Luxembourg Relocation Checklist

Phase 1 · 12–18 months out

Decide with real numbers

Take a scouting trip — you get 90 days visa-free per rolling 180 (the EES system has been counting your days since October 2025); include a winter visit Confirm your route with the Visas & Residency guide — Luxembourg has no retirement visa; the private-reasons permit is discretionary for US/CA income Book a consultation with a Luxembourg immigration lawyer to assess your file before you spend on anything else Build a budget from the Cost of Living data and the housing guide — housing is the whole game here Talk to a cross-border tax adviser before triggering anything — pensions, IRAs, and (for Canadians) departure tax all have traps Start French now; note Luxembourgish (A2 spoken / B1 listening) is only needed if you want citizenship at year 5

Phase 2 · 6–12 months out

Build the paper foundation

Secure housing in Luxembourg — a lease or deed is required in the application file itself (Housing guide) Buy comprehensive health insurance valid in Luxembourg — also required at application stage (Healthcare guide) Request your FBI (US) or RCMP (Canada) criminal record check — these expire, so time it against your filing date Assemble income evidence: pension certificates, award letters, statements — and let your lawyer frame the own-resources argument Get marital/family status documents, plus sworn translations for anything not in English, French or German If using a representative: sign the power of attorney with the handwritten "bon pour procuration"

Phase 3 · 3–6 months out

Apply — from home, not from Luxembourg

File the temporary authorisation-to-stay application with the General Department of Immigration (or via a Luxembourg embassy) — from your country of residence Diarise the 3-month mark: the ministry normally answers within 3 months, and silence at 3 months means rejection While you wait: plan the physical move — pets need an ISO microchip, rabies shot ≥21 days before travel, and an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA-APHIS or CFIA On approval: you have 90 days to enter. Book travel — no visa needed for US/Canadian passports, just carry the authorisation

Phase 4 · Arrival & first 90 days

Become a resident, properly

Declare your arrival at your commune within 3 days — the stamped copy is your right of residence until the card arrives Complete the medical check (doctor's exam + TB screening) as soon as possible Apply for the residence permit — EUR 80 fee to the Ministry of Home Affairs; the card runs up to 3 years Enrol with the CCSS for voluntary CNS health insurance (€151.41/month, 2026) — reimbursements start after 3 months, so keep private cover bridging the gap (Healthcare guide) Start the driving-licence exchange at the SNCA (€30 + medical certificate) — the deadline is 1 year, but do it in month one (Living guide) Open a Luxembourg bank account and set up utilities; register on MyGuichet.lu for online admin Mark year 5 in the calendar: EU long-term residence — and citizenship eligibility, if the Sproochentest is in your plans

The order matters more here than in most countries — housing and health insurance come before the application, not after, and the ministry returns incomplete files. The newsletter below is how we tell you when this page changes.

The whole move,
in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Apply — from home, not from Luxembourg

Become a resident, properly

Need a relocation specialist?

The whole move,in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Apply — from home, not from Luxembourg

Become a resident, properly

Need a relocation specialist?

This checklist updates. So should you.

The whole move,
in order.