Mutuelles and insurance that make sense for Americans
France insures everything: the mutuelle tops up public healthcare, the lease demands assurance habitation, and it is all far cheaper than the US versions. Where to get covered without fluent insurance French.
Updated July 17, 2026
Top-up health: the mutuelle
PUMA reimburses its share of medical bills; the mutuelle covers the rest, plus the dental and optical care the public system barely touches. Employees get one through work with half paid by the employer; everyone else shops.
Digital-first mutuelle with clear pricing, instant reimbursements and an app that does not require fluent insurance French. The easiest onboarding for a newcomer.
Expat-focused health cover, including first-year private policies that satisfy the visitor visa insurance requirement before PUMA kicks in.
Home, auto and the rest
Assurance habitation is legally required before a lease is signed, and premiums read like rounding errors next to US ones.
Comparison site for habitation, auto and more. Ten minutes here produces the attestation your lease signing or car purchase demands.
Cooperative insurer the French consistently rank among the most trusted, for habitation and auto. Service in French, patience rewarded.