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Access to healthcare: free care centres
The aims of the sheet: to identify the free care centres that match your needs and to know the healthcare pathway.
Key points of the sheet
- In France, many centres let you get care without paying. They are part of the public service offered by the State.
- Some centres are general. Others are specialised in one type of support.
- The PASS (permanences d’accès aux soins de santé) of almost all public hospitals are open to everyone. The staff send you to the specialists you need.
- Some PASS are specialised: diseases of the eyes, the teeth or the skin.
- For a vaccine, you can ask a doctor, a midwife, a pharmacist or a nurse. Pregnant women and children under 6 go to PMI centres.
- Sexual health centres give contraception, advice on sexuality and support for abortion (IVG). CeGIDD centres offer testing for AIDS, hepatitis and STIs.
- CSAPA centres and the alcohol and addiction services of public hospitals treat addictions. CLAT centres test for and treat tuberculosis.
- For mental health, there are PASS Psy, CRP and CMP centres. For children, there are CMPEA and CMPP centres.
Words to know
- healthcare access services (PASS) (permanences d’accès aux soins de santé)
- They are the PASS of public hospitals, open to everyone for general care.
- mother and child protection centres (PMI) (centres de protection maternelle et infantile)
- These centres give care and advice to pregnant women and children under 6.
- sexual health centres (centres de santé sexuelle)
- They offer contraception, advice on sexuality and support for abortion (IVG).
- CeGIDD (free testing centres)
- They are free centres for testing for AIDS, hepatitis and STIs.
- CSAPA (addiction care centres)
- They are centres for care, support and prevention of addictions.
- CLAT (anti-tuberculosis centres)
- They are centres to test for and treat tuberculosis.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Where do pregnant women and children under 6 go?
In French, the language of the exam: Où vont les femmes enceintes et les enfants de moins de 6 ans ?
PMI centres give care and advice to pregnant women and children under 6.
Where can tuberculosis be tested for and treated?
In French, the language of the exam: Où peut-on dépister et soigner la tuberculose ?
The anti-tuberculosis centres (CLAT) test for and treat tuberculosis.
What are free care centres part of?
In French, the language of the exam: De quoi font partie les structures d’accueil gratuites ?
Free care centres are part of the public service offered by the State.
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More in this topic (Health)
- Access to healthcare: emergency services and numbers
- Getting covered: the steps to access universal health protection (PUMa)
- Healthcare cover: the different types of health insurance
Source
Sheet “Accès aux soins : les structures d’accueil gratuites” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.