Luxembourg (LU)

Luxembourg is a tiny but remarkably prosperous constitutional monarchy at the heart of Europe — a founding member of both the EU and NATO — celebrated as the world's most productive economy per capita, the EU's premier financial centre, and home to the highest minimum wage on the continent.

Capital: Luxembourg City

Region: Europe

Language: Luxembourgish

Currency: EUR (€)

Cost of living: Very expensive (index 90)

Emergency: 112

Education & Schools

Schools, universities, and language courses in Luxembourg.

👶 Childcare & Kindergarten

Crèche (Nursery) €400–1,200/month depending on income (income-tested subsidy)

Age: 3 months – 3 years

Subsidy available

Luxembourg's chèque-service accueil (CSA) system subsidises childcare costs for all children of Luxembourg residents. The state pays the bulk of the cost; parents pay a parental contribution based on income. Families earning the minimum wage may pay as little as €50–100/month. The subsidy is automatic for registered childcare facilities.

Contact registered crèches directly and ask to be placed on the waiting list. Once a place is available, fill in the CSA forms at guichet.lu to activate the subsidy. The childcare facility handles much of the administrative process.

⏱️ Demand for crèche places in Luxembourg City far exceeds supply. Register on multiple waiting lists as soon as pregnancy is confirmed — 6–12 month waiting lists are common. The commune website lists all registered childcare providers (prestataires d'accueil).

Maison relais / Foyer de jour (After-school care) Income-tested via CSA — from approximately €100–600/month

Age: 4–12 years (school-age children)

Subsidy available

Same CSA (chèque-service accueil) subsidy system applies. After-school care (maison relais) provides meals and supervision from after school until parents' working hours end. Available throughout Luxembourg via commune or private providers.

Register via your commune or at the maison relais directly. CSA subsidy activated at guichet.lu. Extremely popular — register well in advance of your child starting school.

Précoce (Early preschool) Free (part of public education system)

Age: 3–4 years

Enrolment via your commune (section enseignement). Priority for children with language learning needs. Part of the public school system — free of charge.

🏫 Schools

École fondamentale (public primary school) Free

École fondamentale

Ages: 4–12 years (cycle 1–4) · Language: Luxembourgish for first 2 years (cycle 1), then German as main instruction language with French introduced (cycle 2 onwards). English introduced from cycle 3 in most schools.

Enrolment is automatic through your commune. Contact the commune administration (administration communale) with your child's birth certificate and proof of residence. Assignment to the local school district is automatic. Children with no Luxembourgish language background are often placed in Classe d'Accueil (welcome/integration class) first.

Luxembourg's trilingual public school system (Luxembourgish, German, French) is unique in Europe. Children who arrive without any of the three languages can struggle — many expat families send children to international schools for this reason. MENJE (Ministry of Education) offers integration support classes (classes d'accueil) for non-Luxembourgish-speaking children. The German instruction language in the early years surprises many French-speaking expats.

Lycée (public secondary school) Free

Lycée classique / Lycée technique

Ages: 12–19 years · Language: Mixed: French becomes dominant for academic subjects from class 8 onwards; German continues for some subjects; English is taught throughout. Lycée classique leads to university; Lycée technique to professional training.

Enrolment via MENJE (Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale). Placement after école fondamentale based on academic results and orientation cycle assessment. Contact the lycée directly or the commune for guidance on local schools.

Luxembourg has 10 public lycées and several specialised institutions. The European School system (Écoles Européennes) near Luxembourg City serves the children of EU institution employees — these are partly funded by the EU and follow a multilingual curriculum.

International Schools

Luxembourg has excellent international school provision, reflecting its unique international population. Key options: St. George's International School (British curriculum, Hamm — very popular with English-speaking expats), Fieldgen (French language, girls' school, Luxembourg City), International School of Luxembourg (ISL — IB curriculum, English medium, Kirchberg), British International School of Luxembourg, American International School, and several European schools for EU institution employees (Lux 1 and Lux 2 European Schools). Fees for private international schools: €10,000–25,000/year. Waiting lists at top schools are long — apply as early as possible, ideally before arrival.

University

Tuition fee

University of Luxembourg: €400/semester for EU students (approximately €800/year). Very affordable by European standards. Non-EU students: same rate (no distinction). Private institutions and professional programmes vary.

Semester fee

€400/semester for the first two semesters; €200/semester from the third semester onwards (University of Luxembourg 2026 rates). Includes access to university facilities and student union services. Note: public transport in Luxembourg is free nationally (no transport ticket required).

Student visa

EU students: no visa required. Non-EU students need a student titre de séjour. Apply at Direction de l'Immigration with admission letter, proof of financial means (minimum €800/month), health insurance, and accommodation. Process: 2–3 months.

Health insurance

Students registered at the University of Luxembourg are automatically affiliated with the CNS (Caisse Nationale de Santé) if they have resident status. EU students from other countries can use their EHIC for basic care. Non-EU students must have private health insurance until CNS affiliation is established.

Application process

Apply online at uni.lu. Main faculties: Law, Economics & Finance; Science, Technology & Medicine; Humanities, Education & Social Sciences. All three faculties offer programmes in multiple languages (including English, French, German). Application deadline typically in spring for autumn intake. No entrance examination for most programmes — selection based on secondary school results (baccalauréat, A-levels, etc.).

🗣️ Language Courses

Cours pour adultes — IFEN

Provider: IFEN (Institut de Formation de l'Éducation Nationale) · Duration: 1 academic year per level, evening classes · Levels: A1–C1 Luxembourgish; French and German courses also available

Free for qualifying residents (some fees for employed persons)

IFEN offers language courses specifically designed for adult newcomers to Luxembourg, taught in the evenings. Excellent for working adults. Courses are highly practical and cover everyday Luxembourgish, French, and German.

Sproochentest Lëtzebuergesch (B1 Luxembourgish test for citizenship) Mandatory

Provider: MENJE / official test centres · Duration: Test only — preparation through language courses · Levels: B1 (oral comprehension and oral expression)

Test fee: approximately €30–60

Required for Luxembourg citizenship application. The test assesses listening comprehension and spoken Luxembourgish at B1 level. No written component (Luxembourgish is primarily an oral language in official life). The oral component makes it challenging for many expats — conversational practice is essential.

ONI Integration courses

Provider: Office Luxembourgeois de l'Accueil et de l'Intégration (OLAI) · Duration: 200 hours (language) + civic integration module · Levels: A1–B1 French or Luxembourgish

Free (state-funded for eligible non-EU residents)

Free integration language courses for newly arrived non-EU residents. Civic knowledge component included. Not mandatory but highly recommended. Register at olai.public.lu.

Alliance Française Luxembourg

Provider: Alliance Française · Duration: Modular — 3 months per level typically · Levels: A1–C2 French, DELF/DALF preparation

Approximately €300–600 per module

For those wanting high-quality French language instruction. Particularly useful for expats from non-French-speaking backgrounds who need professional-level French for work in Luxembourg.

Goethe-Institut Luxembourg

Provider: Goethe-Institut · Duration: Modular · Levels: A1–C2 German, TestDaF/Goethe-Zertifikat

Approximately €300–700 per module

High-quality German language instruction with internationally recognised certification.

Premium Section

Education & Schools

Unlock the complete Education & Schools guide for Luxembourg — including every detail, document, tip and link you need.

Become a Supporter

Support the guide on Ko-fi · Unlocks every premium section, everywhere