Insurance in France 2026
The French insurance market rests on four main families of contracts (car, home, health, life) and around 280 undertakings licensed by the ACPR. Multi-risk home insurance protects nearly 33 million households according to France Assureurs. This official English-language hub from comparatif24.fr gathers 10 detailed guides to understand your policies, exercise your rights (Hamon, Lemoine, ANI laws) and compare insurers in an informed way.
Key takeaways
- Four main families of insurance structure the market: car (mandatory, article L.211-1 Insurance Code), home (mandatory for tenants, 6 July 1989 law), health (mandatory mutuelle for private-sector employees, ANI L.911-7) and life (savings and inheritance).
- Around 33 million households hold a multi-risk home policy and roughly 280 insurance undertakings are licensed by the ACPR (source France Assureurs, 2024).
- The Hamon law (article L.113-15-2 of the Insurance Code) allows cancellation of car, motorbike, home and affinity contracts at any time after 12 months. The 2023-182 decree mandates a three-click electronic cancellation path for online contracts.
- The Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 allows cancellation of mortgage borrower insurance at any time and removes the medical questionnaire for loans below 200,000 € (under age conditions).
- The ACPR (Banque de France) supervises the market and publishes the REGAFI registry of licensed insurers. France Assureurs (renamed from FFA in July 2022) is the trade association.
- For disputes, the Médiateur de l'assurance (mediation-assurance.org) offers free, independent, confidential alternative dispute resolution within 90 days.
The French insurance market at a glance
The French insurance market is one of the most mature in Europe. About 280 insurance undertakings are licensed by the ACPR and gathered under France Assureurs, the trade association (renamed from FFA in July 2022). 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).
Three families of players coexist. Mutual insurance societies (MAIF, MACIF, MATMUT, MMA, MAAF, GMF) are owned by their policyholders and have no shareholders to remunerate; they historically focus on customer satisfaction. Traditional joint-stock companies (AXA, Allianz, Generali France, Groupama, Aviva France) distribute through exclusive tied agents or a salaried sales network. Bancassurers (Crédit Agricole Assurances, BNP Paribas Cardif, CNP Assurances, Crédit Mutuel Assurances) sell through their bank branches. More recently, insurtechs and digital-only insurers (Direct Assurance, Acheel, Luko, Leocare, Lemonade, Wakam, AssurOne) have emerged on car and home segments.
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 (livre II). Three reforms have reshaped the customer relationship in the past decade: the Hamon law of 17 March 2014 (on-demand cancellation for car, home and affinity insurance), the law of 14 July 2019 n° 2019-733 (on-demand cancellation of supplementary health policies after 12 months, in force since 1 December 2020) and the Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 (free switching of mortgage borrower insurance).
10 detailed insurance guides for France
Car insurance: full guide
Third-party, extended third-party, comprehensive, bonus-malus, claims: understand mandatory car insurance and its options.
Read the guideHome insurance (MRH)
Tenants, owners, condominiums: cover, valuation, water damage, theft and claims handling.
Read the guideLife insurance: full guide
Euro funds, unit-linked, taxation (PFU 7.5%, 4,600 € allowance), inheritance and dismemberment of beneficiary clause.
Read the guideSchool insurance
Obligation, attestation, bullying helpline (3018), comparison of main insurers (MAE, MAIF, MACIF, Matmut).
Read the guideHealth insurance (mutuelle)
Social Security reimbursements, 100% santé, CSS, ANI L.911-7, comparison of main French mutuelles.
Read the guideLegal protection insurance
Three formats (stand-alone, defence-recourse, service), L.127-3, ceilings, timing, model letter.
Read the guideCivil liability insurance
Private vs professional civil liability, ceilings, difference with the accident-of-life guarantee.
Read the guideAccident-of-life insurance (GAV)
Capital, annuity, disability, Social Security top-up: cover for household and private-life accidents.
Read the guideHamon law: cancel after 12 months
Article L.113-15-2, cancellation mandate, premium prorata, 2023-182 decree on three-click cancellation.
Read the guideLemoine law: borrower insurance
Cancellation at any time, removal of medical questionnaire for loans under 200,000 € (under conditions).
Read the guideMarket key figures (official sources)
Main indicators of the French insurance market in 2024-2026, as published by France Assureurs (annual report) and the ACPR (REGAFI registry and supervisory statistics).
Source: France Assureurs (annual report and 2024-2025 dashboard), ACPR (REGAFI registry). Exact figures evolve with each annual publication.
