Living in Luxembourg

This guide sets out essential information for British citizens about moving to or living in Luxembourg. Read about how our embassy in Luxembourg can help.

This information is provided as a guide only. You should obtainget definitive information from the Luxembourg authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

To stay up to date:

• sign up for email alerts
• follow the British Embassy in Luxembourg on Facebook

If you were living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

Some parts of this guide only apply if you werehave been living in Luxembourg since before 1 January 2021. TheseYou areshould indicatedread withthis sub-headings.in addition to the rest of the guidance in each section. 

You should also read our Living in Europe page for detailed guidance about citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Coronavirus

YouFollow should follow the advice of the Luxembourg Governmentgovernment and your local authority. You canshould also read ourthe Luxembourg travel advice.

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Luxembourg, seeread our coronavirus travel advice.

Visas and residency

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

Check the entry requirements for Luxembourg.

You must get the correct visa before entering Luxembourg. Read the Luxembourg government advice on moving to Luxembourg.

Visas and residency if you were residentliving in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

If needyou toapplied apply for ayour new Withdrawal Agreement residence document inby line31 withDecember 2021, your rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement bypending 31a Decemberdecision 2021.on your application. Keep hold of your certificate of application as evidence of your rights, and continue the process to get your new residence document if you do not yet have it.

Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on residence rights.

You must renew this residence document when it expires. You must replace it if it is lost, stolen or damaged.

If you have previouslynot registeredhad as a resident,response to your residence document application, you mustcan completeemail animmigration.public@mae.etat.lu or call (+352) 247-84040.

Appeal process

If your application formis torefused, obtainyour refusal letter will tell you about the appeal process.

Late applications

The deadline for applying for a new residence document fromunder the ImmigrationWithdrawal DepartmentAgreement inwas Luxembourg31 City.

December 2021. You can still apply if you have reasonable grounds for missing it, and you should do so as soon as possible. Applications will be considered on an individual basis. Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on the application process and complete the application form at the bottomend of thethat page.webpage.

Family members

IfYour close family members continue to be able to join you movedand settle in Luxembourg at any point in the future. Find more information on who this applies to in the Living in Europe guidance. They must contact the Luxembourg Immigration Directorate before 1travelling Januaryto 2021submit an application for the Withdrawal Agreement residence document from abroad. Their certificate of application will allow them to enter Luxembourg. Nationals of certain non-EU countries may also need a visa before travel, and areshould stillinclude intheir certificate of application to facilitate the processvisa process.

Within 3 months of registeringarriving, yourclose residency,family youmembers should haveregister receivedat anthe addresscommune registrationas certificatethird-country (déclarationnationals. d’enregistrement)A fromthird thecountry Commune.national Youis someone who does not have EU, EEA or Swiss nationality. They can use thistheir residence document certificate of application to applydo forthis. They must contact the newImmigration document,Directorate into lineexchange withtheir certificate of application for a residence document. Read the WithdrawalLuxembourg Agreement.Government guidance on joining family members.

Residence if you work for a diplomatic mission

If you requirehave held a criminal‘carte recordde checklégitimation’ (‘casiersince judiciaire’),before 1 January 2021, you mustcan choose to apply for a policenew certificateWithdrawal fromAgreement theresidence ACROdocument Criminalat Recordsany Office.point Ifin youthe havefuture. neverYou residedcan inhold both cards at the UK,same pleasetime. recordYou thisshould inconsult thewith ‘additionalyour information’HR sectiondepartment before proceeding. Time spent in Luxembourg on thea application‘carte form.de légitimation’ counts towards obtaining permanent residency status.

Passports and travel

Coronavirus travel restrictions may affect travel to and from Luxembourg.

You can apply for or renew your British passport infrom Luxembourg.

Check the Luxembourg travel advice for Luxembourg for passport validity requirements..

Always carry your passport when travelling within the Schengen area. If you have citizenship of an EU /or European Free Trade AreaAssociation (EFTA) country, in addition to your British citizenship, you should enter and leave Luxembourg using your EU /or EFTA passport.

If you stay in Luxembourg with a Luxembourg residence permit or long stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit for the Schengen area.

If you visit other Schengen area countries outside Luxembourg, make sure you do not exceed the visa-free 90 days in any 180-day period. You are responsible for counting how long you stay under the Schengen visa waiver, and you must comply with its conditions.

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

If you were living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

When you travel, especially within the Schengen area, carry your residence document,document carte de séjour or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.

You must proactively show your residence document, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. If you have applied for, but not yet received, your residence document, carryshow your certificate of application.

If you cannot prove that you are a resident in Luxembourg, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is incorrectly stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.

If you have rights under the Withdrawal AgreementAgreement, you can enter and exit Luxembourg with a valid passport. You do not need any extraadditional monthsvalidity on yourthe passport tobeyond enterthe ordates exiton EUwhich countriesyou are travelling.

Healthcare

Read the guidance on healthcare in Luxembourg and make sure you are correctly registered.

ReadTravel theinsurance Luxembourgis governmentnot guidanceintended on:

• access to cover healthcare

If you’recosts leavingif theyou UKlive with medicine that contains a controlled drugoverseas,.

Read check with the embassyLuxembourg aboutgovernment the rules for the country you’re going to before you travel and the NaTHNaC guidance on travellingaccess withto medicineshealthcare.

You should also read our guidance on:

• healthcareEnglish-speaking whendoctors travelling in EuropeLuxembourg
• foreigntravelling travelwith insurance advicemedicines
• bringing medicine containing a controlled drug into the UK
• English-speaking doctors in Luxembourg

Working in Luxembourg

ToIf applyyou forare aplanning jobto move to Luxembourg and work, you may need:need a visa.

