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Social Security Benefits & Health Insurance in Luxembourg

Information on the national health care system in Luxembourg, with details on who benefits, where and how to register with the authorities and what contributions and benefits to expect.

Luxembourg social security is centrally managed by the Centre Commun de la Sécurité Sociale - CCSS.

CCSS
At: 125, route d'Esch, L-1471 Luxembourg
Tel: 40 14 1-1
Fax: 40 44 81
Open: Monday to Friday from 08:00-16:00
e-mail
Website (in French)

Contributions to Social Security

Social security contributions are paid by both the employer and the employee. The total rate is approximately 25 percent of gross salary, and cannot exceed five times the minimum wage (salaire social minimum). Self-employed workers pay their own contributions. Pensioners do not pay social security contributions.

Special status for domestic help

A special social security status exists for people employed by a family, whether full time or part time, for example cleaners or baby sitters. Families receive a tax rebate, up to a maximum amount per year if they legally employ personnel. Employees are entitled to benefits in the event of illness, accident or pregnancy, as well as annual paid leave. They also contribute towards their retirement pension. The procedure for registering private employees is simple and does not require the use of an accountant.

For a comprehensive brochure (in French or German): Click here

Healthcare in Luxembourg

Healthcare is covered by one of the Health Offices (Caisses des Maladie) of the Caisse Nationale de Santé. Employees are generally affiliated to the Private Employees Health Office (Caisse de Maladie des Employés Privés). Employers register their employee within eight days of starting work. Once the employer has registered the employee, a form is sent to the employee by the CCSS requesting details of all family members and dependants so that they can be included on the social security insurance. Once the form has been returned to the CCSS, a social security card (Carte de Sécurité Sociale) is issued to the insured and each dependant by post.

Luxembourg, EU and non-EU citizens have the same rights regarding health care. However, employees who work across the border (cross border workers) in another EU member state, may have specific status.

Social security card

The social security card (Carte de Sécurité Sociale) indicates the name and identification number (numéro matricule) on one side and is valid for all medical treatment and prescriptions within Luxembourg. The other side of the card is the European Health Insurance Card, used if medical assistance is required during a stay in an EU member state.

The card is usually required for medical visits and prescriptions. When visiting a new doctor, the social security card will be requested. It is not necessary to register with a specific doctor or dentist. When visiting a doctor, pharmacy or other health professional, the bill is paid in full by the insured person. The insured person then sends a claim form to the Caisse de Maladie and is reimbursed a percentage of the bill. In most cases visits to a health professional are reimbursed 80 percent of the amount paid. It is not necessary to get a referral from a GP before seeing a medical specialist. The amount reimbursed for medicines depends on the type of medication and is between 0 and 100 percent.

See AngloINFO INFOrmation Page European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
To apply for a card online: Click here (in French)
For contact details of regional Health Offices: Click here (in French)

Mutuelles

Luxembourg residents registered with the CCSS may also take out a top-up insurance, mutuelle, which covers some of the costs not reimbursed by social security. This system is managed by the Caisse Médico Chirurgicale Mutualiste (CMCM) and includes various mutuelles usually specialised by work type.

Caisse Medico-Chirurgicale Mutualiste
At: 49, rue de Strasbourg, Luxembourg-Gare
Tel: 49 94 45-1
Fax: 49 94 45 - 229 (new members) or 48 25 81 (benefits)
Website (in French)
Open: Monday to Friday from 09:00-11:45 and 13:00-17:00

Social Security Benefits in Luxembourg

A number of benefits are available to Luxembourg residents and their families, who have made contributions to a social security fund.

Sickness benefits

Sickness benefits for temporary work incapacity are paid by the National Health Office (Caisse Nationale de Santé).

Employees should declare any sickness leave to their employer immediately, even if it is a half day. The employee must provide a medical certificate if they are absent for more than two days.

To benefit from sickness insurance, the employee must obtain a temporary work incapacity form (constat médical d’incapacité de travail) from a doctor. This includes the beginning and end dates of the temporary work incapacity and the date the form was filled in. The first sheet of the form must be sent to the employer, the second sheet to the Caisse Nationale de Santé. The form must be sent within three days of the beginning of the illness.

