Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In Luxembourg

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by the CNS when you settle in Luxembourg

If you work in Luxembourg, your employer declares you to the Centre commun de la sécurité sociale (CCSS) within 8 days: you are then covered by the Caisse nationale de santé (CNS, for the private sector; the public sector has its own funds) and you automatically receive your social security card, one side of which is your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Your dependent family can be co-insured. If you live in Luxembourg with no job or other cover, you can join the optional voluntary health insurance, with a 3-month waiting period before the first reimbursements.

Costs: Contributions deducted from salary; voluntary insurance: €155.19 per month (5.60% of the minimum social wage of €2,771.33, according to the CCSS in 2026); social security card free
Timeframes: Declaration by the employer within 8 days; card in 3 weeks; 3-month waiting period for optional voluntary insurance

Steps

Before leaving: get the EHIC from your current country for unforeseen care in the first weeks. If your country of origin remains responsible for your health (pensioner who only receives a pension from that country, posted employee), request an S1 form and hand it to the Luxembourg fund on arrival.
Employee: your employer declares you to the CCSS within 8 days of your entry into service. You have nothing to do.
Self-employed: affiliate yourself to the CCSS with the entry declaration form for self-employed workers.
Your card: the CCSS issues it automatically and sends it by post to your official residence address.
Your family: have your spouse or partner and your children co-insured (children entitled to family allowances, or under 30 with resources below the REVIS) by a simple request to the fund, with proof of the relationship (family record book for example). Online via MyGuichet.lu, or at the counter, by telephone, email or post.
No job and no other cover: apply for admission to the voluntary health and maternity insurance with the CCSS using the form "Demande d'admission à l'assurance maladie volontaire" (by post, fax or email).

Documents

Employee: nothing to provide yourself, the employer declares.
Self-employed: entry declaration form for self-employed workers.
Co-insurance: request stating the identity and the relationship with the main insured person, and supporting documents (family record book, etc.).
Voluntary insurance: admission request to the CCSS, with an affiliation certificate (S041 or co-insurance certificate) from your last insurance body in another country if you were insured elsewhere, or a certificate of residence or accommodation if you have never been insured; direct debit mandate if you choose automatic debit.
Pensioner or posted worker covered by another country: S1 form.

Costs and timelines

Employee: contributions deducted directly from salary by the employer.
Voluntary insurance: contribution calculated on the minimum social wage (€2,771.33) at the rate of 5.60%, currently €155.19 per month according to the CCSS; it runs from the day of the application (optional insurance). To be rechecked at each indexation of the minimum social wage.
Social security card: free, issued within 3 weeks after the declaration to the CCSS.
Waiting period: with optional voluntary insurance, care is only reimbursed after a 3-month waiting period from the application.

Common pitfalls

The 3-month waiting period of voluntary insurance. If you arrive without a job and without cover, plan on insurance for this period, or keep your home cover (S1).
The EHIC is not a settling-in insurance. It covers necessary care during a temporary stay, not planned care, nor private care, nor repatriation.
A co-insured person has only one main insured person. You cannot be co-insured by two people at once.
Not paying the voluntary insurance. It stops automatically after two unpaid instalments.
For a stay as an inactive person, the commune requires health insurance covering all risks in Luxembourg (sheet LU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: European coordination: EHIC for temporary stays, S1 if your country of origin remains competent, otherwise affiliation in Luxembourg.
Swiss nationals: European coordination also applies to Switzerland (EHIC, S1).
British nationals (Scots included): before leaving, the British GHIC card (free, reserved for UK residents) has replaced the EHIC for temporary stays. If you work in Luxembourg, affiliation by the employer is the same. For the rest, rights flow from the EU–UK agreement: a resident who does not work can join the CNS voluntarily, and someone entitled to a British S1 (for example with a British State pension) registers it with it (GOV.UK).

Official sources (8) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Luxembourg.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In Luxembourg

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to be covered by the CNS when you settle in Luxembourg

Costs: Contributions deducted from salary; voluntary insurance: €155.19 per month (5.60% of the minimum social wage of €2,771.33, according to the CCSS in 2026); social security card free
Timeframes: Declaration by the employer within 8 days; card in 3 weeks; 3-month waiting period for optional voluntary insurance

Steps

Before leaving: get the EHIC from your current country for unforeseen care in the first weeks. If your country of origin remains responsible for your health (pensioner who only receives a pension from that country, posted employee), request an S1 form and hand it to the Luxembourg fund on arrival.
Employee: your employer declares you to the CCSS within 8 days of your entry into service. You have nothing to do.
Self-employed: affiliate yourself to the CCSS with the entry declaration form for self-employed workers.
Your card: the CCSS issues it automatically and sends it by post to your official residence address.
Your family: have your spouse or partner and your children co-insured (children entitled to family allowances, or under 30 with resources below the REVIS) by a simple request to the fund, with proof of the relationship (family record book for example). Online via MyGuichet.lu, or at the counter, by telephone, email or post.
No job and no other cover: apply for admission to the voluntary health and maternity insurance with the CCSS using the form "Demande d'admission à l'assurance maladie volontaire" (by post, fax or email).

Documents

Employee: nothing to provide yourself, the employer declares.
Self-employed: entry declaration form for self-employed workers.
Co-insurance: request stating the identity and the relationship with the main insured person, and supporting documents (family record book, etc.).
Voluntary insurance: admission request to the CCSS, with an affiliation certificate (S041 or co-insurance certificate) from your last insurance body in another country if you were insured elsewhere, or a certificate of residence or accommodation if you have never been insured; direct debit mandate if you choose automatic debit.
Pensioner or posted worker covered by another country: S1 form.

Costs and timelines

Employee: contributions deducted directly from salary by the employer.
Voluntary insurance: contribution calculated on the minimum social wage (€2,771.33) at the rate of 5.60%, currently €155.19 per month according to the CCSS; it runs from the day of the application (optional insurance). To be rechecked at each indexation of the minimum social wage.
Social security card: free, issued within 3 weeks after the declaration to the CCSS.
Waiting period: with optional voluntary insurance, care is only reimbursed after a 3-month waiting period from the application.

Common pitfalls

The 3-month waiting period of voluntary insurance. If you arrive without a job and without cover, plan on insurance for this period, or keep your home cover (S1).
The EHIC is not a settling-in insurance. It covers necessary care during a temporary stay, not planned care, nor private care, nor repatriation.
A co-insured person has only one main insured person. You cannot be co-insured by two people at once.
Not paying the voluntary insurance. It stops automatically after two unpaid instalments.
For a stay as an inactive person, the commune requires health insurance covering all risks in Luxembourg (sheet LU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: European coordination: EHIC for temporary stays, S1 if your country of origin remains competent, otherwise affiliation in Luxembourg.
Swiss nationals: European coordination also applies to Switzerland (EHIC, S1).
British nationals (Scots included): before leaving, the British GHIC card (free, reserved for UK residents) has replaced the EHIC for temporary stays. If you work in Luxembourg, affiliation by the employer is the same. For the rest, rights flow from the EU–UK agreement: a resident who does not work can join the CNS voluntarily, and someone entitled to a British S1 (for example with a British State pension) registers it with it (GOV.UK).

Official sources (8) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Luxembourg.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In Luxembourg

How to be covered by the CNS when you settle in Luxembourg

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In Luxembourg

How to be covered by the CNS when you settle in Luxembourg

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics