Luxembourg - why work abroad?

⇑Why work in this country?

Luxembourg is a small country of 690,959 people with a very international workforce: in 2023, 39.6% of workers were from Luxembourg, 44% from other EU countries and 16.2% from outside the EU. Many people working in Luxembourg live across the border in France, Belgium or Germany.

Unemployment has risen – from 4.6% in 2022 to 6.5% in 2025, now above the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment is high: 21.6% among people aged 15–24 in 2024 (the latest available figure). The employment rate is below the EU average: 73.9% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).

As an EU citizen you do not need a work permit. But languages are key: Luxembourg has three official languages – Luxembourgish, French and German – and EURES advises mastering at least two languages, including at least one of the official ones.

⇑Where the jobs are

The public employment service ADEM publishes an official list of occupations in high demand (métiers en pénurie). The latest list is based on 2025 data and was published in 2026. It covers:

• finance and banking – credit analysis, banking risk management, client relations, financial market trading,
• IT – database administration, cybersecurity, software development, cloud architecture, business intelligence,
• engineering and industrial R&D – automation, aerospace, automotive, renewable energy, quality management,
• healthcare – nurses (including geriatric and psychiatric nursing) and care assistants,
• construction and trades – roofers, solar panel installers, car body repairers,
• social work and education – early childhood educators, social workers,
• legal and professional services – legal advisers, tax specialists, auditors, financial analysts.

One of the criteria for the list is at least 7 vacancies a month on average. According to EURES, growth areas also include data science, renewable energy, sustainable construction and green finance.

⇑How to find a job

• ADEM JobBoard – the job board of the public employment service ADEM; registered jobseekers see all vacancies declared to ADEM, everyone else the offers published on EURES,
• Work in Luxembourg – a government-led platform for international professionals; its job board only lists occupations with a significant shortage of skilled workers,
• GovJobs – jobs in the Luxembourg civil service,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus the EURES advisers at ADEM.

Many jobs are also advertised on company websites, private job sites and LinkedIn. Because many employees commute from France, Belgium and Germany, competition is international – language skills and a well-targeted application make the difference.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

⇑CV, application and interview

• Cover letter – personal, carefully written, punchy and relevant, for one specific position. Explain why you chose this employer.
• CV – usually 1–2 pages, with a professional photo, your training, experience and language skills. You can use the Europass CV.
• Be accurate – the skills you declare, especially languages, will be checked.
• Language – apply in French, or in English for multinational companies, unless the ad says otherwise.

Diplomas: for regulated professions – crafts, commercial and liberal professions, health professions, educators and carers – you need recognition of your foreign qualifications from the Department for the Recognition of Diplomas at the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. The fee is €75, plus €300 if you need compensatory measures (adaptation period or aptitude test); you usually get an answer within 2 to 6 weeks. Details on guichet.lu.

⇑Pay and working conditions

• Minimum wage (salaire social minimum) from 1 June 2026, age 18+: €2,771.33 gross a month (€16.0192 an hour) for unskilled workers and €3,325.59 (€19.2231 an hour) for skilled workers. You count as skilled with a vocational diploma (DAP) or at least 10 years of experience in the sector. Check whether a collective agreement (convention collective) covers your sector.
• Working time: normally 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week; including overtime, never more than 10 hours a day and 48 hours a week.
• Overtime is compensated with 1.5 hours of rest per extra hour – or, if that is not possible, paid at 140%. Overtime pay is exempt from income tax and most social contributions.
• Holidays: at least 26 working days of paid leave a year, plus 11 public holidays.
• Contract: it must be in writing at the latest on your first day of work and state the job, workplace, working hours, pay, paid leave, notice periods and any trial period. Most contracts are open-ended (CDI); fixed-term contracts (CDD) may last at most 24 months, including renewals.

⇑Student jobs and internships

EU students can work in Luxembourg without a permit. There are special contracts for pupils and students:

• Student job during the academic year (fixed-term student contract): for pupils and students aged 16+ enrolled in secondary education, a BTS or at the University of Luxembourg. You may work 15 hours a week on average over a month or 4 weeks (60 hours in total), and up to 40 hours a week during school holidays. Your pay may not be lower than the minimum wage for your age, and you are covered by all branches of social security.
• Holiday job (student contract during school holidays): for pupils and students aged 15 to 26 in full-time education, for at most 2 months or 346 hours a calendar year. You must get at least 80% of the minimum wage for your age; you are only covered by accident insurance.
• Internships always need a written internship agreement. A compulsory internship of 4 weeks or more is paid at least 30% of the unskilled minimum wage; practical training is paid at least 40% (4–12 weeks) or 75% (more than 12 and up to 26 weeks). If you already have a BTS or bachelor’s degree, the skilled minimum wage is the reference.

Students from outside the EU with a student residence permit may work up to 15 hours a week on average over a month outside study time; the limit does not apply during school holidays.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Luxembourg – practical information.

⇑Your first weeks: registration, tax and insurance

1. Declare your arrival at the communal administration of the municipality where you live within 3 months, with your ID and your employment contract (or a signed commitment to hire). You immediately get a registration certificate (attestation d’enregistrement), which is valid indefinitely. After 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence you can apply for permanent residence.
2. Social security: your employer registers you with the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS). You get a social security number (matricule) and a card from the National Health Fund (CNS).
3. Tax: income tax is progressive, from 0% to 42%, plus a surcharge of 7–9% for the employment fund. It is deducted from your salary every month.
4. Bank account: you need a local account to receive your salary.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

⇑From outside the EU

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need an authorisation to stay before you enter Luxembourg, and you must declare your arrival to the municipality within 3 days. The main routes:

• After studies in Luxembourg: with a master’s degree or equivalent you can get a residence permit for 9 months to look for a job or set up a business.
• EU Blue Card (highly qualified worker): you need the required professional qualifications, a contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least the amount set by grand-ducal regulation – check the current figure on guichet.lu.
• Salaried worker: a residence permit for other jobs, applied for before you come to Luxembourg.

All routes are explained on the government portal guichet.lu – third-country nationals.

⇑Sources and useful links

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026), monthly minimum wages,
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Luxembourg, labour market information: Luxembourg,
• ADEM – JobBoard, Work in Luxembourg, high-demand occupations list (PDF),
• Labour and Mines Inspectorate (ITM) – minimum wage from 1 June 2026, working hours, annual leave, public holidays,
• guichet.lu – overtime pay, student contracts, holiday jobs, internship agreements, EU citizens: working more than 90 days, recognition of qualifications, non-EU students, EU Blue Card,
• Work in Luxembourg – workinluxembourg.com; civil service jobs – GovJobs,
• Your Europe – working abroad.

Updated: October 2026.