living with HIV include:
- AIDES (contact Stéphan Vernhes, svernhes@aides.org tel +33 6 66 87 56 10)
- Coalition PLUS (contact Richard Stranz, rstranz@coalitionplus.org tel +33 7 82 03 78 67)
- Médecins du Monde (15 Boulevard de Picpus, 75012 Paris)
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Those who have multiple sexual partners and do not want to use a condom, despite the existing risk, can receive preventive treatment (PrEP).
Consult a doctor or contact CeGIDD / hospital to find out more: vih.org
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
In the case of unprotected or risky sexual contact with a partner, who is likely to be infected with HIV, there is an emergency treatment that should be taken immediately after sexual intercourse to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS. It is called post-exposure treatment (prevention) or PEP. This treatment is designed for 4 weeks and significantly reduces the risk of infection.
To receive such treatment as soon as possible, within 48 hours, the person must contact the emergency department of the nearest hospital, if possible, with a partner. The doctor will assess the situation and, if necessary, will prescribe appropriate treatment. If a person has never been exposed to the Hepatitis B virus and has not been vaccinated against the disease, the doctor may suggest having an injection to protect against hepatitis B.
Services for People Living with Hepatitis B or C
Hepatitis B or C testing, hepatitis B vaccination, and hepatitis B or C treatment availability
To get a free hepatitis test, the patients must contact CeGIDD or, those who obtained the insurance can refer to a medical lab with a prescription.
There are several associations and services with hotlines for anonymous consultations.
For those who receive the treatment already, some therapeutic education programs can be offered: sida-info-service.org/annuaire
0800 004 372 (dial-in free of charge from a landline phone)
01 42 39 40 14 (Ile-de-France)
Information service on hepatitis
0800 845 800, 9:00-23:00 daily (dial-in free of charge from a landline phone)
Support systems (harm reduction/safer use, social support or psychosocial support) available for the Ukrainians undergoing therapy for hepatitis C or related liver diseases
Help advisory via the helpline on hepatitis info service at hepatites-info-service.org
Tuberculosis services
General information:
If TB was already diagnosed in Ukraine and the person needs to continue treatment:
Information and support are provided at specialised TB centres are available, CLAT, Centres de Lutte antituberculeuses, but for the first symptoms, any health centre. See more at solidarites-sante.gouv.fr
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) services
Useful links to follow on OAT:
Sources
General requirements and access to healthcare
-
06. French/Ukrainian bilingual health booklet
French/Ukrainian bilingual health booklet, French Republic, 2022. Available at
www.santepubliquefrance.fr
HIV
Hepatitis B/C
TB
-
03. French/Ukrainian bilingual booklet “Health passport”
French/Ukrainian bilingual booklet “Health passport”, Ministry of Solidarity and Health, 2022.
solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/pdf