A doctor graduated outside of France who presents a nine-digit Adeli number does not prove much. Since the generalization of the RPPS to medical professions, the Adeli identifier is no longer assigned to new registrants on the Order’s Table. The mere presence of a nine-digit code, without matching the CNOM Table, constitutes a warning signal regarding the legality of practice.
Transition to RPPS and the end of Adeli assignment for foreign doctors
Since 2023, any doctor holding a diploma obtained in an EU or EEA member state who receives a license to practice in France is directly registered in RPPS by the Order of Physicians. The Adeli directory no longer assigns them a number. Only practitioners registered before this transition retain a historical Adeli identifier.
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This distinction has a direct practical consequence: a recently arrived foreign doctor who brandishes an Adeli number without being listed in the RPPS presents a documentary inconsistency. We recommend treating this case as an indicator of the risk of illegal practice, not as a mere administrative discrepancy.
To verify the Adeli number of a foreign doctor, the starting point remains the cross-checking between the CNOM directory and the RPPS database, and not just the consultation of a nine-digit code.
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CNOM Directory: the reference register before any Adeli verification
The Order of Physicians Table, accessible via the public directory of the National Council of the Order (CNOM), constitutes the primary source for verifying the right to practice. A doctor absent from the Table cannot legally practice in France, regardless of the identifier they present.
The CNOM directory displays the name, first name, specialty, place of practice, and RPPS number. If the practitioner appears in this database, their right to practice is confirmed by the Order. If the practitioner is not listed but presents an Adeli number, verification must immediately escalate to the ARS of the declared practice department.
The Adeli directory, managed by the ARS, lists health professions not yet transitioned to the RPPS (psychologists, dietitians, orthoptists). For a doctor, Adeli no longer has active registration value. We observe that confusion persists in many establishments, where HR services continue to request an “Adeli number” from foreign practitioners out of habit.
Structured documentary control for a practitioner with a foreign diploma
The verification of a foreign doctor is not limited to an identifier. Healthcare establishments increasingly rely on a multi-step documentary control, combining the RPPS database with the examination of supporting documents for the license to practice.
Here are the elements to systematically cross-check:
- The presence of the practitioner in the CNOM public directory, with an active RPPS number and a specialty consistent with the position held.
- The individual license to practice issued by the Ministry of Health (DGOS), a mandatory document for graduates outside the EU/EEA practicing in France.
- The consistency between the presented diploma, the country of issuance, and the authorization procedure followed (authorization commission or automatic recognition for EU diplomas).
- If applicable, verification with the ARS of the department for practitioners whose Adeli registration predates the RPPS transition.
This verification protocol applies to both recruitment and replacements. A foreign doctor in temporary practice (liberal replacement or hospital interim) must appear in the Table with a mention of their situation.
Concrete cases of discrepancy between Adeli number and right to practice
Three configurations regularly arise in reports handled by the ARS and departmental Orders.
First case: a practitioner presents an authentic Adeli number, assigned several years ago, but their registration in the Table has been suspended or canceled since. The Adeli number does not reflect an ordinal suspension. The two databases are not synchronized in real-time, creating an exploitable gap.
Second case: the nine-digit number is fabricated. The Adeli format (the first two digits corresponding to the department, followed by seven digits) is predictable enough that a fake appears credible to the naked eye. Only querying the ARS or RPPS database can detect the fraud.
Third case: the practitioner has a valid license to practice but has never finalized their ordinal registration. They may hold a provisional RPPS number without being listed in the Table. This situation, common among practitioners with diplomas outside the EU at the beginning of their careers, does not constitute fraud but exposes the employing establishment to legal risk.
Verification tools for RPPS and health directory in practice
The health directory, accessible on the portal of the Digital Health Agency, allows for a search by name, first name, or RPPS number. For professions still registered in Adeli, searching by number remains possible, but the results do not guarantee the current right to practice.
In establishments, automated RPPS control via HR management software is becoming widespread. These tools query the national database and flag inconsistencies (inactive number, non-matching specialty, absence of ordinal registration). For structures that do not have this type of interface, the manual process remains as follows:
- Search for the practitioner in the CNOM directory by name and first name.
- Verify the consistency of the RPPS number with the presented documents (CPS card, ordinal registration certificate).
- In case of doubt, contact the ARS or the departmental Order council directly to confirm the status.
The CPS card (health professional card) carries the RPPS number and attests to the practitioner’s digital identity. A foreign doctor authorized to practice receives this card after ordinal registration. The absence of a CPS card for a practicing doctor justifies immediate verification.
The Adeli number, in the case of doctors, now belongs to a dying register. Relying solely on this identifier to validate the right to practice of a foreign practitioner is akin to consulting an outdated directory. The cross-checking of RPPS, the Order Table, and authorization documents remains the only reliable method.