Living and Working in Luxembourg

Information about Luxembourg

Luxemburg, situated in the centre of Europe, is located between Belgium, France and Germany. This very small country is known for its high standard of living, and its multi-cultural population; about 120 different nationalities are living together without clashes.
Its capital, called Luxembourg as well, is one of the centres for European supranational administrations, as well as the home for over 160 banks. The country managed a successful transition from an industrial country (Arbed - now called Arcelor - was at the heart of Luxembourg's steel industry, and the producer of much wealth during the first half of the century and well into the 1960's), to the services sector, with banking, insurance, maritime companies and the film production sector being some examples.

Thanks to a massive immigration it is also been seen as a microcosm in Europe , and like a model of opening. Moreover, from part its small size, it keeps a calm country "at human scale" regarding to the proximity between the population and the government.

While for the industrial development phase, a large number of people immigrated from the then economically poorer south of Europe (mainly Italy and Portugal ) with many of these people staying for permanent, the development of the service sector, was only achieved with the help of large numbers of day-workers (frontaliers), coming from Germany , Belgium and France . Furthermore, Luxembourg 's banking and services sector has attracted ever larger numbers of young people who come here for a few years to get a first job experience from anywhere in the world.

This has contributed to the late development of nightlife; with many restaurants, bars, and clubs, and this in the context of a small city of around 100,000 people. Clearly no comparison can be done with London, New York, Paris or Brussels, but then again, the fact that you can be in the countryside within maximum ten minutes can be offered by no other international place either.

Luxembourg can offer the right mix between cultural diversity, high standard of living, easy access to the rest of Europe , and good leisure and sports facilities.
The countryside offers splendid landscapes right under our eyes, with an easy access by road, the train or air. Paris , Brussels and Frankfurt are all within a driving distance of less than three hours.

Luxemburg-city is also called "the city of the bridges", since it comprises 110 of them separating the various districts. Its altitude is 300 meters.

Government

Luxembourg is a representative democracy in the form of a constitutional monarchy. The Grand Duke Henri is the Head of State, having taken over the powers from his father during 2000. The Grand Duke and a cabinet of ministers share the executive power. Legislative powers rest with the Chamber of Deputies. Three centrist parties, the Democratic Party, the socialist party, and the Christian-Socialists have dominated Luxembourg 's political landscape. Some smaller fringe parties exist, with only the Green party playing some further importance.

Languages

French and German are the official languages; the national language is Luxembourgish, a Moselle-Frankish dialect. However, due to the small size of the country, and its need to play an international role, most people study English besides the three above-mentioned languages. Some words to help you (for the first ten seconds only):
Hello!: Moien "moy-yen"
Good-bye: addi "ah-dee"
Please: Wann ech gelifft "wann eesch ga-lifft"
Thank you: merci "maer-see"

Gastronomy

Luxemburg food reflects a good mix of the French and German cultures, as the Luxemburgers say: "French quality with the German quantity". Because of the international vocation of the country, restaurants from all around the world have opened here, and again although we cannot compete with London 's diversity and Paris 's quality, everything has to be put in the context of the relative size of the country.

Advantages of Luxemburg

The economy of Luxembourg is very healthy. The country is one of the most industrialized in the world and "enjoys a degree of economic prosperity almost unique.

• The country's economy continues to grow.
• About a third of the work force consists of immigrants into the country.
• Luxembourg has near full employment.
• Luxembourg has joined about all of the economic unions of Europe.

Luxembourg is advantageous on the level of the taxes, of the rates of T.V.A, the taxation in general ... But especially to live in this small country is all that there is of more pleasant. Nature is preserved there, the splendid landscapes, the clean cities, people pleasant and courteous, and the parks maintained, all which makes of this place, a place enjoyable to live.

Luxembourg is at the heart of Europe, within less than three hours driving distance to Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt. London, Zurich, Milan Amsterdam and many other places are within one hour's plane journey.

The Guide to Obtain Necessary Permits to Live in Luxembourg:

Resident's permit

If you are not luxemburgish and you want to live in Luxemburg, you have to request a Resident's permit to:

To get the Resident's permit you need the following documents: (for UE nationals)

• National Identity Card (or passport)
• recent and identical photographs
• roof of incomes (contract of employment, ...)
• tatement of departure from your previous locality.

For more details, please contact: Bureau des Etrangers +352 4796-2752 or 4796-2758

Registration of a vehicle

1. Clear through customs a vehicle
Go to the customs office with:

• the invoice if it is a new vehicle (less than 6 months or less than 6000 km)
• original car registration document
• the car itself
• proof of residence
• You will then receive a "certificat de dédouanement".

2. Get your car registration number
Call the transport ministery and ask for your new number.
Ministère des transports: +352 35 72 14 237

3. For the driving licence, you should call the transport ministery (driving licence department)

Schooling

To register your child in a municipal school, you have to go to:

Take the followig documents:

• family book (livret de famille)
• birth certificate of your child(extrait d'acte de naissance)
• if available, the last school bulletin

Sacred Heart University

MBA studies in Luxembourg through the Connecticut University's Luxembourg campus.

ISL International School of Luxembourg

Embassies

Health insurance

Access to the labour market for border workers
As UE national, you do not need any particular authorization to work in Luxemburg. Your national identity card is sufficient.

The non EU nationals have to get an authorization of stay in Luxembourg. Obtaining a working licence is an indispensable condition to be able to get an employment contract.

Your salary

From 1st March 2008 the minimum salary for the qualified workers is 1 931,44€ per month.

Utilities

To establish a connection to electricity, gas and water, when living in Luxembourg City, call the Service Lecture des Compteurs, 47 96 29 24, 51 bd Royal, Centre Hamelius. If living outside of the city, contact your local commune.

Garbage

Telephone

Obtaining a telephone: If your telephone is still in service when you get your accommodation, try to take over the existing line, by arranging a "demande de raccordement" from the post office, after agreement with the previous tenant. To apply for a new number, obtain a 2demande de raccordement au réseau téléphonique" from the post office. If you need to install a new line, a letter from your employer might help to speed things up.

For information, you can call one of the téléboutiques, f.ex. 4991-5642.

International calls: dial 00 plus the country code. When phoning to Luxembourg, the country code is 352.

Directory information can be obtained via 11816 (outside Luxembourg) and 11817 (inside).

Sports & Leisure Activities

Numerous activities are on offer, and certainly one of the advantages is the fact of the easy accessibility to most sites.

To start with, we would suggest you to contact the "Ministère de l'éducation Nationale et des Sports", Section Sport-Leisure, annexe de l'INS, 6 r du Pulvermuhl, L-2356 Luxembourg, phone 478-3411.

They have a detailed publication of the majority of events by months or by sports discipline, with description of the location.

We would point out the numerous football, basketball, handball, squash, tennis and volleyball locations, as well as swimming pools. Furthermore, within a distance of less than ten minutes of Luxembourg, you will find forests, which are suitable for mountain-biking and jogging activities. In the north of the country as well as to the east, there are a couple of lakes, which allow sailing and windsurfing.

Skiing is possible with less than two hours and a half drive in the Vosges area of France, and about 5 to 7 hours to the Alps. Luxembourg itself offers cross-country skiing, but hardly any snow.

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