Feather vs April: expat health insurance for France
With Feather, you can get visa-compliant coverage from €72/month.
Health insurance for expats in France
Moving to France means learning a whole new healthcare system. Expat health insurance is there to bridge the gap between your arrival and your integration into the French public system.
Both Feather and April offer policies that help you meet visa requirements and access medical care from day one. But how they work in practice — pricing, flexibility, cancellation rules, and what happens once you’re on PUMa — can be very different.
On this page, we’ll walk you through the key points so you can decide if April’s approach or Feather’s digital, cancel-anytime cover is better for your situation.
Start your life in France fully covered
Get visa-compliant health insurance in minutes and keep control once you switch to the French public system.
4 reasons to choose Feather
Visa-Compliant
Our policies are recognised by French consulates and prefectures. After signup, you receive your certificate straight away — in English and French — ready to upload with your application.
Flexible when your situation changes
Use expat cover while you need it, then cancel once you’re safely in the French public system. No need to pay for a full year you don’t use.
100% online, in English
Sign up, download documents, and manage claims from your Feather account. No French paperwork, no phone queues.
Built for people moving to France
We focus on expats, not tourists: freelancers, families, retirees, and students who need clear help with visas, CPAM, and next steps.
Who is it for?
Visa seekers, new arrivals & renewals
You’re preparing your long-stay visa or about to land in France. You need a certificate that ticks the right boxes and real coverage if you get sick in the first weeks.
What Feather does: instant downloadable certificate, clear confirmation of visa compliance, and support if the consulate asks for clarification.
Retirees & non-workers
You’re moving to France for the lifestyle, not for a job. You may have a pension from abroad and questions about how your healthcare will work long term.
What Feather does: covers you from day one and stays in place while you work through the paperwork to join the French public system or use an S1.
Independent workers & digital nomads
You earn your living as a freelancer, contractor, or business owner. You need stable cover that doesn’t depend on a French employer.
What Feather does: visa-compatible health insurance with straightforward pricing and documentation you can reuse for professional and residency procedures.
Families moving together
You’re relocating as a couple or with children and want everyone protected straight away — including for everyday care and emergencies.
What Feather does: each family member gets their own policy and certificate, but everything is managed from one account, so you don’t lose track of who’s insured.
Students & Au-pairs
You’re coming for a degree, exchange, language school, or to live with a French family. Some institutions and prefectures want to see clear proof of cover.
What Feather does: affordable plans that match student budgets, accepted by prefectures and schools, with simple explanations of how to move to student public cover later.
Don't take our word for it
I felt like I was in safe hands with Feather
“Dajana was patient, detailed and answered my questions clearly and concisely.”
AB
Strongly recommend for expats
“I felt secure about my choices and how the process would unfold afterward.”
Marcelo
Thanks for the help!
“Maia was very helpful providing me with info about the right health insurance for my visa.”
Jessica
Feather is the easiest platform to understand
“They ease your anxiety thanks to incredibly polite and fast customer support.”
Franka
They know what they’re doing
“They helped advising me on my specific situation and made the procedure smooth.”
Lucía
I've been insured by Feather since Jan 2022
“As a foreigner & freelancer, I felt relief to be insured by them without bureaucracy.”
Luiz
Need more guidance?
Contact us if you have any questions.
