Cancellation kit · updated 2026
Cancel insurance in France: Hamon, Chatel, health, car sale, moving
Know which rule applies to your French policy, the exact date it ends, and send the right letter in French without a day uninsured.
Secure Stripe payment · invoice · instant online access, printable to PDF · 9 chapters, about 4500 words
Who it is for
- Expats and foreign residents who want to leave a French car, home or health insurance policy
- Anyone leaving France, moving house or selling a car registered in France
- Relatives handling the French policies of someone who has died
- Policyholders whose insurer refuses a cancellation or keeps collecting premiums
What this kit does not do: Switching mortgage insurance: that is the subject of our Lemoine law kit · Policies taken out for a business or professional activity, which follow different rules · Advice on your individual file: this kit explains the general rules
Contents of the complete kit
- The decision table: which rule for your policy (free extract below)
- The four timing rules: anniversary, Chatel, Hamon, health
- Life events: moving, leaving France, selling the car, death
- Sending the notice: channels, proof, refund
- Employer health cover, group policies and mortgage insurance
- When the insurer cancels
- The nine letter templates, in French with English translation
- Common mistakes and printable checklist
- If the insurer refuses: complaint, ombudsman, time limits
Included : 18 letter templates, 10 checklist items.
Introduction
French personal insurance renews itself every year, and each legal exit has its own deadline. This kit tells you which exit applies, when the policy ends, who sends the request, and gives you the letter. It covers car and motorbike, home, affinity policies (phone, appliance or travel cover sold with a product) and health top-ups (complémentaire santé or mutuelle).
French insurers deal in French, so the letters stay in French, each followed by an English translation so you know exactly what you are signing. Start with the decision table in chapter 1.
The decision table: which rule for your policy
Three facts are enough: the type of policy, how long it has run (the first subscription date, printed on your conditions particulières) and why you want out.
| Your situation | Rule | Who sends the request | When the policy ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or motorbike, over one year, switching insurer | Hamon law (art. L113-15-2) | The new insurer | One month after the old insurer receives notice |
| Tenant home insurance, over one year, switching insurer | Hamon law (art. L113-15-2) | The new insurer | One month after receipt |
| Owner home insurance or affinity policy, over one year | Hamon law (art. L113-15-2) | You | One month after receipt |
| Individual health top-up, over one year | At-will cancellation (law 2019-733) | The new provider if you take one, otherwise you | One month after receipt |
| Any policy, under one year | Anniversary date (art. L113-12) | You | On the anniversary, if notice is sent at least two months before |
| Renewal notice sent less than 15 days before the deadline, or after it | Chatel law (art. L113-15-1) | You | You have 20 days from the date the notice was sent |
| No reminder of the deadline received at all | Chatel law (art. L113-15-1) | You | Day after your notice, at any time after renewal |
| Moving house (including leaving France), marriage or divorce, retirement, change of occupation | Change of situation (art. L113-16) | You | One month after receipt; act within 3 months of the event |
| Selling or giving away the vehicle | Transfer of vehicle (art. L121-11) | You | Suspended from the day after the sale; cancellable on 10 days’ notice |
| Death of the policyholder | Transfer to the heir (art. L121-10) | The heir | See chapter 3 |
| Your risk falls but the insurer will not cut the premium | Reduced risk (art. L113-4) | You | 30 days after your notice |
| Premium increase at renewal | Policy clause | You | As set by your general conditions |
| Mortgage insurance | Lemoine law | You | See our Lemoine law kit |
Four reflexes apply to every line.
- Compulsory cover, no gap. Motor liability and tenant home insurance are compulsory in France. Sign the new policy before the old one ends; that is why the law makes the new insurer do the paperwork.
- Proof of date. Deadlines run from a sending or receipt date: keep the acknowledgement of receipt, the postmark or the online confirmation.
- Unused premium comes back, within 30 days for Hamon, Chatel and health cancellations.
- Never cancel by stopping the direct debit. Non-payment does not end the contract; it leads to cancellation by the insurer, which stays on your record (chapter 6).
Overview: our free guide to cancelling an insurance policy in France.
Frequently asked questions
How do I receive the kit?
Right after payment you are redirected to the complete kit page. Bookmark it or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.
Do I get an invoice?
Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it to you.
Is the kit kept up to date?
Yes. The kit page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.
Is this personal advice?
No. Claude Assur is not an insurer, a broker or a lawyer: the kit explains the general rules and gives you the method and templates; only the official texts and your policy are authoritative.
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By purchasing, you request immediate access to the digital content and acknowledge that you lose your right of withdrawal (French consumer code, article L221-28, 13°). VAT not applicable (art. 293 B of the French tax code). See the terms of sale (in French). Claude Assur is not an insurer, a broker, a registered insurance intermediary (ORIAS) or a lawyer: the kits explain the general rules and are not personal advice; only the official texts and your own policy are authoritative.