How to send money to Luxembourg in 2026: large capital, gifts and buying a flat
In 2026 Luxembourg receives instant euro payments from the European Union in up to 10 seconds, and transfers from other countries in euros, dollars or francs in 1-3 business days. The bank checks a payment under $10,000 by name and purpose with no papers; a larger sum is backed by a statement, a donor's letter or an income certificate.
In short
- An instant euro transfer from the EU arrives in seconds, from other countries in 1-3 business days.
- Home sale proceeds and inheritance are protected up to $2.8 million (€2.5 million) for 12 months.
- A cash gift by transfer without a notary carries no duty.
- Duties on buying a home are 7%, with a deduction for your own flat of up to $45,000 (€40,000) per buyer.
- A private bank checks a new client in 2-8 weeks.
In detail
What works for sending money to Luxembourg on 8 October 2026
All 4 routes below were checked on 8 October 2026, and each one ends with the money credited to a Luxembourg account. Dollar amounts use the European Central Bank rate of 7 October 2026: $1.1177 per euro. The first two routes suit everyday sums, and the last one suits capital.
| Route | Now | Currency | Time | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant euro transfer from an EU country | works around the clock | euros | up to 10 seconds | the 20-character account number and the holder's name as the bank has it |
| Standard euro transfer | works | euros | next business day | account number, name, payment purpose |
| Transfer from a country outside the EU | works | euros, dollars, francs and other account currencies | 1-3 business days | the recipient bank's code, the purpose and, for a large sum, a document on the source of the money |
| Transfer to a private bank account | works after the client check | any currency of a multi-currency account | 1-2 business days after the account opens | a file on the source of the capital, a 2-8 week check |
For small sums the first two rows are enough, while capital almost always goes through a private bank. We will suggest the best way to send your particular sum: a manager will check the route with the sending bank before the first payment.
Retail or private bank in Luxembourg: where the transfer arrives
A Luxembourg account number has 20 characters: the country code, 2 check digits, a 3-digit bank code and 13 characters for the account itself. Retail banks open one for people who live or work in the country, while private banks work with clients from all over the world but look at the sum and the history of the capital.
At a private bank the check takes 2-8 weeks, and the entry threshold starts at several hundred thousand euros. The bank asks you to describe where the capital comes from, what the client does and why they want an account in Luxembourg in particular.
A private bank account is kept in several currencies at once: dollars or francs arrive without exchange, and only the sum for living costs or a purchase is converted into euros. The management fee depends on the size of the capital and the bank, and a manager will name it before the documents are submitted.
If you are moving, it is easier to open the account before the first large transfer: a residence permit, a lease and an employment contract in the country shorten the check. How to get the right to live in the country is described on the Luxembourg residence permit page, and residents' taxes on the taxes in Luxembourg page.
Money from a home sale: protection up to $2.8 million for 12 months
Standard deposit protection in Luxembourg is $120,000 (€100,000) per person in each bank. Above that, the law separately protects temporarily high balances: money from selling a home, an inheritance, payments on retirement, divorce or dismissal, and insurance payouts are covered up to $2.8 million (€2.5 million) for 12 months after crediting.
Example: a family sold a house in another country for $1,100,000 (€900,000) and moved the whole sum to one Luxembourg account to buy a flat six months later. The whole sum is protected until the purchase if the bank has received the sale contract and a statement showing the money coming in. After 12 months it is better to split a balance above €100,000 between banks or move it to an investment account.
Is the bank asking where the money comes from? A manager will tell you which home sale papers a Luxembourg bank will accept. The general rules are collected in moving home sale proceeds abroad and proof of source of funds.
We will help you send money to Luxembourg
Mistakes cost more than fees: a large sum without a file on the source of the capital, which makes a private bank drag out the check for weeks, home sale money kept in one account beyond the 12 months of protection, a flat given as a gift without working out the duty. We will help you avoid them: we will choose a route for your sum, gather the documents and carry out the transfer through licensed partners through to crediting.
Details and terms are with a manager in the chat: the cost depends on the sum, the sending country and the purpose of the transfer.
