Is health insurance mandatory during an apprenticeship?
05 June 2026 · 4 min reading time
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In an apprenticeship, health insurance can quickly become a confusing topic. Many apprentices notice a contribution on their payslip without really knowing whether they have to accept it, whether they can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan, or whether they have the right to request an exemption. Yet the rules are fairly simple when linked to the status of the apprentice: within a company, an apprentice is an employee.
This means that they can benefit from the collective health insurance plan set up by the employer, just like other employees. However, membership is not always mandatory in practice: several situations allow an apprentice to request an exemption, particularly when they are already covered elsewhere or when the contribution represents too large a share of their salary.
Is health insurance mandatory during an apprenticeship?
An apprentice is concerned by the company health insurance plan as soon as they sign an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract. In both cases, they work in the company under an employment contract and are, in principle, entitled to the collective complementary health insurance offered to employees.
This health insurance supplements the reimbursements made by French Health Insurance for various healthcare expenses: medical consultations, medication, hospitalisation, optical care, dental care, and certain specialised treatments depending on the guarantees provided in the contract.
In practice, the employer provides information about the health insurance plan at the time of hiring or shortly after the apprentice joins the company. The apprentice then receives a membership form or documents presenting the guarantees, the amount of the contribution and any possible exemption cases.
The general rule is therefore membership of the company’s collective health insurance plan. This obligation is based in particular on Article L911-7 of the French Social Security Code, which requires companies to set up a collective and mandatory health coverage scheme for complementary healthcare reimbursements. However, some employees, including apprentices, may request not to join the plan when they meet the conditions for an exemption.
Why is an apprentice concerned by company health insurance?
An apprenticeship is based on a dual rhythm: part of the time is spent in training and part of the time in the company. But legally, the apprentice is not only a student. They have an employment contract, a salary, a payslip and social rights.
This is why they can be covered by the company’s complementary health insurance scheme. The guarantees offered are not reserved for employees on permanent contracts or full-time employees. They also apply to employees under an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract, except in specific exemption cases.
This rule can be surprising, especially for young apprentices who are still covered by their parents’ health insurance. However, being a student or following a training programme is not enough to exclude an apprentice from company health insurance. What matters is their employee status within the host company.
Who pays for an apprentice’s health insurance?
The company health insurance plan is financed by both the employer and the employee. Article L911-7 of the French Social Security Code provides that the employer must pay at least half of the cost of this coverage. The remaining amount is paid by the apprentice and generally appears on their payslip.
This is often when questions arise. An apprentice may see a line labelled “health insurance”, “complementary health insurance” or “healthcare expenses” on their payslip and wonder why their net pay is slightly lower than expected.
This deduction is not an error when it corresponds to membership of the collective health insurance plan. It represents the share of the contribution payable by the apprentice. The exact amount depends on the contract set up by the company, the guarantees provided and sometimes the employee’s family situation.
For an apprentice with limited pay, even a moderate contribution can weigh on the monthly budget. This is why it is important to look at the real cost of the health insurance plan, the level of coverage and the possible exemption options.
Can an apprentice refuse company health insurance?
An apprentice can refuse the company health insurance plan only in certain specific cases. However, they cannot simply refuse it because they do not want it or because they believe they do not need it.
The exemption must correspond to a situation provided for by law or by the act that sets up the health insurance plan in the company. It must also be requested in writing. In general, the apprentice must provide supporting documents: a health insurance certificate, proof of another coverage, a certificate for complementary solidarity health insurance, or an equivalent document depending on their situation.
It is therefore better not to ignore the health insurance documents provided at the time of hiring. If the apprentice believes they may be exempt, they should quickly check the conditions and send their request to the employer. Without a formal request, membership may be applied automatically.
In which cases can an apprentice request a health insurance exemption?
Exemption cases are the core of the subject. They allow the apprentice to avoid double coverage or a contribution that is too heavy compared with their salary. However, each situation must be checked carefully, as not all existing coverage automatically gives the right to an exemption.
Article R242-1-6 of the French Social Security Code provides for several exemption options when the legal act setting up the collective coverage allows them. It covers, in particular, employees and apprentices on short contracts, employees who already benefit from another complementary health insurance plan, and apprentices whose membership would require them to pay a contribution equal to at least 10% of their gross salary.
You are already covered by your parents’ health insurance
This is one of the most common exemption cases. An apprentice may still be attached to their parents’ family health insurance plan, especially when they are young, still studying or fiscally attached to their parents’ household. But this does not mean they can always refuse their company’s health insurance.
For the exemption to be possible, the apprentice generally needs to prove that they already benefit from another compatible health coverage. They must therefore request a certificate from their parents’ health insurance provider and send it to their employer if the exemption is provided for.
Before choosing, they should also compare the guarantees. The parents’ health insurance plan may be very advantageous if it already covers the apprentice well without a significant additional cost. Conversely, the company health insurance plan may sometimes be more attractive, especially because part of the contribution is paid by the employer.
