Luxembourg
Area: 2,586 km²
Residents: 602,005 (January 1st, 2018)
Population density: 233 E / km²
Form of Government: Monarchy
System of Government: Parliamentary democracy
Neighboring countries: Belgium, France, Germany
Capital: Luxembourg National
language: Luxembourgish (national language), German, French
Currency: Euro
Telephone Area code: +352
Time zone: UTC + 1
In 2020, 673 Germans officially emigrated to Luxembourg and 631 came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 7,898 Germans officially emigrated to Luxembourg and 6,266 moved back to Germany. In 2020 there were officially 12,849 Germans living in Luxembourg.
48% of the Luxembourg population are foreigners. Most of the immigrants come from Portugal (7.6%), France (3.6%), Italy (3.3%), Belgium (2.2%) and Germany. Smaller groups of immigrants come, for example, from Great Britain, Serbia, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Greece, Russia and Turkey. But there are also a large number of cross-border commuters who only work here.
The mother tongue of most Luxembourgers is Luxembourgish (“Lëtzebuergesch”), which is related to the dialects of the Central German-speaking area, but has a high proportion of French loanwords. French and German are also official languages and are spoken to a greater or lesser extent in different areas. The German Sign Language (DGS) is predominantly used as the sign language.
This Western European country is characterized by forests, low mountain ranges and river valleys. Luxembourg City is a very important financial center within the EU. Luxembourg has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. The economic situation is one of the best. So it is not surprising that there are many people who are considering immigrating to Luxembourg.
General travel regulations (up to the corona pandemic)
As an EU citizen, everyone in Luxembourg has the right to a residence permit if they want to work and can show that they have a job. The same applies to self-employment. For all those who want to take their car to Luxembourg and register, we have useful information HERE.
Immigration, permanent residence, residence permit
Anyone wishing to become a resident in Luxembourg must register with the relevant municipal administration within eight working days of arrival. For permanent employment (longer than 3 months) you have to apply for a “Carte de séjour de ressortissant de l’Union Européene” or “Openhaltsgeneemendung” at the responsible residents’ registration office (Bureau de la population or police des étrangers). For all EU citizens with proof of a job, this is purely a matter of form.
After 5 years of uninterrupted residence, a permanent residence certificate can be applied for.
The application must be submitted to the Immigration Office (Direction de l’immigration) of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes). For this purpose, a copy of the valid identity card or passport must be presented. The period of validity of the certificate is unlimited.
Labor market
There are a lot of commuters in Luxembourg who work here but do not live in the small country. Local banks, insurance companies and restaurants prefer to use people from the border region to work. For example, the German banks prefer Germans, while the French catering industry prefers to employ French.
According to countryvv, great job opportunities for emigrants or cross-border commuters exist mainly in the hotel, healthcare and IT industries. The 40 hour week applies.
If you are a German who would like to move to Luxembourg or at least work here, you should definitely be able to speak French. English is a prerequisite for banks and other international companies. Applications must be in English or in the national language. As soon as you take up a job, you are subject to the local social security system.
Cost of Living (June 2021)
The cost of living is around 35% higher than in Germany. Rent is almost twice as expensive as in Germany. For this, the earnings are correspondingly better.
You would need around € 5,176.60 in Luxembourg to maintain the same standard of living that you could have in Berlin with € 3,700.00 (assuming you rent in the cities).
