Moving to Luxembourg: all the steps you need to follow
Skimming?
We've prepared the shortcut for you.
Before you leave: what you can prepare from home
You don't need to wait until you're in Luxembourg to get started. A few things you can sort out before your move.
Gather your important documents: valid ID card or passport, family booklet, marriage certificate or partnership certificate if you're in a relationship, your children's birth certificates, and your diplomas. If any of these documents are not in French, German or English, have them translated by a sworn translator (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) before you leave. Many people forget this.
Your employment contract (or job offer letter) is the key document. You'll need it at the town hall for your registration declaration, and sometimes even to open a bank account.
As for housing, start looking as early as possible. The Luxembourg market is tight and properties go fast. We have a complete guide to finding housing in Luxembourg with real prices, your rights, and practical tips.
One last important thing: if you're an EU citizen, you only need your ID card or passport to enter and reside. If you come from a non-EU country, you must obtain a residence permit before you arrive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet). This step takes time, so plan ahead.
Already lined up a job? Get ahead with the steps and taxes of your first job.
The first 8 days: declaring your arrival
This is the very first mandatory step. Within 8 days of your arrival (3 working days if you come from a non-EU country), you need to go to the population office at your local municipality (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet).
In practice, you go to the town hall with your ID and your family documents. If you're settling in Luxembourg City, head to the Bierger-center (citizen service centre), not the City Hall.
While you're there, ask for a residence certificate. This document will come in handy for many other steps: opening a bank account, registering your children at school, setting up an electricity contract, and more. Also ask for a confirmation for your employer: you're entitled to 2 days of special leave for moving (it's part of Luxembourg labour law).
If you come from a non-EU country
The deadline is shorter: 3 working days after your arrival. You'll need your passport, your visa or temporary residence permit. Your copy of the arrival declaration, combined with your residence permit, serves as a temporary work permit while you wait for your final residence card.
The first month: bank account, social security and LuxTrust
Once your arrival declaration is done, there are three things to sort out quickly.
Opening a bank account
This is a priority step because everything flows from it: your salary will be deposited there, your rental deposit will be held there, and your bank is how you'll get your LuxTrust (more on that below).
To open an account, you'll need your ID, your residence certificate and usually your employment contract. Some banks let you open an account before you even arrive if you already have a signed contract.
Luxembourg is in the SEPA zone, so transfers from France, Belgium or Germany are free. To choose your bank, look at account fees, ATM network, and mobile app. Every situation is different, so take the time to compare.
Social security and the CNS
Good news: you barely have to do anything. Your employer handles your registration with the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS). Once registered, you're automatically covered by the National Health Fund (CNS) for medical expenses.
The standard reimbursement rate is 88% of agreed tariffs for adults and 100% for children under 18. If you want to know more about getting reimbursed, we have a dedicated guide to health expense reimbursement.
Remember to add your partner and children to your health insurance if they don't work in Luxembourg. This is done at the CNS with your civil status documents.
LuxTrust: your digital identity
LuxTrust is Luxembourg's digital authentication system. In practice, it's a token (small device) or a mobile app that lets you log into MyGuichet.lu (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet), the online administrative portal. Without LuxTrust, you can't file your tax return online, check your tax card, or complete administrative procedures remotely.
You get it for free through your bank when opening your account (normally a LuxTrust token costs between 50 and 150 euros, but the bank gives it to you). That's why opening a bank account quickly matters so much: it unlocks access to Luxembourg's entire administrative ecosystem.
In your first year you've often overpaid, reclaim it in 2 minutes.
Within the first 3 months: registration and the rest
The registration declaration
Many newcomers confuse the arrival declaration and the registration declaration. These are two separate steps.
The arrival declaration (the one in the first 8 days) simply means "I'm here, I live here". The registration declaration means "I'm proving my right to reside here for more than 3 months". It's done at the same town hall but with additional documents depending on your status.
If you're an employee, you'll need your employment contract compliant with Luxembourg labour law, dated and signed by both parties. If you're self-employed, bring a copy of your business establishment permit. If you're inactive (a partner who doesn't work, for example), you'll need proof of sufficient means and health insurance.
Once your registration declaration is validated, you receive a registration certificate with unlimited validity. This document is the real golden ticket in Luxembourg: you'll need it for pretty much everything.
Your tax withholding card
You don't need to do anything for this. The CCSS automatically informs the Direct Tax Administration (ACD) of your arrival. The ACD sends your tax withholding card within about 30 days. This card shows your tax class: class 1 if you're single, class 1a if you have dependent children and are on your own, or class 2 if you're married or in a civil partnership.
This form will automatically be sent to your employer so that the withholding tax on your salary can be calculated correctly. To understand how this affects your take-home pay, we explain everything in our guide to understanding your payslip in Luxembourg.
Your vehicle
If you arrive with your car, you have 6 months to register it in Luxembourg. During this period, you can drive with your foreign plates without any issues.
After that deadline, you'll need to go through the SNCA (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) (National Motor Vehicle Company) for registration, get a Luxembourg technical inspection, and take out at least motor third-party liability insurance.
As for your driving licence: if it was issued in an EU or EEA country, it remains valid as is. You just need to register it with the SNCA. If your licence is from a non-EU/EEA country, you have 1 year to have it transcribed into a Luxembourg licence. After that, it's no longer valid.
Once you're settled: secondary steps
Once the urgent stuff is sorted, a few extra steps are worth doing.
Register at the consulate or embassy of your home country in Luxembourg. If you lose your documents, get married or have a baby, it makes things much easier.
If you want to integrate and learn Luxembourgish, the National Institute of Languages (INL) offers courses, and many municipalities provide free classes. Nobody will require you to speak Luxembourgish for work (French and English dominate in the private sector), but it helps with everyday life.
If you have a regulated profession (doctor, architect, lawyer...), get your qualifications recognised by the relevant ministry. Processing times vary, so start early.
Two final practical points that newcomers often discover by surprise. Public transport is free in Luxembourg: buses, trains, trams, with no ticket or subscription needed. And waste sorting is taken very seriously: check with your municipality about the collection system and the bin sticker, or you might get fined.
Foreign diploma? Remember to have it recognised in Luxembourg.
Frequently asked questions
At a minimum: a valid ID (identity card or passport), your employment contract, and your family documents (family booklet, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates). If you come from a non-EU country, add your visa and residence permit. Any document in a language other than French, German or English must be translated by a sworn translator.
The arrival declaration is your registration with the municipal records. You do it within 8 days. The registration declaration proves your right to stay for more than 3 months. You have 90 days to do it. Both are done at the same town hall, but the second one requires more documents (your employment contract, in particular).
French is widely used in the private sector and in public administration, and English is common in international companies. However, speaking Luxembourgish is highly appreciated in order to integrate well into Luxembourgish society and daily life.
A LuxTrust token normally costs between 50 and 150 euros, but most banks offer it for free when you open your account. That's one of the advantages of opening a Luxembourg bank account quickly.
If your licence was issued in an EU or EEA country, it remains valid. You just need to register it with the SNCA. If your licence is from elsewhere, you have 1 year to have it transcribed into a Luxembourg licence.
Yes, since 2020. Buses, trains (2nd class) and trams are entirely free across Luxembourg. No ticket or subscription needed. Only 1st class on trains is paid. All the info is on mobiliteit.lu (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet).