Registration with social security
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Enrolment with the Luxembourg social security services is mandatory for any person engaged in a paid professional activity in Luxembourg. Anyone residing in Luxembourg and carrying out their activity outside Luxembourg may also be affiliated to the Luxembourg social security.
The registration with the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS) aims to provide the salaried or self-employed worker with sickness and maternity insurance, pension insurance, accident insurance and long-term care insurance. The CCSS is the body that handles enrolments and the collection of contributions for all social security bodies.
Thus, any person engaged in a paid professional activity is enrolled with the CCSS, and is entitled to sickness and maternity insurance benefits through their health insurance fund. The different health insurance funds are:
- the National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé – CNS – or 'Gesondheetskees'), for the private sector;
- the Health insurance fund for civil servants and state employees (Caisse de maladie des fonctionnaires et employés publics – CMFEP), for the public sector;
- the Health insurance fund for civil servants and communal employees (Caisse de maladie des fonctionnaires et employés communaux – CMFEC), for the public sector;
- the CFL Health Insurance Fund (Entraide médicale des CFL – EMCFL), for Luxembourg railway workers.
For employees, social contributions to the various branches of social insurance are deducted at source by the employer from the worker's pay packet.
Additionally, certain people may be co-insured under another person's health insurance, provided they do not have an individual health insurance policy.
After enrolment with the CCSS, or when the co-insurance policy is enacted, the person in question will automatically be issued with a social security card.
Who is concerned?
Main policyholder
Anyone engaged in paid employment (either as an employee or a 'temp' worker) or in a self-employed capacity in Luxembourg must be enrolled with the CCSS as a main policyholder.
Co-insured parties
Dependent family members covered by the main policyholder's insurance in Luxembourg are entitled to health insurance coverage as co-insured parties, provided that they are not already personally enrolled themselves. The main policyholder's health insurance coverage extends to:
- their spouse;
- their partner;
- relatives by blood or marriage up to the 3rd degree who, in the absence of a spouse or partner, belong to the main policyholder's household;
- children entitled to family allowance;
- children under 30 years of age whose resources do not exceed the social inclusion income (REVIS) for a single person.
Family members of covered cross-border workers living in France, Germany or Belgium may, under certain conditions, obtain healthcare coverage in Luxembourg.
Special cases
Occasional workers
The following are considered occasional workers, and are therefore exempt from enrolling for social security coverage:
- people who engage in a professional activity on an occasional and irregular basis;
- for a specified length of time, established in advance, which must not exceed 3 months per calendar year.
Persons engaged in self-employed work as a main or ancillary activity are also exempt from enrolling for social security coverage when their professional income does not exceed 1/3 of the annual minimum social wage. These persons may nevertheless enrol voluntarily for social security insurance, provided they are resident in Luxembourg.
Non-residents – Cross-border workers
In order to receive healthcare benefits in their country of residence, people working but not living in Luxembourg must also enrol with a health insurance fund in their country of residence.
Residents working in another EU Member State
Luxembourg residents working outside the country may register with the CNS.
Employees working in several Member States
Luxembourg residents who work in several EU Member States must enrol for social security insurance in Luxembourg provided that a substantial part of their work is in Luxembourg.
The notion of 'substantial part of a person's work' is assessed, for employees, on the basis of their working time and/or salary, and for self-employed workers, on the basis of turnover, working time, income and services provided.
On the other hand, when a substantial part of their activity is carried out in another EU Member State, a Luxembourg resident may still receive benefits in kind in Luxembourg.
Recipients of replacement income
Persons who receive certain types of replacement income (social inclusion income - REVIS, pension) and students are enrolled on a mandatory or voluntary basis, and as such, are entitled to healthcare insurance coverage.
How to proceed
Declaration of start of employment
Procedure for persons engaged in paid employment in Luxembourg
Within 8 days of an employee's starting work, their employer must file a declaration of start of employment for private-sector employees, temporary workers or public-sector employees with the CCSS.
Any person who is declared by their employer in this way is automatically issued a social security card.
In order for non-residents to be able to enrol with the health insurance fund in their country of residence, the competent Luxembourg fund issues a certification of entitlement to health and maternity insurance benefits in kind.
