Insurance in France 2026
The French insurance market rests on four main families of contracts (car, home, health, life) and undertakings licensed by the ACPR. This English-language hub from comparatif24.fr gathers 4 detailed guides to understand your policies and exercise your rights (Hamon, Lemoine, ANI laws).
Key takeaways
- Four main families of insurance structure the market: car (mandatory, article L211-1 Insurance Code), home (tenants must insure, 6 July 1989 law), health (the employer finances at least half of compulsory collective cover, L911-7) and life (savings and inheritance).
- The Hamon law (article L.113-15-2 of the Insurance Code) allows cancellation without fees or penalties one year after the first subscription, for contracts in the categories defined by decree. Article L113-14 requires the insurer to provide a free function to cancel electronically (in force since 1 June 2023).
- The Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 (law n° 2022-270) establishes a right to cancel borrower insurance at any time, applicable to new loan offers since 1 June 2022 and to existing contracts since 1 September 2022.
- The ACPR (Banque de France) is the supervisory authority. France Assureurs is the trade association.
- For disputes, the Médiateur de l'assurance (mediation-assurance.org) is one of the consumer mediators you can use free of charge (article L612-1); the outcome of a mediation must come at the latest 90 days after the notification of the referral (article R612-5).
The French insurance market at a glance
Insurance undertakings are licensed by the ACPR and gathered under France Assureurs, the trade association (formerly FFA). The industry covers four broad categories of risk: property and casualty (car, home), health (supplementary mutuelles and top-ups), protection (death, disability, accident) and savings and retirement (life insurance, PER, capitalisation contracts).
The legal framework is mainly codified in the French Insurance Code (Légifrance, LEGITEXT000006073984), supplemented by the Social Security Code for supplementary health and the Mutuality Code for mutual organisations. Three reforms have reshaped the customer relationship in the past decade: the Hamon law of 17 March 2014 (cancellation without fees after one year, article L113-15-2), the law of 14 July 2019 n° 2019-733 (cancellation of complementary health contracts without fees after one year, in force since 1 December 2020) and the Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 (right to cancel borrower insurance at any time).
4 detailed insurance guides for France
Car Insurance in France 2026: Guide for Expats
Car insurance in France: mandatory coverage, coverage types, bonus-malus system, Hamon Law cancellation and foreign driving licences.
Read the guideHome Insurance in France 2026: Expat Guide
Home insurance in France for expats: legal rules, MRH coverage, a newcomer checklist and cancellation.
Read the guideHealth Insurance France for Expats: 2026 Guide
Health insurance in France for expats and foreign residents in 2026: PUMA, Carte Vitale, mutuelle, 100% Santé and how to enrol.
Read the guideLiability Insurance in France: 2026 Guide
French civil liability (RC) explained: RC familiale vs usage personnel, mandatory coverage and how to choose the right policy.
Read the guideKey legal markers (official sources)
A few markers taken from the official texts, consulted on Légifrance on 06/10/2026.
Source: Légifrance (Insurance Code, Consumer Code, law 2022-270). Texts may change.
Your rights as a policyholder
The Insurance Code, the Consumer Code and several recent laws (Hamon, Lemoine, ANI, 2019-733) have strengthened the position of policyholders. A few key rights to know before signing or in case of dispute.
Hamon law: cancel after one year
Article L113-15-2 of the Insurance Code: for contracts in the categories defined by decree, you can cancel without fees or penalties one year after the first subscription. For motor third-party liability insurance and tenant insurance, the new insurer carries out the formalities on your behalf.
Lemoine law: free borrower insurance switch
Law 2022-270 of 28 February 2022: the right to cancel borrower insurance at any time applies to new loan offers issued from 1 June 2022 and, from 1 September 2022, to existing contracts.
14-day cooling-off period
Article L221-18 of the Consumer Code: the consumer has fourteen days to withdraw from a contract concluded at a distance, after telephone solicitation or off-premises.
On-demand cancellation of health insurance
Law 2019-733 of 14 July 2019, in force since 1 December 2020: you can cancel a complementary health contract without fees or penalties after one year. The new insurer carries out the necessary formalities.
In case of dispute
- →First step: customer service then consumer or complaints service of the insurer, in writing with proof of receipt.
- →Without a satisfactory answer: free use of a consumer mediator (article L612-1), for example the Médiateur de l'assurance at mediation-assurance.org (outcome of the mediation at the latest 90 days after the notification, article R612-5).
- →To verify an insurer's licence: regafi.fr, the official registry kept by the ACPR.
- →To report unfair commercial practices: signal.conso.gouv.fr (DGCCRF).