The amount paid is calculated according to the salary received over the last 12 months, but cannot exceed the equivalent of five times the minimum wage.

Maternity benefits

In order to benefit from any maternity allowances the mother-to-be must be resident in Luxembourg and in most cases should have worked at least six months prior to the pregnancy.

Pregnant women are entitled to eight weeks optional paid leave before the birth and eight weeks compulsory paid leave after the birth. This can be extended to 12 weeks in cases of premature births, multiple births or if the mother is breast feeding. At the end of this period, she should be re-integrated at an equivalent position for at least the same salary. Mothers who adopt are also entitled to 8 to 12 weeks paid maternity leave.

The benefit is paid by the Caisse de Maladie and cannot exceed five times the minimum wage. Pregnant women should send a medical certificate to the Caisse de Maladie in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy in order to receive maternity benefits.

To calculate online the maternity leave entitlement: Click here (in French)

Child benefits

Following the birth a number of allowances are available:

Family allowance (allocation familiale): Monthly payment based on the number of children in the family and the age of each child. Family allowance may also be affected by disability.
Education allowance (allocation d'éducation): Monthly allowance paid from the end of the maternity leave, if the parent decides to stop work completely to raise their child(ren)
For comprehensive information on child benefits See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Bringing Up Toddlers in Luxembourg

Unemployment benefits

In order to qualify for any unemployment benefits the person must be resident in Luxembourg. Cross border workers (travailleurs frontaliers) who have worked in Luxembourg but live abroad should apply for benefits in their place of residence.

A person who has worked at least 16 hours a week for at least 26 weeks within the last 12 months may receive unemployment benefits. The length of time for which payments are made will depend on the amount of time worked within the last 12 months. Applicants must file for benefits at their local Employment Office (Administration de l'Emploi - ADEM).

Job seekers eligible for unemployment benefits must apply for these within 15 days following the end of an employment contract and after registration at the employment office has been carried out. They will need to provide the following documents to the employment office:

Proof of registration with the employment office (carte de présentation)
Work contract / letter of dismissal
See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Unemployment Benefits and Job Seeking in Luxembourg

Disability benefits

A supplementary allowance for disabled children (Allocation supplémentaire pour enfant handicapé) is available in order to cover the costs related to the child's disability. Disabled residents of Luxembourg, who are unable to find work, or whose disability does not allow them to work may be entitled to a Severely Disabled Persons Income (Revenu pour personne gravement handicapée).

See the AngloINFO INFOrmation Page, Notes for the Disabled in Luxembourg

Retirement benefits

The overseeing body for pensions in Luxembourg is the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Pension (CNAP). Employees are entitled to a retirement pension after a minimum of 120 months of contributions. The legal retirement age is 65, or from age 57 if the employee has contributed for 480 months.

Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Pension
Postal Address: CNAP, L-2096 Luxembourg
Tel: 22 41 41-1
Fax: 22 41 41-6443
e-mail
Website (in French)

The insured person must apply for their retirement pension at least two months before their retirement date. The form must be sent to the CNAP.

To download the pension application form: Click here (PDF in French)
For comprehensive information on pensions from the Luxembourg Citizens' portal: Click here (in French)

Death benefits

In the event of death, the family of the deceased contributor can receive a survivor's pension (pension de survie). Applications can be filed at the National Pensions office (Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Pension). To be entitled to the benefit, the deceased person must have been insured for at least 12 months.

To download the form: Click here (PDF in French)

In the event of the death of a person insured by Luxembourg Social Security (or a stillborn child) it is possible to claim a small state benefit in the form of a funeral allowance (indemnité funéraire). This is to cover burial costs, the coffin, flowers, transportation, cremation or burial, obituary, municipal taxes and expenses. The benefit is reduced to 20 percent of the funeral allowance in the event of the death of a still born child and 50 percent of the allowance for children under six. These benefits will be paid directly to the funeral home, with any leftover money paid to survivors who lived with the deceased. The benefits are capped and reviewed on a yearly basis.