A cash gift in Luxembourg: when you need a notary
A cash gift made by transfer to an account without a notarial deed carries no registration duty: parents send their son $230,000 (€200,000), write in the purpose that it is a gift, and there is no duty. The duty appears when the gift is made before a notary, and for a flat that is mandatory.
Under a notarial deed the rates depend on kinship: 1.8% and up for children and grandchildren, 4.8% for a spouse or a partner after 3 years together, 6% for a brother or sister, 8.4% for an uncle, aunt, nephew or niece, and 14.4% for an unrelated person. When a flat in Luxembourg is given, 1% for registration in the land register is added to the duty.
A notarial deed for money is chosen when the gift is meant to be fixed for a future division of an inheritance or is given on a condition, for example to buy a home. Then the duty is charged on the whole sum: a gift of €200,000 to a son by deed costs $4,100 (€3,600).
A flat in Luxembourg: 7% in duties and a deduction up to $45,000
When buying a home you pay 7% of the price: 6% registration duty and 1% for registration in the land register. A buyer who will live in the flat themselves gets a deduction from these duties of up to $45,000 (€40,000), a couple's deduction doubles, and the minimum payment is €100 in any case.
Luxembourg has no separate purchase permit for non-residents: the rules are the same for all buyers. The deduction goes to whoever makes the flat their main home, so when buying to let, the duties are paid in full.
Example: a couple buys a flat in Esch-sur-Alzette for $790,000 (€700,000) to live in. The duties would be €49,000 and the couple's deduction is €80,000, so €100 remains to be paid. Without the deduction, for example when buying to let, the couple would pay the full $55,000 (€49,000).
The buyer usually transfers the deposit under the preliminary contract and the rest of the price to the notary's account, and the seller receives the money after the deed is signed. Ownership passes to the buyer when the deed is recorded at the mortgage registry. The transfer terms for paying for a flat through a notary can be checked with a manager in advance, together with choosing a property on the property in Luxembourg page.
How much to send and what the bank will look at: three tiers
- Up to $10,000. The bank matches the recipient's name with the account number and checks the payment purpose; it usually does not ask for documents.
- $10,000-100,000. The bank asks for the sender's account statement and a document matching the purpose: a contract, a donor's letter, an income certificate.
- From $100,000. A private bank examines the source of all the capital, not of a single payment: the sale of a business, an inheritance, income over years of work. Money above €100,000 is best kept in different banks or in an investment account.
On interest paid to Luxembourg residents the bank withholds a 20% final tax if the interest exceeds $280 (€250) a year, while for non-residents no tax is withheld at source. At the last tier capital is moved in parts according to a plan, and for such sums there is a separate capital relocation page; the general rules for large transfers are in sending large sums abroad.
From Luxembourg onward: where the money goes next
A Luxembourg account often serves as a base for further plans: from it money moves across the EU in seconds, and to Switzerland in 1 business day. Many of the country's workers live in France, Belgium or Germany and on payday send part of their money to their account at home; within the euro area this takes seconds. Most often money goes on to:
- Germany: work in the border states and buying a home through a notary.
- France: a house in the south and children's studies.
- Portugal: the next move and a residence permit.
- Monaco: a deposit for residence and a flat by the sea.
Sending money to neighbouring countries
- How to send money to Germany: to a private person, to family and for a home
- How to send money to France: an account, a home and studies
- How to send money to Switzerland: francs and large capital
- How to send money to Liechtenstein: francs, the bank's threshold and a family foundation
- How to send money to the Netherlands: euros in 10 seconds from the EU
- How to send money to Belgium: a short account number and a deposit to the notary
All legal routes for moving capital are on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
Do you pay duty in Luxembourg on money parents gave as a gift by transfer?
How much from a home sale does a Luxembourg bank protect?
How much in duties does a flat buyer pay in Luxembourg?
Is a flat in Luxembourg paid for through the notary's account?
Does a Luxembourg bank withhold tax on deposit interest?
How long does a private bank in Luxembourg take to check a new client?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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