- →Hamon cancellation procedure: car insurance guide.
- →As a last resort, the competent court can be seized. The parties' agreement to use mediation suspends the limitation period (article 2238 of the Civil Code).
Switching insurance: the right moves
For car or home insurance held for more than one year, the Hamon law (article L113-15-2) authorises cancellation without fees or penalties. For motor third-party liability insurance and tenant insurance, the new insurer carries out the formalities on your behalf, so you can take out the new contract first without a coverage gap.
For mortgage borrower insurance, the Lemoine law establishes a right to cancel at any time. For supplementary health insurance, the law 2019-733 of 14 July 2019 opens cancellation without fees after one year.
Before signing, compare guarantees (not just price), verify the insurer's licence on regafi.fr and keep all documents (subscription, certificate, proof of the cancellation notice).
Frequently asked questions about insurance in France
Which insurance policies does French law require in 2026?
Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for every motor vehicle (article L211-1 of the Insurance Code). A tenant must insure against the risks they answer for as a tenant (article 7 g of the 6 July 1989 law). Each co-owner must insure against the civil liability risks they answer for (article 9-1 of the 10 July 1965 law, created by the ALUR law). For collective health cover with compulsory membership, the employer finances at least half (article L911-7 of the Social Security Code, first part in force since 1 January 2016).
How do I cancel car or home insurance after one year?
The Hamon law of 17 March 2014 (law n° 2014-344) is the origin of the right set out in article L113-15-2 of the Insurance Code. For contracts covering individuals outside their professional activity and falling in the categories defined by decree, the insured can, one year after first taking out the contract, cancel tacitly renewable contracts without fees or penalties. Cancellation takes effect one month after the insurer receives notification. For motor third-party liability insurance and tenant insurance, the new insurer carries out the necessary formalities on the insured's behalf. Since 1 June 2023, article L113-14 also requires the insurer to provide a free function to cancel electronically.
How do I change borrower insurance under the Lemoine law?
Law n° 2022-270 of 28 February 2022 (the Lemoine law) establishes a right to cancel borrower insurance at any time. According to its article 8, it applies to new loan offers issued from 1 June 2022 and, from 1 September 2022, to existing insurance contracts. The detailed conditions are in the text of the law on Légifrance.
Who regulates the French insurance market?
The supervisory authority is the ACPR (Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution), attached to the Banque de France (acpr.banque-france.fr). France Assureurs is the trade association of insurance undertakings. For disputes, every consumer has the right to use a consumer mediator free of charge (article L612-1 of the Consumer Code), for example the Médiateur de l'assurance (mediation-assurance.org).
What should I do in case of a dispute with an insurer?
The procedure has several steps. First, contact the insurer's customer service, then send a written complaint to its consumer or complaints service. If no satisfactory answer arrives, every consumer can use a consumer mediator free of charge (article L612-1); the outcome of the mediation must come at the latest 90 days after the notification of the referral (article R612-5). The professional must give you the contact details of the mediator or mediators it falls under (article L616-1). As a last resort, the competent court can be seized. To report a problem with a business, signal.conso.gouv.fr is a free public service administered by the DGCCRF.
What is the difference between civil liability and accident-of-life insurance?
Civil liability (responsabilité civile, RC) covers damage you cause to others. According to economie.gouv.fr, the accident-of-life guarantee (garantie des accidents de la vie, GAV) is a complementary, non-compulsory insurance that compensates victims (the policyholder and family members, depending on the contract) after an accident of daily life, for example a domestic, medical, leisure or sports accident.
What is the Complémentaire santé solidaire (C2S)?
According to Service-Public.fr (page verified on 1 July 2026), the Complémentaire santé solidaire (formerly CMU-C) reimburses the complementary part of health expenses. It is free or paid depending on income. For a general case in mainland France, it is free if annual income does not exceed €10,421 for one person, and paid between €10,421 and €14,069 per year.
What is the difference between third-party and comprehensive car insurance?
Third-party insurance is the minimum legal cover: it only covers civil liability, that is the damage you cause to others (other drivers, pedestrians, property). It does not cover your own damage. Comprehensive (tous risques) insurance also covers your own damage, even when you are at fault. Intermediate formulas exist (extended third-party, third-party + theft/fire). The choice depends on the value of your vehicle and your driver profile.
The information presented is for guidance only and may evolve. Consult official sources (ACPR, France Assureurs, Service-Public.fr, Légifrance, Médiateur de l'assurance) and a professional for personalised decisions. This website is purely informational and does not constitute insurance, financial or legal advice.