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Settling in

Settling in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is probably the simplest expat move for a French family: no visa, French spoken everywhere and the euro in your purse. There are still many formalities, in a precise order: town hall, social security, bank, housing, childcare. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

For a French family there is no visa and no residence permit: EU free movement is enough. Everything starts at the town hall, within eight days, and then the order of steps matters: registration, social security, bank, family benefits.

Good to know

  • As EU citizens you only need a valid ID card or passport. For a stay of more than 90 days there are two steps at the town hall: declare your arrival, then make your registration declaration within 3 months. Source
  • The arrival declaration is made at your commune's population office within eight days: in Luxembourg City, at the Biergercenter. Bring your ID or passport and, for a first registration, your marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates. Source
  • The registration certificate is issued on the spot and has no end date. An EU spouse who comes with you shows a copy of your certificate and the marriage or partnership certificate; children, proof of parentage. Source
  • A spouse or child without an EU passport follows a separate procedure, the one for family members of an EU citizen: check it before you leave. Source
  • Registration with the register of French nationals abroad is free, valid 5 years, strongly recommended and done online on service-public.fr: French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Luxembourg and a recent photo. Source
  • Week 1, in order: arrival declaration at the commune, social security affiliation through the employer (the card arrives by post), bank account, family allowance claim with the CAE and joining the childcare voucher scheme at the commune if you need a crèche. Source
  • Declaring your move quickly gets you the residence certificate everyone asks for, and an employee who moves house is entitled to two days' leave. Source

Addresses

  • Section consulaire de l'Ambassade de France à Luxembourg

    Consulate

    8b boulevard Joseph II, L-1840 Luxembourg

    Passports, ID cards and marriage capacity certificates by appointment; document collection, certified copies and signature certification without appointment Monday to Friday 9:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 15:30, except Wednesday afternoon. Service France Consulaire answers on +352 27 30 22 23.

    Website Source

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Housing and neighbourhoods

Housing is the heaviest item when settling in Luxembourg. French families choose first according to school: Vauban in Gasperich, the European Schools in Kirchberg and Bertrange, the international schools in Merl and Hamm. The country is small, but rush-hour journeys matter.

Good to know

  • A residential lease must be in writing or it is void. Its length is free; a fixed-term lease renews tacitly when it ends. Source
  • The rental deposit cannot exceed 2 months' rent. A check-in inventory must be signed at the latest on moving-in day, and half the deposit must be returned within a month of handing back the keys. Source
  • Estate agency fees are split equally between landlord and tenant; they generally amount to one month's rent, plus VAT. Source
  • If you cannot put the deposit up front, the State can act as guarantor under residence and income conditions, in exchange for gradually saving the amount over 3 years. Source
  • Many families also look across the border, in Lorraine. Be aware: living in France makes you cross-border workers, with different rules for healthcare, benefits and school; do the full sums before signing. Source
  • Listings are on property portals (atHome.lu first) and in the local press; a relocation agency can search for you and handle the paperwork. Source

Addresses

  • Gasperich et Cloche d'Or

    Neighbourhood

    The neighbourhood of the Vauban school, with the Ban de Gasperich park, the city's largest. Recent buildings, shops, tram; very popular with French families.

    Source

  • Howald et Hesperange

    Neighbourhood

    To the south, a few minutes from Vauban: quieter, more houses, and the Alzette valley for walks.

    Source

  • Belair et Merl

    Neighbourhood

    Residential and green, close to the centre: Merl park and its inclusive playground, International School of Luxembourg, the CHL maternity hospital nearby. Among the highest rents.

    Source

  • Limpertsberg

    Neighbourhood

    Central and family-friendly, around Tony Neuman park and the Glacis, home of the Schueberfouer; tram and secondary schools within walking distance.

    Source

  • Kirchberg

    Neighbourhood

    The plateau of the EU institutions and European School Luxembourg I, with Mudam, the Philharmonie and Kirchberg hospital. Recent flats, very well served by the tram.

    Source

  • Hamm et Cents

    Neighbourhood

    To the east, quieter, with the Cents themed playground and St George's International School in Hamm.

    Source

  • Strassen, Bertrange et Mamer

    Neighbourhood

    Residential communes west of the capital: houses with gardens, European School Luxembourg II in Bertrange. A car becomes more useful there.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

Your French plan works on arrival, a local prepaid SIM tides you over until you have an account. On insurance, two are compulsory: health, handled by the employer, and third-party car insurance.

Good to know

  • For mobile, the three main operators are POST, Orange and Tango; a prepaid SIM tides you over until you have an account and an address.
  • Third-party liability insurance is compulsory for any car; home insurance and family liability insurance are not, but they are strongly recommended and often requested by the landlord. Source
  • Health insurance is compulsory and goes through the employer. A top-up mutual insurance is optional: it refunds all or part of what the fund does not cover, especially care abroad. Source

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Banking and money

Same currency, same SEPA transfers as in France: the Luxembourg account is mainly for your salary and rent. Since September 2026, Wero has replaced Payconiq for phone payments.

