Luxembourg: all programs

Luxembourg at a glance

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the European Union's smallest countries, between Belgium, Germany and France, with about 680,000 residents, almost half of them foreigners. The capital is Luxembourg City. The official languages are Luxembourgish, French and German, and finance and IT work in English. The currency is the euro, and the country is in the Schengen area and a founding member of the European Union.

The economy rests on finance, above all investment funds, European Union institutions, steel, satellite communications and logistics. By income per person Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in the world, and more than 200,000 residents of neighbouring countries commute here every day.

Who the move suits

• finance, legal, IT and audit professionals with a contract from a Luxembourg company;
• highly paid specialists on the EU Blue Card;
• entrepreneurs and self-employed people with a project for the local market;
• families who value safety, multilingual schools and a path to European Union citizenship after 5 years.

It is harder for those counting on low personal taxes and cheap housing: rent is among the highest in the European Union.

Entry rules

Citizens of countries without a visa waiver need a Schengen visa for a trip; since November 2025, for example, European Union countries have mostly issued single-entry visas to Russian citizens. For almost all grounds, Luxembourg residence is requested before entry while living in another country, and only after approval is a visa for the move issued.

The first 30 days in the country

1. Declaration of arrival. Within 3 days of entry you register with the commune where you live. You are then assigned an identification number for tax and social security.
2. Medical check and card. You have a medical examination and, within 3 months of arrival, apply for the residence permit card. The fee is about $95.
3. Housing. The card requires proof of suitable accommodation, so the lease is signed before filing.
4. Account. The bank asks for a lease or employment contract and, after commune registration, the identification number. Your salary reaches a Luxembourg account from the first month if you open it straight away.
5. Insurance. The employer registers the employee with social security and withholds contributions from the salary.
6. Transport. No pass is needed: second-class trains, trams and buses are free.

Budget for the first 3 months

For rent and the fee alone, one person needs from $5,700 for three months; a family needs more. Housing in neighbouring France, Belgium and Germany is cheaper, but taxes and insurance then change. A manager will do the full calculation for your family in the chat.

Residence options

• Employment - a contract with a Luxembourg employer.
• EU Blue Card - since 3 March 2026 a salary from $74,000 a year, with no lower threshold for shortage occupations.
• Self-employment and business - with a business plan and a business permit.
• Investor - from $570,000 in a Luxembourg business, property excluded, and in 2025 the government proposed abolishing this category.
• Study, family and private reasons - with sufficient income.

After 5 years of lawful residence any of these statuses can be exchanged for European Union long-term resident status; its card is issued for 5 years. Citizenship comes after 5 years of legal residence, the last year continuous, with a Luxembourgish language exam and a 24-hour civic course, and the procedure is free. Dual citizenship has been allowed since 2009. More on the Luxembourg citizenship page. We choose the basis and prepare the documents.

Taxes

Income up to $15,000 a year is untaxed, then rates rise from 8% to 42%, plus an employment fund surcharge of 7%, or 9% on income above $170,000, up to 45.78% in total. Social contributions on salary are about 12.9%. Corporate tax in the capital with all surcharges is 23.87%, and VAT is 17%, the lowest standard rate in the European Union. You become a tax resident with a home you actually use or after 6 consecutive months of stay. More in taxes in Luxembourg.

Cost of living

Since 1 March 2020 second-class trains, trams and buses have been free for everyone. Many people working in Luxembourg live in neighbouring France, Belgium and Germany, where housing is cheaper. Dollar amounts are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 6 October 2026 and rounded up.

Property for foreigners

There are no nationality restrictions. A purchase carries a 6% registration duty and a 1% transcription duty, 7% of the price in total, and for new builds the duty applies only to the land share, with VAT charged on construction. Buyers of a home to live in reduce the duty by a tax credit of up to $46,000 per buyer. A purchase does not grant residence. We find the property and calculate the duties and credit.

Banks

More than a hundred banks operate in Luxembourg, many of them managing the wealth of foreign clients. What you can open depends on your link to the country:

• You live or work in Luxembourg: a current account, card, mortgage. The bank looks at your lease or employment contract and commune registration.
• You live lawfully in another European Union country: a basic account, which five designated banks must open if you have no other account in Luxembourg. It lets you receive and send transfers, pay by card and withdraw cash.
• You live outside the European Union: private banking and wealth management. Each bank sets its own threshold; the size of assets, the source of wealth and the country of citizenship decide.

The bank checks your passport, address, tax residence and the origin of capital, and reports foreigners' account details to the tax authority of their country.

A European Union restriction applies to nationals and residents of Russia and Belarus: without citizenship or a residence permit of a European Union or EEA country or Switzerland, a bank may not hold more than $120,000 per client. We help open a personal account.

Companies and daily life

Luxembourg is strong in corporate and fund structures, and companies are incorporated through a notary. The climate is temperate: cool summers and mild, damp winters. We help with company registration and a business account.