Relocating to Luxembourg ? Read on for practical information

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, also referred as Luxembourg, is sandwiched among three large countries, Germany, France and Belgium. Luxembourg’s population is around 615,000 with expats making almost half, 48% of the residents in Luxembourg. It’s a beautiful country, and its residents are multi-lingual with 2/3rd of Luxembourg’s residents speaking an average of 4 languages. Luxembourg’s dynamic economic has a dependence on expats and the country welcomes educated expats with high-salaries. The costs of Luxembourg tend to match the high-income potential of the residents, with real-estate prices growing at a healthy rate compared to other European countries.

The conditions of entry and stay in Luxembourg differ depending on which is your home country.

EU Nationals

As Luxembourg is part of the Schengen area, nationals coming from the European Union, Switzerland and the European Economic Area (including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), do not require a visa to travel there. However, they will have to apply for a registration certificate at the nearest municipality to their place of residence in the country within three months following their arrival in the country if they intend to make a more than 90 days stay. The registration certificate is valid for lifetime.

To apply for the registration certificate, the following is required:

• Passport
• Documents pertaining to the purpose of your stay in the country, whether you are a student, a trainee, an employee or an entrepreneur
• Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself and your family (if they are accompanying you)

Non-EU Nationals

Non-European Union nationals are advised to check whether they have to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen area depending on their home country.

1. They should have a passport valid for at least 3 months following their travel date and at least 3 months after their visa's expiry date to be authorized to enter Luxembourg.
2. Non-EU nationals have to register at the nearest municipality to their place of residence. In case they are staying in a hotel or tourist accommodation, the application can be filed there itself. The form must be filled and signed by the owner or manager and this document will serve as a statement of arrival.
3. In the event of a stay of more than 3 months, they should have a residence permit issued before entering the territory. The request has to be made to the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Directorate of Immigration (Foreign Service)

Luxembourg laws differ for family members of European Union origin & for those of non-European nationals and those of students. In general, for spouses and civil partners as well as other family members relationship has to be supported by either of the following documents: marriage, partnership, relationship certificate or any other relevant document (issued in their home country) or a special authorization issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Whatever your home country and the duration of your stay, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is your contact point! 

The steps, forms and conditions of entry can easily be accessed on guichet.lu & you can also find detailed information on the following topics:

• Housing
• Work & Employment
• Tax
• Health benefits

Some general tips for expats are:

• Find a home. Housing is one of the hot topics for expats and locals alike in Luxembourg. Almost all properties are rented through agencies in Luxembourg.The standard agency fee, paid by the renting party, is 1 month rental + 17% VAT. If you’ve been referred by a previous tenant, the agency fee is halved(half-a-month rent) plus VAT. While this is the standard, there are also other ways to rent, particularly looking for properties via websites like www.LuxembourgExpats.lu/real-estate  and Facebook communities such as www.facebook.com/groups/luxembourghousing. There are owners directly renting their rooms and flats without “agency fees”
• Be affiliated with social security & apply for the social security card / European health insurance card. Once you arrive and are a full-time employee, you’re registered to CNS Health insurance.
• If you have a car & are looking to save on the cost of groceries, think about shopping in Germany or Belgium. But for one person, and non-bulk shopping, super markets in Luxembourg including Lidl, Delhaize, Auchan and the likes are the norm.
• If you are a married couple, you pay less tax (perhaps think about getting married) Luxembourg also accepts pacts, which serve as good as marriage for tax purposes.
• If you are looking to make friends, join expat groups, Facebook groups or meetups. People are friendly as they are all expats, but you have to try. Join number of Luxembourg Expats’ official communities luxembourgexpats.lu/stories/resources/1100000669
• Avoid taxis at all cost – public transport is free!! But, early to or late from airports are usually for taxis.

Some useful websites are:

• Luxembourg Official Portal www.luxembourg.public.lu
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ' Immigration www.mae.lu
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ' Short stay www.mae.lu/en/content/view/full/32678
• Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ' Luxembourg Diplomatic Missions www.mae.lu/Site-MAE/Missions-diplomatiques-et-consulaires
• Guichet.lu ' Local administrations in Luxembourg www.guichet.public.lu

About Luxembourg Expats:

Luxembourg Expats, or LuxExpats, was founded in 2012 as a Facebook community by expats for expats. We are now one of the largest home-grown marketplaces connecting local businesses and a social network for the growing expats community.