French National eHealth ID (INS)

The French National eHealth ID (INS) allows all stakeholders to use the same unique, permanent identity visible to the user.

Getting started

What is the INS?

The INS is composed of

The INS number (NIR - National Individual Registration number - or NIA - Temporary Identification Number - of the individual). In concrete terms, this number corresponds to the social security number for those entitled to it, i.e. the vast majority of adults. For other insured persons, this number appears on their social security certificate and will be displayed in the Health Data Personal Space.
The five essential components: birth name, first name(s), date of birth, sex, place of birth.

The INS is national, unique and permanent. Only a minority of users (visiting foreigners, etc.) do not have an INS.

How do you use the INS?

The INS must be "qualified" to be used, and in order to do this, two conditions need to be met:

First, the INS identity must come from the national reference databases (RNIPP (INSEE), SNGI (CNAV) and RFI (CNAM), all three of which are synchronised with each other) or be checked against these databases, using the INSi teleservice used by the CNAM. The ID is then said to be "retrieved".
Second, the user's ID must be validated in accordance with the ID security procedures implemented in the structures in compliance with the national ID security standard (verifying an identity document with a high assurance level, or electronic identification with a substantial assurance level). The ID is then said to be "validated".

For information on how to access the INSi teleservice, see Documentation.

In practice

Please take note of the INS project documentation, and in particular the INSi teleservice integration guide and the INS implementation guide.

Provide your customers with visibility into your development and deployment prospects for an "INS-compatible" solution by filling out the publisher survey (available on your private space on the Espace Industriels of GIE Sesam-Vitale).

When ?

Since January 1, 2021, all health data must be listed with the INS.

Regulatory framework

Only health and social care stakeholders who are involved in the care of the user, who monitor their social care, or who carry out preventive actions are required to use the INS; they may use a third party as a subcontractor within the meaning of the Data Protection Act (Loi Informatique et Libertés) to implement this obligation.

As a maker of products, the implementation of the INS is relevant to you in two situations:
1. You are responsible for the listing of health data with the INS, as a service provider in a contractual relationship with the data controller (health professional or structure)
2. You are the publisher of the software solution whose purpose is to process health data.

If you are a publisher, you must provide your customers with a CNDA-authorised INSi solution.
To do this, please read the INSi teleservice integration package, available at the GIE SESAM-Vitale website, and the guide to implementing the INS in software. A special appendix of the CI-SIS details the conditions for transmitting the INS.
Furthermore, it is essential that you answer the questionnaire sent to you by GIE SESAM-Vitale so that the entire ecosystem, and in particular your customers, are aware of your schedule for implementing the INS in your solutions.