GUIDE TO LIVING IN LUXEMBOURG: 7 ESSENTIAL POINTS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

In this guide to living in Luxembourg we clear up all the doubts to settle in the city, we will tell you the basic requirements, the ways to find a job and housing, and we will help you to achieve your mission

Did you know that Luxembourg meets the perfect conditions to be considered one of the best places in the world to live and work? High salaries, quality of life and guaranteed social security are some of its main characteristics.

But, of course, doubts always arise about how easy it will be to get a job, under what conditions, what are the requirements, how to find a home, how is the job search process, etc.

About Luxembourg

Luxembourg, also known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is one of the smallest countries in Central Europe, precisely the seventh smallest. It has half a million inhabitants spread over 2,586 square kilometers of territory, 44% of its inhabitants being foreigners.

A fact of interest in relation to immigration in Luxembourg: 50% of the births that occur are to foreign couples who are living there for work reasons.

The capital and most important city of the Duchy receives the same name as the country: Luxembourg. But there are also different cities in the interior of the country, the most important being Esch-sur-Alzette and Differdange south of the capital.

Luxembourg shares a border with Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium and has three official languages: German, French and Luxembourgish. Since 1999, Luxembourg is part of the European Union, thus being part of the Schengen Zone and adopting the Euro as its official currency. It is also part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Benelux, the union made up of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

In addition to being the only sovereign Duchy and one of the most picturesque cities in Europe, Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in the world and the one with the second highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (US $ 104,673).

It is also one of the strongest administrative centers in the world, being the headquarters of financial and investment funds with bank secrecy guaranteed by the country's own penal code. Which is why tax evasion remains a pending issue, hence its public connection with various holding companies.

Both its economic possibilities and its strategic location in the heart of Europe make Luxembourg the ideal base for hundreds of European and international companies to set up their administrative and operational offices there.

All these economic peculiarities, wrapped in the best European landscapes, make Luxembourg an ideal destination for those who want to work abroad.

Administrative matters: Visas, Schengen Zone and necessary registrations

Being part of the Schengen Zone, Luxembourg allows the free movement of passengers as it happens within the European Union. European citizens do not need special permits to work in Luxembourg. Other nationalities must first check whether or not they need a visa for the Schengen Zone and pay double attention to the length of stay and work permits.

Regardless of the visa, all nationalities need a valid and valid electronic passport to reside in Luxembourg. For Latin American nationalities, it is recommended to consult directly with the embassy as the requirements vary from country to country. Likewise, beyond the visa, all non-European nationalities need a work permit that must be issued by the employing company.

To obtain more information about the visa, and the work permits according to the different nationalities, we recommend you to check the following official link of the Luxembourg government agency:

www.guichet.public.lu/citoyens/fr/immigration/en/index.html

Once in Luxembourg, it is necessary to register with the Ministry of Labor and the corresponding commune (it can be done as a resident or non-resident).

The registration requirements vary according to the type of work, the hiring and the duration (contract with a fixed duration - CDD- or contract with an indeterminate duration - CDI-), among other issues. Most of the requirements are these:

√ Certified copy of valid passport

√ Birth certificate

√ Curriculum Vitae

√ Certified copies of diplomas and professional titles

√ Completed application form for the validation of university or professional qualifications in Luxembourg (Health workers need special authorization from the Luxembourg Ministry of Health).

√ Letters of recommendations from previous employers

√ Police proof of no criminal charges

√ Work contract signed and approved by the employer

First steps to living in Luxembourg

Once the visa and passport issues are covered, we are now able to live in Luxembourg with all that that implies.

There are many work, study and cultural exchange options and, in general, they are very well paid. But, you have to bear in mind that although the salaries are among the highest in the world, the cost of living is proportional to that.

Being a city with a large foreign population, it is not necessary to handle a specific language to communicate, but as it is public knowledge, English is the most widely used international language. Few people speak Spanish except for workers from Spanish-speaking countries.

Work in Luxembourg: Taxs, taxes and other duties

Once one accesses the job and the corresponding contract is signed between both parties , the Tax Withholding Letter must be requested at the Luxembourg Tax Office in the corresponding commune according to the declared address.

It is received by mail and is renewed year after year as long as we remain residents of Luxembourg. It is our property and it is our responsibility to present it to our employers.

In addition to access to health, being Luxembourg workers gives us access to social security. Access and registration with Social Security is a procedure that our employer must do, it takes a few weeks and we will receive the new card by mail

How to get accommodation?

The first days in Luxembourg (and in any country abroad) are dedicated to carrying out the necessary procedures, arranging job interviews (if you do not have a job already solved) and looking for long-term accommodation.

Luxembourg is not known for having cheap hotel options, which is why youth hostels are ideal. A bed in a shared room can be between 20 and 30 euros and a private room starts at 70 euros per night.

