Country guide

Luxembourg,
decoded.

An apartment costs an average €8,094/m² — Europe's most expensive market. Public transport is free nationwide. Citizenship takes 5 years. And there is no retirement visa. Here's the whole picture — from official sources, checked and dated.

Luxembourg quick facts · verified 9 July 2026
690,959Population, of which 46.6% are foreign nationals — 180 nationalities (STATEC, 1 Jan 2026)
€2,704/mo2026 minimum social wage — the benchmark for the own-resources residence route
€8,094/m²Average apartment price nationally, Q1 2025 (Luxembourg City: ~€12,106) — STATEC
€0All public transport — free nationwide since 29 Feb 2020, a world first
17%Standard VAT — the lowest in the EU (2026)
85.3 / 81.2Life expectancy, women / men (STATEC 2024)
98%Of residents speak French; 80% speak English (Ministry of Education study)
5 yrsLegal residence required for citizenship — plus a Luxembourgish language test
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Three things that surprise Americans and Canadians

There is no retirement visa. The residence route for people who don't work here — the permit for private reasons — expressly benchmarks "own resources" to income from an EU/Schengen professional activity or a pension paid by an EU/Schengen social security institution. US Social Security, CPP and OAS are not on that list. Applications built on North American income sit in the ministry's discretion. We say this plainly because most sites don't.
Housing is Europe's most expensive — even after a correction. Prices fell 9.1% in 2023 and 5.2% in 2024, then turned up 1.6% in 2025 (STATEC). The national average apartment is still €8,094/m² (Q1 2025) and about €12,106/m² in the capital. Budget accordingly, and read the housing guide before the plane ticket.
Citizenship takes 5 years — but in Luxembourgish. Naturalisation needs 5 years' legal residence, a civics course, and the Sproochentest: A2 spoken / B1 listening in Luxembourgish — a language 77% of residents speak but few foreigners learn. Dual citizenship is permitted.
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