- Consumer prices in Luxembourg are 23.40% higher than in Berlin (without rent)
- Consumer prices in Luxembourg are 39.91% higher than in Berlin (including rent)
- Rental prices in Luxembourg are 75.88% higher than in Berlin
- Restaurant prices in Luxembourg are 49.59% higher than in Berlin
- Food prices in Luxembourg are 39.78% higher than in Berlin
- Local purchasing power in Luxembourg is 6.59% higher than in Berlin
Average cost of living in Luxembourg (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Restaurant | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Food, price w. restaurant | 18.00 | 12.00-32.00 |
| Middle class, 3 courses for 2 people. | 70.00 | 50.00 – 150.00 |
| Local beer, 0.5 l | 5.00 | 4.00 – 7.00 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 l | 5.00 | 3.50-9.00 |
| cappuccino | 3.39 | 2.00 – 5.00 |
| Coca / Pepsi (0.33 l) | 2.83 | 2.20-4.00 |
| Water (0.33 l) | 2.74 | 2.50-4.00 |
| Food | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Milk (1 L) | 1.30 | 0.65 – 1.65 |
| White bread (500g) | 2.47 | 1.50-3.50 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 1.69 | 1.00-2.40 |
| Eggs (12) | 3.15 | 1.66-5.99 |
| Local cheese (1kg) | 17.57 | 10.00-25.00 |
| Chicken breast fillet (1kg) | 11.12 | 6.33-16.00 |
| Beef (1kg) or other red meat | 20.29 | 15.00-23.00 |
| Apples (1kg) | 2.58 | 1.50-3.00 |
| Bananas (1kg) | 1.76 | 1.05-3.00 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 2.57 | 1.00-3.00 |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | 2.62 | 0.90-4.00 |
| Potatoes (1kg) | 2.00 | 1.00 – 2.50 |
| Onions (1kg) | 2.54 | 1.50-4.00 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.22 | 1.00-1.90 |
| Water (1.5 l) | 0.91 | 0.42-2.00 |
| Bottle of wine (middle class) | 10.00 | 7.00-15.00 |
| Local beer (0.5 l) | 2.44 | 1.40-3.00 |
| Imported beer (0.33 l) | 2.39 | 1.00-4.00 |
Average costs for local transport, utilities, clothing, leisure, education in Luxembourg (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Mode of Transport | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| One-time ticket | 1.50 | 0.00 – 2.00 |
| Monthly pass | 25.00 | 25.00 – 50.00 |
| Taxi base amount | 3.00 | 3.00 – 5.00 |
| Taxi 1 km | 3.00 | 3.00 – 5.00 |
| Ancillary housing costs | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| for 85 sqm apartment (electricity, water, garbage, etc. | 231.19 | 182.14-318.75 |
| 1 minute prepaid mobile tariff | 0.20 | 0.12-0.30 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or more, unlimited data, cable / ADSL) | 52.82 | 45.00 – 75.00 |
| Clothes, shoes | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 80.63 | 45.00-120.00 |
| Summer dress (Zara, H&M,… | 37.50 | 24.00 – 50.00 |
| Nike sports shoes, middle class | 92.22 | 50.00-120.00 |
| Leather business shoes | 140.71 | 90.00-300.00 |
| leisure time | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Fitness center, month / adult | 47.90 | 23.00 – 85.00 |
| Tennis, 1 hour on weekends | 25.00 | 17.00-30.00 |
| a movie ticket | 11.55 | 10.00-15.00 |
| training | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Preschool / Kindergarten, private, whole day, monthly per child | 1,125.00 | 500.00 – 2,200.00 |
| International primary school per year and child | 15,750.00 | 13,000.00 – 20,000.00 |
Average rental prices / purchase and salaries of Luxembourg (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Monthly rental price | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in the city center | 1,563.04 | 1,300.00 – 1,900.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) outside the center | 1,265.22 | 1,100.00 – 1,600.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in the city center | 3,005.56 | 2,500.00 – 4,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) outside the center | 2,435.29 | 2,000.00-3,000.00 |
| Purchase price of apartments | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Price per square meter for an apartment in the city – purchase | 11,250.64 | 9,500.00 – 15,000.00 |
| Price per square meter – apartment outside the center – purchase | 8,222.05 | 6,300.00 – 11,000.00 |
| wages | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Average monthly salary (after taxes) | 3,859.22 | – |
Emigration and living in Luxembourg – conclusion
Luxembourg is a very good and nearby option for emigrating or commuting for job seekers. The work is paid very well and you enjoy a high standard of living. However, you should be able to speak French or, in some jobs, English. Further advantages: Free of nuclear power, German language.