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 12 months
Article L.113-15-2 of the Insurance Code: for car, motorbike, multi-risk home and affinity contracts, you can cancel at any time after twelve months, with no penalty. The new insurer can take over the procedure via a cancellation mandate.
Lemoine law — free borrower insurance switch
Law 2022-270 of 28 February 2022: since 1 September 2022 for all contracts, you can change mortgage borrower insurance at any time, free of charge. The medical questionnaire is removed for loans below 200,000 € per insured ending before age 60.
14-day cooling-off period
Article L.221-18 of the Consumer Code: any insurance subscribed at distance (online, phone, door-to-door) opens a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel without justification or penalty. For life insurance, the period is extended to 30 days (article L.132-5-1 of the Insurance Code).
On-demand cancellation of health insurance
Law 2019-733 of 14 July 2019, in force since 1 December 2020: you can cancel your supplementary health policy at any time after twelve months, without fee. The new insurer can take over the cancellation with the old one.
In case of dispute
- →First step: customer service then consumer or complaints service of the insurer, in writing with proof of receipt.
- →Without satisfactory answer within 2 months: free filing with the Médiateur de l'assurance at mediation-assurance.org (decision within 90 days).
- →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).
- →Detailed procedures: Hamon law guide and Lemoine law guide.
- →As a last resort, the Tribunal judiciaire retains jurisdiction. Filing with the Mediator suspends the prescription period.
Indicative overview of the main car and home insurers in France
The French non-life insurance market is structured around three families of players: mutual insurance societies (MAIF, MACIF, MATMUT, MMA, MAAF, GMF), traditional joint-stock companies (AXA, Allianz, Generali, Groupama) and digital-only insurers (Direct Assurance, Acheel, Luko, Leocare). Factual overview of the main players, without prejudging premiums, which depend strongly on the policyholder's profile (age, area, claims history, contract type).
| Insurer | Legal status | Distribution | Key feature | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAIF | Mutual insurance society | Branches + online | Among the highest customer satisfaction scores per UFC-Que Choisir | www.maif.fr |
| MACIF | Mutual insurance society | Branch network | Multi-line offer (car, home, health) | www.macif.fr |
| MATMUT | Mutual insurance society | Branches + online | Plans tailored to multi-driver households | www.matmut.fr |
| GMF | Mutual insurance society | Branches + phone | Historically focused on civil servants | www.gmf.fr |
| AXA | Joint-stock company | Tied agents + online | International coverage and dense branch network | www.axa.fr |
| Allianz | Joint-stock company | Tied agents + online | High-end coverage and corporate offers | www.allianz.fr |
| Generali France | Joint-stock company | Tied agents + brokers | Historical player in life insurance | www.generali.fr |
| Direct Assurance | Digital-only insurer | Online subscription | AXA subsidiary, no physical branches | www.direct-assurance.fr |
Non-exhaustive alphabetical selection · Sources: ACPR-Banque de France (regafi.fr), France Assureurs (2024 statistics) and insurer official websites · Data captured on May 26, 2026. · See our methodology
Switching insurance: the right moves
For car or home insurance held for more than one year, the Hamon law authorises cancellation at any time, free of charge. The simplest method is to take out the new contract first and accept the cancellation mandate offered: the new insurer handles the process with the old one, avoiding any coverage gap.
For mortgage borrower insurance, the Lemoine law now permits switching at any time. The bank has ten business days to accept or refuse the new contract (refusal only possible if the guarantees are not equivalent). For supplementary health insurance, the law 2019-733 of 14 July 2019 opens on-demand cancellation after twelve months.
Before signing, request the pre-contractual information and advice sheet (mandatory), compare guarantees (not just price), verify the insurer's licence on regafi.fr and keep all documents (subscription, cancellation mandate, certificate, cancellation letter).
Frequently asked questions about insurance in France
Which insurance policies are mandatory in France in 2026?
Three insurance policies are mandatory under French law. Third-party liability car insurance for every motor vehicle (article L.211-1 of the Insurance Code), multi-risk home insurance for tenants (article 7 g of the 6 July 1989 law) and, in practice, borrower insurance to obtain a mortgage (the Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 now lets you change it at any time). Supplementary health insurance (mutuelle) is mandatory for private-sector employees since the ANI law (article L.911-7 of the Social Security Code, in force since 1 January 2016).
How many insurers operate in the French market?
