Back-to-school allowance in Luxembourg: amount, age and payment
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The back-to-school allowance in Luxembourg is a flat-rate benefit paid once a year, in August. You get €115 per child aged 6 to 11 and €235 per child aged 12 and over. It's automatic: no application, as long as your child already receives the family allowance. The Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants handles everything. If you're a cross-border worker, you're entitled to it too, with one small twist on the payment timing.
How much you get based on your child's age
The amount depends on one thing only: your child's age at the start of the school year. There's no income condition, no ceiling. Everyone receives the same flat-rate amount.
| Child's age | Amount per year |
|---|---|
| 6 to 11 years (over 6) | €115 |
| 12 years and over | €235 |
These amounts are fixed: they don't change from one year to the next and aren't tied to the index, unlike the monthly family allowance. In 2026, they stay at €115 and €235.
One thing that often surprises people: the amount goes up automatically when your child turns 12. You don't have to report anything, the Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants (CAE) works it out on its own from the date of birth.
When and how you receive it
The allowance is paid automatically in August each year, just before the new school year. It arrives in the same account as your family allowance, usually in a single transfer.
The key word is automatically. You have no application to make, no supporting document to send, no form to download. That's the big advantage of the Luxembourg system: as soon as your child is registered as a family allowance beneficiary, the back-to-school money follows automatically. The CAE handles all of it.
If nothing shows up at the end of August even though you already receive the family allowance, it's worth checking your bank details with the CAE rather than assuming you're not eligible.
Who is eligible
The basic rule is simple: if your child receives the family allowance, they also receive the back-to-school allowance. The two go together. So there's no extra condition to meet.
In practice, the family allowance (and therefore the back-to-school one) is paid until the child turns 18. It can extend to a maximum of 25 if the child continues secondary studies, vocational training or a low-paid apprenticeship. Evening classes and distance learning, however, don't open this right.
The back-to-school allowance itself stops during the calendar year in which your child finishes secondary school or equivalent. Put simply: the year they finish upper secondary, that's the last time you receive it.
There's a special case for the youngest children. A child admitted to the 2nd cycle of fundamental education but who hasn't yet turned 6 at the start of the school year is entitled to it too, this time on presentation of a school certificate. That's the only situation where a small step is needed.
Cross-border workers, how it works for you
Good news: as a cross-border worker employed in Luxembourg, you're entitled to the Luxembourg back-to-school allowance for your children, exactly like a resident. It's your work in the Grand Duchy that opens the right, not where you live.
The subtlety lies in the European principle of no double payment. You can't receive the same benefit twice by playing the border. If your country of residence (France, Belgium, Germany) already pays a back-to-school allowance, Luxembourg steps in with a differential supplement: it pays the difference, so that in total you receive the Luxembourg amount, which is more favourable in most cases. A differential supplement is simply Luxembourg topping up the gap between what your country pays and what you're entitled to here.
Watch the timing: if you're in this case of a differential supplement paid every six months, the back-to-school allowance doesn't arrive in August but is included in the January payment, for the July-to-December period. That's normal, don't worry if you see nothing at the end of summer.
Since the coordination rules between countries can get tangled (separated parents, two countries of activity, a change in your situation), an advisor can help you see more clearly if your case falls outside the standard setup.
Frequently asked questions
The allowance is €115 per child over 6 and €235 per child over 12. It's a flat-rate amount, the same for every family, with no income condition.
No. The allowance is paid automatically, with no steps to take, as long as your child receives the family allowance. The only exception: a child under 6 admitted to the 2nd cycle of fundamental education, who must present a school certificate.
It's paid automatically in August, just before the new school year, into the same account as the family allowance. For some cross-border workers on a six-monthly differential supplement, it's included in the January payment.
Yes. It's your professional activity in Luxembourg that opens the right. If your country of residence already pays a similar benefit, Luxembourg tops up the difference through the differential supplement.
As long as the child receives the family allowance (until 18, or 25 if in education). The back-to-school allowance stops during the calendar year in which the child finishes secondary school.