Living in Luxembourg

Coronavirus

You should follow the advice of the Luxembourg Government and your local authority. You can also read our Luxembourg travel advice for our latest guidance.

Stay up to date

You should:

• sign up for email alerts on living in Luxembourg
• follow your local British Embassy on Facebook

The Withdrawal Agreement

The Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and provides for a deal on citizens’ rights. It sets out a transition period which lasts until 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to live, work and study in the EU broadly as you did before 31 January 2020.

If you are resident in Luxembourg at the end of the transition period, you will be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, and your rights will be protected for as long as you remain resident in Luxembourg.

Any rights that are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement will be the subject of future negotiations. Read this guidance page for more information

In the meantime, make sure you are registered as a resident in Luxembourg. We will update this guidance as soon as more information becomes available.

You should also read our guidance on living in Europe.

Visas and residency

Check entry requirements for Luxembourg in our travel advice.

Residency

If you are resident in Luxembourg before the transition period ends on 31 December 2020, you will be able to stay.

You must obtain a new residence document in line with the Withdrawal Agreement by 30 June 2021.

If you have previously registered as a resident you must complete an application form to obtain the new document from the Immigration Department in Luxembourg City. Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on the application process and complete the application form at the bottom of the page.

If you move to Luxembourg before 31 December 2020, you must first make a declaration of arrival (déclaration d’arrivée) at the local town hall (commune) in your locality within 8 days. Within 3 months of arrival, you must get an address registration certificate (déclaration d’enregistrement) from the Commune. Once you have received your address registration certificate you will need to get the new document, in line with the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you require a criminal record check (‘casier judiciaire’), you must apply for a police certificate from the ACRO Criminal Records Office. If you have never resided in the UK, please record this in the ‘additional information’ section on the application form.

Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on registering in Luxembourg

Read our guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

Passports and travel

The rules on travel will stay the same until the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to travel to countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU with your UK passport.

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay.

You can apply for or renew your British passport online from Luxembourg.

Passports from 1 January 2021

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip.

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Periods of stay authorised under a visa or permit will not count against the 90-day limit. Travel to the UK and the Ireland will not change.

Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen Area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

Driving in Luxembourg

You should exchange your UK licence for a Luxembourg one. You can still use your Luxembourg licence in the UK for short visits or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.

Driving licence rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on licences.

For information on driving in Luxembourg, read our guidance on:

• what you need to drive abroad
• road travel in Luxembourg

Read the European Union’s guidance on exchanging or renewing your driving licence.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Luxembourg

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK. Find out how to change your UK vehicle licence plates to Luxembourg plates.

You can read the EU’s guidance on vehicle registration abroad and importing a vehicle into Luxembourg. You may be exempt from some taxes. If so, you will need certificates of exemption.

Healthcare

If you are living in Luxembourg or move there permanently before 31 December 2020, you’ll have life-long healthcare rights in Luxembourg as you do now, provided you remain resident.

Read the guidance on accessing healthcare in Luxembourg and how to register.

State healthcare: S1

If you live in Luxembourg and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You must apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.

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European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Luxembourg, you must not use your EHIC from the UK to access healthcare in Luxembourg.

When you travel from Luxembourg for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare in that country. During that short stay:

• the EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance

There will be no changes to your healthcare access before 31 December 2020. You can also continue to use your EHIC, as you did before, during this time.

You should also read guidance on:

• healthcare and studying abroad
• English-speaking doctors in Luxembourg
• checking if your prescriptions are legal

Working in Luxembourg

If you are registered as a resident in Luxembourg, you have the right to work in Luxembourg. Read our guidance on working in an EU country.

Check if you need to apply for a UK criminal records certificate, known in Luxembourg as a ‘casier judiciare.’

If you are resident in Luxembourg on or before 31 December 2020, you will maintain your right to work, as long as you remain resident in Luxembourg.

Money and tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Luxembourg to ensure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. You should direct individual taxpayer questions about double-taxation relief to the relevant tax authority.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Luxembourg have not changed.

Read:

• our guidance on tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
• our guidance on tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• guidance on paying income tax in Luxembourg

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Luxembourg.

National Insurance

Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.

Pensions

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

If you retire in Luxembourg, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pensions Centre to claim
• your Luxembourg and UK State Pension (in French) if you worked in Luxembourg
• if you have worked in other EU countries, check with the International Pension Centre

Life certificates

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you must respond as soon as possible. Your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after 31 JanuaryDecember 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 you will get your UK State Pension uprated every year for as long as you continue to live there. This will happen even if you start claiming your pension on or after 1 January 2021, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions explained in the new State Pension guidance.

If you are living in Luxembourg by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Luxembourg, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Luxembourg pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after 31 December 2020.

ReadIf you are considering moving to Luxembourg on or after 1 January 2021 and you are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the rules depend on negotiations with the EU and may change. Check our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.

You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.

Benefits

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Luxembourg. You should:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while your abroad

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid to you if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You may be eligible to claim some Luxembourg social security benefits – read about Luxembourg social security benefits.

You can request proof of the time you have worked in the UK from HMRC and any social security contributions made if you are asked for this.

Benefits after 31 JanuaryDecember 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming UK benefits in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive. This will continue for as long as you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If you work and pay social security contributions in Luxembourg, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Luxembourg contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after 31 December 2020.

ReadIf you are considering moving to Luxembourg on or after 1 January 2021 and you are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the rules depend on negotiations with the EU and may change. Check our guidance on benefits and pensions in the EU.

Voting

If you have been resident in Luxembourg for at least five years, you can vote in local elections in Luxembourg. You cannot vote in national elections in Luxembourg or European Parliament elections.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote

Births, deaths and getting married or civil partnership

If your child is born in Luxembourg, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Luxembourg, you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• read guidance for UK nationals on bereavements in Luxembourg
• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Luxembourg

Find out how you can get married or conduct a civil partnership abroad.

You may also need:

• notary services for Luxembourg
• English-speaking lawyers in Luxembourg
• English-speaking translators and interpreters in Luxembourg

Accommodation and buying property

You can read our guidance on buying a property abroad.

Pets

Current pet travel rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you must visit your vet to get a pet passport.

Read guidance on bringing your pet to the UK page.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number on 112 or you can dial 113 in Luxembourg for the police.

Look at the full list of emergency numbers in Luxembourg.

If you are the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Luxembourg.

Returning to the UK

You must tell the Luxembourg and UK authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

If you receive healthcare in Luxembourg through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999 to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

Disclaimer

Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Luxembourg authorities. The ForeignForeign, and Commonwealth & Development Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.