Administrative formalities when moving to Luxembourg

Have you just moved to Luxembourg, or are you about to do so? Before enjoying the country’s many attractions, you need to take care of a number of administrative formalities. Here’s a guide to help you make the move.

What documents do I need to enter Luxembourg?

The first step, before you arrive, is to check that your identity documents are still valid. If you are an EU citizen, of course you have freedom to enter and work in Luxembourg.

If you are from elsewhere in the world, depending on your country of origin, you may or may not need a visa to live and work in Luxembourg.

To find out about your obligations, consult the lists below:

Before submitting your visa application, and while still in your home country, you must first obtain a temporary authorisation to stay from the General Department of Immigration of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Good to know

Any Luxembourg company that registers a vacancy with the National Employment Agency (ADEM) and is unable to find a candidate within three weeks on the local market may apply for a certificate allowing it to sign an employment contract with a non-EU national. If this applies to you, you will need to attach this certificate to your application for an authorisation to stay.

The application for temporary authorisation to stay must include details of your identity (surname, first name(s) and exact address). You must enclose various documents and pieces of information:

a complete copy of a valid passport;
a copy of your criminal record or an affidavit (declaration under oath) written in your country of residence;
a curriculum vitae;
a copy of your diplomas or professional qualifications;
a copy of your employment contract signed and dated by you and your future employer in Luxembourg;
the original certificate issued by the National Employment Agency (ADEM) authorising the employer to hire a third-country national;

Register with the municipality

Within three days of moving to Luxembourg to work, regardless of your country of origin, you must go to your local municipal office to make a declaration of arrival.

If you are a citizen of an EU member state or country treated as such, you must present a valid national identity card or passport.

If you are a third-country national, a copy of your declaration of arrival together with the temporary authorisation to stay are valid both as work permit and authorisation to stay, until you receive a residence permit.

Register your dog

If you have a dog, you must register it at your local municipal office; bring along a vet’s certificate indicating:

the dog’s breed;
whether the dog could be dangerous;
its current rabies vaccination status;
the dog’s microchip number.

You must also furnish proof that you have taken out personal third-party liability insurance. This will cover you for any damage that your dog might cause to third parties.

In Luxembourg, every municipality charges an annual tax for owning a dog; although the amount varies from one municipality to another, it is at least EUR 10.

Register your car

How to get a registration number

If you own a car, you must get it registered within six months of moving to Luxembourg.

First of all, you have to request a registration number, which will go on the car’s licence plate. In Luxembourg you can get a number in the current series free of charge; this is made up of two letters and four digits.

It is also possible to obtain a personalised registration number for EUR 200, which will also consist of two letters and four or five digits. There are also four-digit numbers, but these have all been allocated.

It will take one to two days to obtain your registration number.

Good to know

Unlike many car registration systems abroad, being allocated a registration number does not mean that your car has actually been registered, or that it will automatically be accepted for registration. Once you have received confirmation that your registration number has been reserved, you must have the licence plate printed out by a licence plate producer.

How to get a registration certificate?

Once you’ve received a registration number, you have to submit your registration application to the Société nationale de circulation automobile (SNCA).

Start off by completing and signing the registration certificate application form (Demande en obtention d'un certificat d'immatriculation) Next, you will need to visit one of the 3 SNCA offices, located in the north (Fridhaff), centre (Sandweiler) or south of the country (Esch-sur-Alzette). You have to make an appointment to submit your administrative file. The SNCA centres issue appointments either online, or by telephone on (+352) 26626 - 400.

You will also be required to present a valid insurance certificate. In some cases, you must also have the vehicle cleared by Customs.

Get your tax affairs in order

In Luxembourg, your employer will deduct tax from your salary at source. So at the end of the month, you will receive your salary net – Social Security contributions and income tax will already have been withheld.

This tax is calculated on a rate that takes account of your personal situation.

At the end of the year, you can have your tax situation adjusted by filing a tax return or requesting an annual statement of account. You can use this method to request that some of your expenses be deducted and your tax rate reduced.

Insure your home

Whether you rent or buy, it is important to take out insurance to protect your home and its contents, and to have third-party liability cover in case it is you who causes the damage. You will also be protected against fire and water damage, theft and wear and tear, or if your home suffers from extreme weather, electrical or household damage.

There are numerous insurance companies, all offering different options. Make sure you compare the offers closely, looking at the cover included and the limits of the policy.

Enrol your children in school

Primary education

Have you just moved to Luxembourg? The time has come to enrol your kids in school.

In principle, schooling for children from 3 to 11 years in Luxembourg takes place in public primary schools. But it can also be provided in a private school, European school, international school, or abroad.

By 15 April of each year, the local municipal administration will send a letter to parents informing them that, now that their child will have reached the age of 4 by 1 September, he or she is obliged to attend school, and will automatically enrol the child in a nursery school in the local area. To complete your enrolment, you should go directly to the municipal secretariat with your family record book, your child's birth certificate and the completed enrolment form.

If you wish your child to attend a school other than the one in your municipality, you must submit a request to the college of the mayor and aldermen of the municipality in which you wish to enrol your child before 1 May of the year preceding the start of the school year.

Children aged 3 before 1 September are entitled to attend an early education class if their parents wish so.

Good to know

In Luxembourg, languages of instruction in Primary School are Luxembourgish, German and French. If your newly-arrived child does not have the necessary language abilities, for a time they can attend a reception course. The aim of this course is to give children sufficient linguistic skills for them to be able to follow regular classes and integrate them as fully as possible into the right educational cycle for their age.

Secondary education

Primary education is followed by secondary education. It is provided in public schools, generally lycées, private institutions and European schools. It is advisable to set about enrolment as soon as possible, given the limited number of places in each school.

Public lycées are open to children from 11 years of age. For pupils who have completed part of their schooling abroad, an equivalency in the level of studies may be granted by the Luxembourg Ministry of Education.

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Open a bank account

Just arrived in Luxembourg? In most cases, you’ll need a current account with a Luxembourg bank fairly quickly. This will enable you to get paid, pay your rent or simply go shopping and carry out bank transactions.

You can open an account with BGL BNP Paribas directly online, before you’ve even arrived in Luxembourg – as soon as you have your employment contract. Follow the steps by clicking here!

Open a bank account

You need to do a bit of preparation when you move to Luxembourg, especially if you’re coming from a non-EU country. But once you’re here, you’ll have the support of your local municipality and your employer to complete all the main formalities for settling in. Soon you’ll be able to enjoy a different quality of life in a multicultural country where diversity is an everyday reality.

Any questions ?

Our advisers are at your service

Our advisors are available to assist you from Monday to Friday

(+352) 42 42-2000

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Your devoted BGL BNP Paribas Team, 26/11/2024

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