France Assureurs (the trade association, renamed from FFA in July 2022) brings together around 280 insurance undertakings representing nearly the entire market. Three main families coexist. Mutual insurance societies (MACIF, MAIF, MMA, MAAF, MATMUT, GMF) are owned by their policyholders. Bancassurers (Crédit Agricole Assurances, BNP Paribas Cardif, CNP Assurances, Crédit Mutuel Assurances) distribute through bank branches. Traditional joint-stock companies (AXA, Allianz, Generali France, Groupama, MMA) operate through tied agents. Digital-only insurers (Direct Assurance, Acheel, Lemonade, Wakam, AssurOne, Luko, Leocare) complete the landscape.
How do I cancel car or home insurance after 12 months?
The Hamon law of 17 March 2014 (article L.113-15-2 of the Insurance Code) allows cancellation at any time after twelve months of contract, with no penalty, for car, motorbike, multi-risk home and affinity insurance. Cancellation takes effect one month after notification to the insurer. To simplify the process, the new insurer can handle the cancellation with the old one through a cancellation mandate. The 2023-182 decree of 16 March 2023 also mandates a three-click electronic cancellation path for any contract signed online.
How do I change borrower insurance under the Lemoine law?
The Lemoine law of 28 February 2022 generalised the on-demand cancellation of mortgage borrower insurance. Since 1 June 2022 for new contracts and 1 September 2022 for existing ones, the borrower can switch insurance at any time, with no fee or penalty, provided the new contract offers equivalent guarantees (the bank has ten business days to reply). The law also removed the medical questionnaire for loans below 200,000 euros per insured, ending before the borrower turns 60.
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. It licenses insurance undertakings, oversees their solvency, publishes the official REGAFI register every year and may issue sanctions. It enforces consumer law (pre-contractual information, duty to advise, complaints handling). France Assureurs publishes detailed market statistics every year. For disputes, the Médiateur de l'assurance (mediation-assurance.org) is the free, independent alternative dispute resolution body.
How many households are covered by home insurance?
According to France Assureurs, multi-risk home insurance (MRH) covers nearly all French households: around 33 million policies are in force. This near-universal coverage results from the legal obligation for tenants (6 July 1989 law) and the systematic requirement set by banks during a mortgage. Condominiums have also been compulsorily insured since the ALUR law of 2014.
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 its consumer or complaints service in writing with proof of receipt. If no satisfactory answer arrives within two months, you can file a free complaint with the Médiateur de l'assurance at mediation-assurance.org; the decision is not binding but is often followed by insurers. As a last resort, the Tribunal judiciaire remains competent. For abusive commercial practices, the DGCCRF can be reached at signal.conso.gouv.fr. The ACPR also collects complaints via its public portal.
What is the difference between civil liability and accident-of-life insurance?
Civil liability (responsabilité civile, RC) covers damage you cause to others (bodily, material or immaterial): it is usually included in multi-risk home insurance. The accident-of-life guarantee (garantie des accidents de la vie, GAV), on the contrary, covers damage you suffer yourself in your private life (household accident, sports, assault). It is optional insurance that complements Social Security and any health top-up, with a capital sum or annuity in case of disability or death.
How much does private health insurance cost on average in France?
The cost of an individual supplementary health insurance varies widely with age, region, level of cover and household composition. For a working adult under 40, the observed range is roughly 30 to 60 euros per month for a basic plan and 80 to 150 euros for a high-end plan. For a senior over 65, the premium can exceed 150 to 250 euros per month. The Complémentaire santé solidaire (CSS) is free or costs 1 euro per day depending on income (source service-public.fr/F10027).
Who is eligible for the Complémentaire santé solidaire (CSS)?
The Complémentaire santé solidaire (CSS) has replaced both the former CMU-C and ACS schemes since 2019. It is granted under income conditions: free for households below the CMU-C income ceiling, or with a low monthly contribution (1 to 30 euros depending on age) for incomes up to 35% above that ceiling. It covers consultations, medication, hospital stays, dental, optical and hearing aids with no upfront payment (source service-public.fr/F10027).
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, and usually includes theft, fire, glass breakage, natural disasters and terrorism. Intermediate formulas exist (extended third-party, third-party + theft/fire). The choice depends on the value of your vehicle and your driver profile.
Can expats and non-French residents buy insurance in France?
Yes. Foreign residents legally living in France can subscribe to any French insurance policy: car (mandatory once you register the vehicle in France), home, health and life. Some insurers and brokers focus on the expatriate market: AXA Global Healthcare, Allianz Care, Britline (Crédit Agricole), French American Bilingual (FAB), April International, Feather. For health insurance, joining the French Social Security (PUMA, Protection universelle maladie) is usually the priority step, followed by a complementary mutuelle.
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.