Getting insured in Luxembourg: the complete guide for new arrivals

Arriving in Luxembourg: what the system expects from you

Luxembourg combines a highly protective public social security system, the National Health Fund (CNS) reimburses most routine care, with a set of private insurance policies: some legally required (motor liability), some demanded in practice (home insurance when renting), and some simply essential for peace of mind. The good news: everything falls into place within a few weeks, provided you tackle things in the right order. That is exactly what this guide is for.

Week 1: your health cover

As soon as you start working in Luxembourg, your employer registers you with the Joint Social Security Centre: you receive your national ID number (matricule) and are automatically affiliated to the CNS (self-employed workers register themselves). The CNS reimburses roughly 80 to 88% of routine medical costs.

That leaves 12 to 20% for you to pay, and above all the areas the CNS barely covers: advanced dental care, optical, a private hospital room, alternative medicine. That is what complementary health insurance is for (CMCM, DKV, Foyer, AXA…). Two newcomer reflexes: subscribe early, as some benefits carry waiting periods of several months, and check whether your employer offers a group health plan, common in finance and the European institutions.

Before signing a lease: home insurance

No law obliges tenants to take out home insurance; in practice, virtually every landlord and agency requires an insurance certificate before handing over the keys. A multi-risk home policy covers fire, water damage, theft and your liability towards the owner as a tenant, and usually includes private liability cover for the whole family. The certificate is issued immediately after subscribing. To pick the right formula, our home insurance comparison reviews Foyer, LALUX, AXA and Baloise guarantee by guarantee. Buying instead? The building is often insured by the co-ownership, but your contents and your liability still need cover.

Your car: registration and insurance

Motor third-party liability is the only insurance that is legally compulsory for everyone. If you import your vehicle, it will need to be registered in Luxembourg with the SNCA (the famous yellow plates), and for that, insured with an insurer active in Luxembourg. Good to know: your foreign driving history is not lost. Ask your previous insurer for a claims history statement: claim-free years translate directly into a lower premium. Beyond liability, partial or full CASCO (omnium) is chosen according to the age and value of your vehicle.

Cross-border commuter rather than resident?

If you work in Luxembourg but live in France, Belgium or Germany, you are affiliated to the CNS through your job and treated in your country of residence via the S1 form, a well-oiled European mechanism, but full of subtleties: complementary cover to be taken out on the right side of the border, vehicle to be registered in your country of residence, coordination of family benefits. We dedicate a full page to it: cross-border & expat insurance.

The classic blind spot: private liability

Your child breaks a classmate’s glasses, your dog knocks over a cyclist, a leak in your flat damages the apartment below: you are liable for damage caused to others, with no legal cap. Private liability is the cheapest and most important contract of your relocation. Just check whether your home policy already includes it before subscribing separately.

The tax bonus of your first return

Luxembourg rewards provident policyholders, including those who arrive mid-year:

• Article 111: up to €672 per year and per household member of deductible insurance premiums (liability, complementary health, outstanding-balance insurance…). A family of four deducts up to €2,688 per year.
• Article 111bis: up to €4,500 per year for a pension-savings contract. Our 2026 111bis ceiling guide details the mechanism and the real tax saving.

Keep the annual certificates sent by your insurers: they are attached to your tax return.

The new arrival’s checklist

• Before departure: request your motor claims history statement and gather the details of your current policies.
• Week 1: matricule and CNS affiliation via your employer; complementary health quote (mind the waiting periods).
• Before signing the lease: take out multi-risk home insurance and hand the certificate to the landlord.
• First month: SNCA registration and Luxembourg car insurance if you import a vehicle; check your private liability cover.
• Before 31 December: set up the deductible contracts (articles 111 and 111bis) for your arrival year’s tax return.