The demand for rentals is on the rise, it is not an easy or simple task. In Luxembourg several real estate agencies offer furnished or unfurnished rental apartments. The price gap oscillates around 1,000 euros for furnished flats and 600 for an empty flat.

The ideal, also, is to contact the apartment owners directly to reduce the cost of taxes and commissions. In the weekend newspapers there are usually several publications referring to accommodation.

With the internet, it is also very easy to solve these questions. Numerous websites in Luxembourg bring owners of apartments and hostels closer to interested parties. AtHome.lu is one of the largest rental networks in Luxembourg (http://www.athome.lu).

When it comes to accommodation in Luxembourg, there is another variable to take into account. They are known as “ Frontaliers ” and they are, precisely, all those people who work in Luxembourg but who for personal and economic reasons live in neighboring countries, very close to the border. Moving from your country of residence to Luxembourg every day of the week.

Enjoying the high salaries of Luxembourg and the cheaper cost of living in neighboring countries, the “frontaliers” save a lot of money. In general, they are foreigners who are only working in Luxembourg temporarily and live in France (26%), Belgium (25%) or on the German border (+ 50%).

How to get a job?

It is important to bear in mind that in Luxembourg there are usually two types of hiring: temporary and permanent.

Most of the vacancies in Luxembourg are for banking, administrative or financial positions. Also, almost always, personnel are required for the transport and communications sector (the country is a pioneer in the region in both sectors). With the growth of the population living in Luxembourg in recent years, another sector to look for labor is domestic workers.

As in the rest of Europe, most of the work contacts today are woven on the internet thanks to different professional networks. Linkedin continues to be one of the most representative and with a strong presence in Luxembourg. Nationwide, Jobs.lu is also another popular job network and job portal for job listings and employers.

But not everything happens on the internet, in Luxembourg the employment office works very well as a link between workers and employers. There are also other face-to-face recruitment agencies. As with rentals, the newspaper is still another good place to get information.

Be it virtual or in person, it is important to have a good in-person Curriculum Vitae. It must be in English, accompanied by a good image and authentic references.

Online job search pages:

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√ Jobs.lu

Internships or trial periods

Most Luxembourg-based companies offer trial or exchange periods for students and young professionals. This is an excellent way to get closer to the country and assess its working or professional conditions. Neither the probationary period nor the internship are guarantees of long-term employment, but they can become so if one operates professionally.

Many companies do not pay a full salary for this period, but a maintenance that is enough to cover day-to-day expenses.

For more information on updated salaries in Luxembourg you can check this official page:

www.guichet.public.lu/entreprises/en/ressources-humaines/remuneration/index.html

Health in Luxembourg

In Luxembourg health and related services are efficient and organized at the state level. The model they use is the Bismarck, where the state guarantees access to healthcare and adequate management of resources through the mandatory contributions of workers.

In other words, access to healthcare in Luxembourg is co-pay. What does it mean? A percentage is deducted from the net salary as social coverage and, in turn, each user must take care of 20% of the total value of their bills for medicines, operations, clinical consultations or control checks. Actually, you pay 100% and then you receive 80% as a refund. The period of time to request a refund is two years.

It is important to clarify that in Luxembourg it is not customary to go to a general practitioner or family doctor but rather that one has to contact the specialist in question whenever necessary.

Both hospitals and pharmacies have a work schedule. If it is an emergency during non-working hours, it is necessary to review the list to know where to go.

Luxembourg Tourism

Not everything is banks and administrative offices in Luxembourg. The historic center of the city (well differentiated from the administrative area) is ideal for getting lost walking and doing some sightseeing. The old part of the city was named a World Heritage Site by Unesco and is characterized by its squares, the Plaza de Armas being the most representative.

The Adolfo Bridge is another characteristic site of the city and from which you get beautiful views of the city, especially of the famous Cathedral of Our Lady, famous for its pointed towers.

The Chemin de la Corniche is a pedestrian promenade that received the name of being "the most beautiful balcony in Europe". Also interesting is a visit to the Bock vaults, a 17-kilometer maze of galleries and passages carved in rock that sheltered around 35,000 people during the Second World War. And of course the most beautiful thing about Luxembourg is the Royal Palace.

Luxembourg also has very good air and rail connections with the rest of Europe, making it an ideal base for sightseeing in the old continent. Tourism, as we always say, is the best part of being an expatriate and of living and working abroad.

Public holidays

Luxembourg has more than 10 public holidays per year, which are not deducted from the personal vacation period. The main public holidays are: New Years, Easter Monday, Worker's Day, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Grand Duke's Birthday, Virgin Mary's Day, Christmas, and St. Stephen's Day.

More information:

Official portal of Luxembourg. Available in English, German and French.