• a

  Read UKthe criminalLuxembourg recordsgovernment’s certificate,guidance knownon working in Luxembourg as a ‘casierforeign judiciare’

• anational, visa. Read the Luxembourgdocuments government’syou guidanceneed onand how to get a visa.

  To andapply otherfor necessarya documentsjob you may need to provide a UK criminal records certificate.

, known in Luxembourg as a ‘casier judiciaire’.

Read:

• working or providing services in Luxembourg
• working in an EU country
• EU guidance on working in an EU country

If you were living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

You have the right to work under the Withdrawal Agreement if you appliedhave for a carteWithdrawal deAgreement séjour residence document.document or have applied for one.

If you live in Luxembourg and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021, read our guidance for frontier workers.

Professional qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Luxembourg.

Read guidance on:

• recognition of professional qualifications
• how to get your qualification recognised in Luxembourg

If you were living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

If the relevant regulator in Luxembourg officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision. SeekYou should get advice from the regulatorrelevant if needed.regulator.

Studying in Luxembourg

If you plan to study in Luxembourg, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Luxembourg to check what fees you may have to pay.

Read guidance on:

• continuing your studies in the EU
• studying in the European Union
• healthcare for students in Luxembourg

If you were living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021

You have the same right to access education in Luxembourg as Luxembourg nationals as long as you were lawfully resident before 1 January 2021. The studying in the European Union guidance includes specific information forif thoseyou who were already living in Luxembourg before 1 January 2021.

Money, tax and bankingTax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Luxembourg toso ensurethat you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Luxembourg. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Luxembourg.

Read guidance on:

• tax if you leave the UK to live abroad

• tax on your UK income if you live abroad

• tax if you get a pension and live abroad

• paying income tax in Luxembourg

• EU guidancefactsheet on taxbuying andgoods customs, including online shopping from the UK websites

• EU

National guidanceinsurance onand customssocial includingsecurity preferentialcontributions

National originInsurance-type contributions

EU guidance(NIC) onare excisecalled duties

National‘social Insurance

security contributions’ (SSC) in Luxembourg. Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Luxembourg.

UK banking

WhetherYou UKcan banksrequest canproof providefrom servicesHMRC toof customersthe livingtime you’ve worked in the EEAUK dependsand onyour localUK lawsNational andInsurance regulation.record.

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PensionsBenefits

UK benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Luxembourg.

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Many governmentincome-related officesbenefits thatsuch dealas withPension yourCredit benefits,and pensionHousing Benefit cannot be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

Luxembourg benefits

Read the EU Commission’s information about benefits in Luxembourg and tax.how to claim.

Pensions

Read ourthe guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Luxembourg.

Read State Pension guidance if you have lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

If you retire in Luxembourg, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre tofor claimfurther information
• pensions if you’ve worked in other EU countries
• your Luxembourg and UK State Pension (in French) if you worked in Luxembourg

Read the Money and Pension Service’s MoneyHelper guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you must respond as soon as possiblepossible. -Your your payments may be suspended if you do not.

BenefitsMoney and banking

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to take a driving test. Read the Luxembourg government’s guidance on driving licences. You cannot use an International Driving Permit (IDP) instead of exchanging your licence.

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  If you became resident in Luxembourg before 31 December 2020, you must exchange your licence by 31 December 2021. You do not need to drivetake abroad

• roada traveldriving test to exchange your licence. If you miss this deadline your UK licence will no longer be valid for driving in Luxembourg

Driving inand theyou UKwill withhave to take a driving test. Read the Luxembourg licencegovernment’s guidance on driving licences.

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Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Luxembourg

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Read Findthe outLuxembourg howgovernment toguidance changeon importing a vehicle into Luxembourg, and changing your UK vehicle licencenumber plates to Luxembourg plates.

Driving outside Luxembourg with a Luxembourg licence

You can readuse your Luxembourg licence when visiting the EU’sUK. guidanceKeep onup-to-date vehiclewith registrationthe abroadUK Highway Code.

If andyou importinggo ato vehiclelive intoin the UK, you can exchange your Luxembourg. licence for a UK one without taking a test.

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Read the EU guidance on:

• EU driving licences and insurance
• driving licence exchange and recognition 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

Births, deaths, marriage and civil partnerships

If your child is born in Luxembourg, you willcan register the birth with the UK authorities in addition to registering locally. If your child has British nationality, you do not need to register the birth abroadwith the UK authorities to apply for a British passport.

If someone dies in Luxembourg read our guidance on:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• bereavement in Luxembourg
• finding 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

Pets

If you have a pet passport issued by Luxembourg or another EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and elsewhere in the EU. Ensure that your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up-to-date before you travel. Vets in Great Britain cannot enter rabies vaccination details in non-UK issued pet passports.

A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. YouSpeak should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’reyou compliantcomply with the EU Petpet Traveltravel Regulationsregulations.

Read guidance on:

• bringing your pet to GB
• travelling withto yourNorthern petIreland inwith theyour EUpet
• travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet
• travelling with your pet in the EU

CheckBefore you travel, check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.requirements.

Emergencies

YouDial can dial the European emergency number 112 in Luxembourg for the police, ambulance or fire brigade.

Look at the full list of emergency numbers in Luxembourg

YouDial can dial the EU 116 000 hotline to report a missing child in the EU country where you live or in another EU country.

If you need guidance on child abduction, read the guidance on international parental child abduction; the EU guidance on child abduction and EU guidance on child abduction to another EU country.

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

Returning to the UK

Check the COVID-19 travel guidance for entering the UK.

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.

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

Ifmembers, youtax return to the UK permanently and meetaccess the ordinarily resident test, you’ll be able to access NHS care without charge.services.

Useful information

Support for British nationals abroad: a guide sets out how to stay safe abroad, and explains how the FCDO can support you if you get into difficulty.