Good to know

  • To open an account, the bank generally asks for ID, proof of address and proof of employment or regular income; requirements vary from one bank to another. Source
  • Any legal resident of the European Union is entitled to a basic payment account, with no overdraft: Spuerkeess, BGL BNP Paribas, POST Luxembourg and Banque Raiffeisen must offer it, and BIL offers it too. A refusal must be justified and can be challenged with the CSSF. Source
  • Local banks have branches and cash machines across the country; a LuxTrust certificate will also let you sign your formalities on MyGuichet.lu. Source
  • Day to day, people pay by card, contactless or by phone. The Payconiq app has been replaced by Wero: you download it, link your account, then pay between individuals, online, in shops or a bill by scanning a QR code. Source
  • A euro transfer between France and Luxembourg costs the same as a domestic one, and since October 2025 euro-area banks must offer instant transfers at no higher price than a standard one. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving to Luxembourg: some adapt or close non-residents' accounts. If a bank refuses to open one, French citizens living abroad can apply for the right to an account through the Banque de France. Source

Addresses

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Setting up your home

No IKEA in Luxembourg: the nearest store is IKEA Arlon, in Sterpenich, just across the Belgian border. For the rest, the capital's hypermarkets and shopping centres, plus local classifieds.

Addresses

Getting around with children

Luxembourg was the first country in the world to make all public transport free: bus, tram and train, no ticket. With a pushchair, the tram is the most comfortable; for the countryside and after-school activities, a car is still handy.

Good to know

  • Since 1 March 2020, buses, tram and trains are free nationwide, in second class. Only first class and journeys beyond the border are paid. Source
  • Free travel extends to the stations of Audun-le-Tiche and Volmerange-les-Mines in France and Athus in Belgium; to go further, buy the ticket on the CFL go app. Source
  • Children under 4 must be accompanied by someone aged at least 12. Source
  • The tram has no step between platform and car: you get on and off with a pushchair without help. Source
  • A French licence is recognised: exchanging it is not compulsory. Free registration with the SNCA is advisable, as it gets you a duplicate quickly if the licence is lost or stolen. Source
  • If you bring your car, you must register it in Luxembourg within 6 months of your arrival declaration, after taking out third-party liability insurance. Source
  • Between the Upper Town and the valleys, public lifts save you the hills with a pushchair, including the Pfaffenthal panoramic lift. Source

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Admin, taxes and the consulate

Luxembourg's administration is largely online, in French, through MyGuichet.lu. Remember three acronyms: CCSS for affiliation, CNS for health, CAE for family benefits.

Good to know

  • As soon as you work in Luxembourg, your employer registers you with the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS), which handles health, pension, accident and long-term care insurance. Source
  • Every family member, insured or co-insured, gets their own social security card, with their 13-digit national identification number (the 'matricule'), asked for in almost every procedure. Source
  • Income tax is withheld at source by the employer according to the tax card, issued automatically by the tax administration after affiliation, in 30 working days on average. Married couples are in principle in tax class 2. Source
  • Every resident child is entitled to a monthly family allowance from birth and, from age 6, to a back-to-school allowance; you apply to the CAE, online on MyGuichet.lu. Source
  • The consulate issues passports and ID cards, keeps civil records for French nationals (births, marriages) and the register, and runs French elections. It handles neither visas nor your Luxembourg formalities. Source
  • Outside office hours and only in a genuine emergency, an embassy duty officer can be reached on +352 661 631 228; do not call this number for an appointment or a lost document. Source

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Budget: what changes

Housing pushes the bill well above France; on the other side, free transport, partly free childcare and children's care refunded at 100% lighten the budget considerably. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: much more expensive than in France, especially in Luxembourg City and the neighbouring communes; also budget for the deposit (up to 2 months) and your half of the agency fee on moving in. Source
  • Transport: free for the whole family nationwide, which removes an entire budget line. Source
  • Childcare: 20 free hours a week for children aged 1 to 4 in a crèche that takes the childcare voucher, then free care and main meals in after-school centres during term time for school-age children. Beyond that, private crèches remain expensive. Source
  • Health: the CNS refunds 88% of consultations and 100% for under-18s; vaccines on the official schedule are free. Source
  • Benefits: the family allowance, paid for every resident child, helps noticeably more than in France for one or two children. Source
  • Groceries comparable to France, sometimes slightly dearer; restaurants much more expensive; fuel cheaper. School: state school is free, Vauban and private schools charge fees, see our school fees page.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Luxembourg will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Section consulaire de l'Ambassade de France à Luxembourg
  2. 2 Guichet.lu, séjour de plus de 90 jours d'un citoyen européen
  3. 3 Ville de Luxembourg, déclarer sa résidence
  4. 4 Luxembourg.public.lu, guide pratique pour s'installer
  5. 5 Guichet.lu, conclure un bail d'habitation
  6. 6 Mobiliteit.lu, gratuité des transports et tarifs
  7. 7 Guichet.lu, chèque-service accueil
  8. 8 Wero Luxembourg, remplacement de Payconiq

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Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Luxembourg guide changes, never more than once a week.

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