French Pregnancy Declaration — CAF / CPAM

Since Decree n° 2019-100 of 13 February 2019, it is your doctor or midwife — the practitioner who carries out your first mandatory prenatal examination — who electronically transmits the declaration to both the CPAM (health insurance) and the CAF (family allowances) via Amelipro, the secure professional portal. You no longer need to complete or post the old paper form (formerly a Cerfa called premier examen médical prénatal). In the vast majority of cases, no further action is required from you beyond attending the appointment.

The declaration must be made before the end of the third month of pregnancy — no later than 14 weeks of amenorrhoea, as set out in art. L.2122-1 of the Code de la santé publique. A late declaration can reduce or delay payment of the PAJE birth bonus and may mean that some prenatal examinations are not reimbursed at the standard rate. Book your first appointment as early as possible.

The process is entirely free of charge. The first prenatal examination that triggers the declaration is reimbursed by the Assurance maladie (French state health insurance) at the standard rate — generally 70% of the Sécurité sociale tariff before the sixth month, with the remainder covered by your complementary health insurance (mutuelle). From the first day of the sixth month of pregnancy, all medical costs related to pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care are covered at 100% on the Sécurité sociale tariff, as provided by art. L.321-4 of the Code de la sécurité sociale.

The prime à la naissance is means-tested and paid as a single lump sum during the seventh month of pregnancy. After the April 2025 revalorisation — an annual uplift indexed to the BMAF (base mensuelle des allocations familiales, the monthly family benefit reference figure) — the amount was approximately €1,065.51 for a first child in metropolitan France. The figure applicable after the April 2026 revalorisation must be confirmed on caf.fr. To receive it you must have declared the pregnancy on time and submitted your household income and bank details (RIB — relevé d'identité bancaire) on your CAF account.

Create your ameli account on ameli.fr using your French social security number (numéro de Sécurité sociale) and your CAF account on caf.fr before the end of the third month of pregnancy. After the prenatal appointment, log in to both portals to confirm the pregnancy has been recorded, check that your RIB (bank account details) is correct, and on the CAF side use the Déclarer un changement (declare a change) section to submit your household situation and income so your entitlements can be calculated.

For a first or second child, maternity leave lasts 16 weeks — 6 weeks before the expected delivery date and 10 weeks after. From the third child onward the entitlement rises to 26 weeks (8 weeks before and 18 after). Multiple pregnancies attract longer leave: 34 weeks for twins and 46 weeks for triplets or more. These durations are set by arts. L.1225-17 et seq. of the Code du travail. CPAM indemnification is subject to prior affiliation and minimum activity conditions; check your eligibility early.