All schoolchildren in France should be covered by liability insurance for damage and injury to themselves and third parties while at school or travelling to and from school; insurance isn’t obligatory except for school trips such as skiing holidays, but it’s highly recommended.
Cover may be provided by your existing insurance policies (e.g. household), but it’s likely to be the bare minimum. Basic school insurance ( assurance scolaire de base), covering a child for all school-related activitiy, can be taken out for as little as €10 per year, but for a few euros more, you can cover your child for all eventualities, whether school-related or not; this is known as a contrat scolaire et extrascolaire.
Policies are often provided by parents’ associations as well as by traditional insurance companies. Costs vary according to the type of cover, the level of compensation in the event of an accident or injury, and the size of the excess (deductible) on a claim, which with cheaper policies may be €20 or €30. You may obtain a reduction if you ‘remove’ risks already covered by other insurance policies.
When comparing insurance policies, check the cover provided (e.g. is your child covered outside term time?). Whatever cover you choose, ask the insurer to provide an attestation d’assurance scolaire, which you must present to the school authorities. Some schools provide an insurance proposal form at the beginning of each school year.
This article is an extract from Living and working in France. Click here to get a copy now.