The digital Vitale card
Since 18 November 2025, the Carte Vitale app has been available on smartphones for everyone covered by a health insurance scheme. It is a free alternative to the physical card and is available on Android and iOS.
Picking up your medicines from a pharmacy or seeing a doctor without having to take your wallet with you is now possible at certain healthcare providers. To do this, patients must bring their smartphone and present their digital Vitale card. The healthcare professional then scans a QR code displayed in the patient’s Vitale card app or uses an NFC-compatible reader. The Vitale card app contains the information required for the reimbursement of healthcare costs. Healthcare providers are being equipped with this technology gradually. It is therefore still advisable to always carry your physical Vitale card with you.
Getting the Vitale card app
There are two ways to activate your digital Vitale card. If you have a new ID card in credit card format: create your digital identity using the France Identité app, download the Vitale card app, and finally activate it via France Identité. If you do not have a credit card-sized ID card: have your National Insurance number and your ID ready, download the Carte Vitale app, and activate your digital Carte Vitale using a video of your ID and your face.