You benefit from complementary solidarity health insurance
An apprentice who benefits from complementary solidarity health insurance may request not to join the company health insurance plan. This situation concerns people with modest resources who already benefit from specific health coverage.
The exemption is only valid as long as the apprentice actually benefits from this coverage. If their rights to complementary solidarity health insurance end, they will need to review their situation with the company and may have to join the collective health insurance plan.
Your apprenticeship contract is short
The duration of the contract can also matter. Some short-term contracts allow an exemption request, particularly when the contract is below a certain duration and the act setting up the health insurance plan provides for this possibility.
For apprentices on short contracts, two elements must therefore be checked: the exact duration of the contract and the rules provided by the company. A contract lasting only a few months is not always treated in the same way as a one-year or two-year contract.
Once again, it would be a mistake to assume that the exemption is automatic. It must be requested and justified when necessary.
The contribution represents at least 10% of your gross salary
This point is particularly important for apprentices. When the health insurance contribution represents at least 10% of the gross salary, the apprentice may request an exemption if the company’s scheme provides for this possibility.
This threshold exists because apprentices often receive lower pay than other employees. A contribution that may seem reasonable for a full-time employee can become much heavier for an apprentice paid as a percentage of the minimum wage.
Let’s take a simple example. If an apprentice earns €800 gross per month and their share of the health insurance contribution is €85, the contribution represents more than 10% of their gross salary. In this situation, they must check whether their company allows them to request an exemption.
This example shows why it is not enough to look only at the amount of the contribution. It must also be compared with the apprentice’s gross salary.
How can an apprentice request a health insurance exemption?
The exemption request must be clear, written and accompanied by the necessary supporting documents. The apprentice can contact the HR department, the payroll manager or the person who provided the membership documents.
The simplest option is to send a message or letter stating that they wish to be exempt from the company health insurance plan, specifying the reason: coverage under their parents’ health insurance, complementary solidarity health insurance, short-term contract, contribution representing a significant share of their salary, or another applicable case.
The appropriate supporting document must then be attached. For a parents’ health insurance plan, this may be a certificate stating that the apprentice is covered. For complementary solidarity health insurance, a rights certificate may be required. For a short-term contract or a high contribution, the company can specify the documents needed.
It is advisable to keep a copy of the request and the supporting documents sent. This helps avoid misunderstandings if a contribution continues to appear on the payslip.
What should you check before refusing company health insurance?
Before requesting an exemption, it is better to take a few minutes to compare both options. Refusing the company health insurance plan can be a good decision, but only if the apprentice remains properly covered elsewhere.
The first thing to check is whether the current health insurance plan will continue to cover the apprentice for the entire duration of the contract. Some family health insurance plans impose conditions related to age, student status or attachment to the household. If the apprentice is no longer eligible during the year, they may end up with weaker coverage.
The apprentice should then compare the important guarantees: hospitalisation, routine care, optical care, dental care, excess fees, alternative medicine or psychological support if these areas are useful. The goal is not to have the most comprehensive health insurance possible, but coverage adapted to their real needs.
Finally, the final cost should be checked. Company health insurance may seem paid, but it benefits from employer contribution. With similar guarantees, it can sometimes cost less than an individual health insurance plan.
What happens to health insurance at the end of the apprenticeship contract?
At the end of the apprenticeship contract, the company health insurance plan does not always disappear immediately. In some cases, the former apprentice may benefit from the portability of their rights, meaning they can temporarily keep the company’s complementary health insurance after the end of the contract. This continuation is provided for by Article L911-8 of the French Social Security Code.
This portability is possible under certain conditions, particularly if the end of the contract gives the apprentice access to unemployment insurance coverage. It is limited in time and cannot exceed a certain duration. For an apprentice, this can be useful between the end of the contract and the start of a new job, a new training programme or another form of coverage.
It is important to ask about this before the last day of the contract. The company or the health insurance provider can specify the steps to take, the possible duration of coverage and the conditions to meet.
If the apprentice cannot benefit from portability, they will need to find another solution: join a family health insurance plan, take out an individual health insurance plan, apply for complementary solidarity health insurance if eligible, or join their new employer’s health insurance plan.
Apprentice, trainee, intern: do the same rules apply?
The rules vary depending on the status. The apprentice and the employee under a professional training contract are both work-study employees, but they share one essential point: they sign an employment contract. They are therefore considered employees of the company.
The intern, however, does not have the same status. They complete an internship as part of their studies, under an internship agreement, but they are not an employee of the company. They are therefore not concerned in the same way by the mandatory collective health insurance plan for employees.
This distinction is important because many young people use the terms “internship”, “work-study programme” and “apprenticeship” interchangeably. For health insurance, what matters is the legal framework: employment contract or internship agreement.
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