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Gouvernement du Québec
Régie de l’assurance maladie

Working, studying or taking up residence outside Québec: Agreements with other countries

Québec has concluded social security agreements with certain countries. You could benefit from such an agreement if you are headed for a signatory country or if you are a native of that country. In general, the agreement applies when you take up residence permanently or during a temporary stay to work, study or undergo training. However, you have to take certain steps to be covered under such an agreement.

Signatory countries

  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Greece
  • Luxembourg
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Sweden

Purposes of health insurance agreements

  • Allow Quebeckers to benefit from social security in a signatory country when they spend time temporarily or take up residence there
  • Afford health insurance coverage under the Québec Health Insurance Plan to natives of signatory countries when they spend time temporarily or take up residence in Québec
  • Avoid having these persons being subjected to a waiting period before they become insured and eligible for covered services (according to the conditions set out by the host country)

Leaving Québec for a signatory country

Private insurance before you leave

We recommend that you take out private supplemental insurance before leaving Québec to cover the costs not insured by the host country

Steps to take before leaving Québec

Step 1

Fill out the form Demande d’attestation that is required in your situation.

Obtain any other documents necessary in your situation.

Step 2

Send us the form and the required documents

Send us the completed and signed form and the required documents by mail to the address at the bottom of the form.

Step 3

If your Demande d’attestation form was admissible and complete, you will receive an attestation of affiliation bearing the RAMQ seal in the mail.

You will have to present this document to the social security organization of your host country.

Documents to be sent to the RAMQ

Select your situation to find out what documents you need to send us. The provisions of these agreements also concern, in certain cases, your spouse and the dependants accompagnying you. You must have any document in a language other than French and English translated at your cost.

You have to send us 2 documents:

StatusOther document to be provided
Student enroled in an institute of higher education in FranceAdmission letter or attestation of advance registration or attestation of enrolment, issued by the educational institution in France
Student participating in an exchange between institutes of higher educationAttestation d’affiliation à leur régime de sécurité sociale des participants aux échanges entre établissements d’enseignement supérieur (form SE 401-Q-106), completed and signed by the officer in charge of exchanges at your educational institution, and bearing the institution’s official seal
Student undergoing mandatory unpaid training as part of a program of studiesAttestation d’affiliation à leur régime de sécurité sociale des étudiants participant à des stages non rémunérés dans le cadre de leurs études (form SE 401-Q-104), completed and signed by the officer in charge of student internships at your educational institution, and bearing the institution’s official seal
Participant in a training and employment program of the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ)Attestation d’affiliation à leur régime de sécurité sociale des stagiaires du programme Formation et emploi (form SE 401-Q-105), completed and signed by the officer in charge of the OFQJ, and bearing the organization’s official seal
Recipient of a Québec or French government scholarship managed by the Centre français pour l’accueil et les échanges internationaux (Campus France)Letter confirming that you received a scholarship from the French government or confirmation from Campus France that you are a scholarship recipient
Postdoctoral researcher having received a Québec research fellowship, without any ties to or salary from an employer (a postdoctoral researcher is considered a temporary worker)
  • Letter of invitation from an institute of higher learning and research in France
  • Document showing that you have obtained a fellowship to pursue research in France as a postdoctoral researcher

To find out more, refer to the information note corresponding to your situation:

You have to send us 2 documents:

To find out more, read the information note Protection santé pour un résident québécois qui travaille temporairement en France (French only)

Send us the form Demande d’attestation pour l’application de l’entente Québec-France (form 2719, French only), completed and signed.

If you are a detached worker, your employer has to request a certificate of coverage confirming that you were insured by the Québec Health Insurance Plan. To obtain it, contact Retraite Québec’s Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale.

Other components of the agreements

Social security agreements have other health insurance components, and they all include a component regarding benefits. Some contain provisions concerning industrial accidents and occupational diseases. To find out more, refer to the websites of Retraite Québec and the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.

The full texts of the social security agreements are available on the website of the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.

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