Procedure for self-employed workers
Self-employed worker operating in their own name must enrol with the CCSS using a new self-employed worker declaration form.
Any person who files a declaration with the CCSS as a self-employed worker is automatically issued a social security card.
In order for non-residents to be able to enrol with the health insurance fund in their country of residence, the competent Luxembourg fund issues a certification of entitlement to health and maternity insurance benefits in kind.
Procedure for persons entitled to health insurance in their capacity as a co-insured party
A person who is not personally enrolled for mandatory health insurance coverage is entitled to healthcare benefits in kind as a co-insured party, as a member of the main policyholder's family.
Co-insured persons can only be covered through one main policyholder's insurance. That main policyholder must be the person in whose household the beneficiary lives, or the person who is responsible for the beneficiary's upbringing and caters to the latter's needs. When more than one person satisfies these conditions (e.g. when both parents are employed in Luxembourg), the older (or oldest) of these persons is held to be the main policyholder.
To acquire co-insured status, the main policyholder, or the person wishing to be co-insured, must file a simple application, specifying the main policyholder's identity and their connection to the co-insured individual.
The application may be submitted to the appropriate health insurance fund:
- in person, at the health insurance fund's offices;
- by phone;
- by email;
- by fax;
- by post.
Supporting documents, such as a copy of the family record book or a university attendance certificate, must be attached to the application.
For non-residents, only the legislation of their country of residence is applicable. The health insurance fund in the country of residence, or indeed any other competent foreign organisation, sends the competent Luxembourg fund a document certifying that the family members are enrolled and covered through the main policyholder enrolled in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg residents who are not personally insured and are unable to acquire co-insured status may take out continued or optional health insurance on a voluntary basis. For further information, they should contact the CCSS.
Please note that, in addition to their enrolment with a health insurance fund, insured parties may also opt for additional private insurance.
The certificate of co-insurance can be requested via MyGuichet.lu. This online procedure can be carried out with or without authentication using a LuxTrust product or an electronic identity card (eID).
The request can also be submitted via the MyGuichet.lu mobile app. In order to submit the request using the mobile application, the insured person must:
De-registration (declaration of end of employment)
When the insured person no longer meets the conditions for affiliation, a declaration of de-registration must be made to the CCSS within 8 days:
- by the employer (for employees); or
- by the insured individual (for the self-employed).
The most common reason for de-enrolment is the termination of an employment contract or the cessation of self-employed activity.
However, if the person has been enrolled for a continuous period of 6 months (discounting interruptions of fewer than 8 days), they will continue to be entitled to healthcare benefits for the current month and the subsequent 3 months.
This period may be extended by a further 3 months if the insured was undergoing medical treatment at the time of de-enrolment.
When the main policyholder is de-enrolled, their co-insured parties will also be de-enrolled.
Luxembourg residents then have the option of taking out voluntary health insurance with the CCSS.
For non-residents, the competent Luxembourg health insurance fund notifies the health insurance fund in the country of residence of the worker's de-enrolment.
At that point, the non-resident must apply to the health insurance fund in their place of residence to remedy their situation.
To be granted the extension of entitlement to benefits in kind in Luxembourg—covering the month of de-registration and the subsequent 3 months, or the additional 3 months if the insured was undergoing medical treatment—non-resident workers must present a certificate issued by the health insurance fund of their country of residence, establishing that they are not enrolled in their country of residence.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Joint Social Security Centre
-
Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS)
- Address:
-
4, rue Mercier
L-2144
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
L-2975 Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 40 141-1
- Email address:
- ccss@secu.lu
- Website:
- https://ccss.public.lu/fr.html
-
Reception desks of the Joint Social Security Centre
- Address:
- 4, rue Mercier L-2144 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 40 141-1
- Email address:
- ccss@secu.lu
- Website:
- http://www.ccss.lu/
Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 16.00
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
Assurance maladie-maternité
sur le site de l'Inspection générale de la sécurité sociale
-
Social security systems in the EU
on the Your Europe portal
-
Social security
on Your Europe
-
Social security cover abroad
on Your Europe
Legal references
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