Clubs or associations who wish to sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed during an event or an outdoor festival must hold a licence to sell/serve alcohol.

Such a licence is issued on the basis of the alcohol licence of a licence holder based in the commune where the event/outdoor festival is taking place. Applications must be sent to the Customs and Excise Agency by the licence holder/operator who holds the alcohol licence.

Who is concerned

The club or association must hold a licence each time it sells alcoholic beverages to be consumed by the public at an event.

Costs

In all cases, the temporary transfer of a licence for the occasional sale/serving of alcohol in a building is free of charge.

Operation of an additional drinking establishment requires prior payment of a daily tax equal to one-tenth of the annual tax on open-air drinking establishments and on those set up for a local festival (kermesse), Schueberfouer, or the Oktavmäertchen. In all other cases, the daily tax is the same as the annual tax.

How to proceed

General formalities

The organiser of the event must request a licence to sell/serve alcohol from:

• the operator of a drinking establishment in the commune in which the event will take place; or
• the manager of an alcohol licence issued to the communal administration in question.

A licence holder lending their alcohol licence to a club or association must complete and sign either the form for an additional drinking establishment or a temporary transfer of their business, depending on the case.

The form must be sent to or deposited at the revenue office of the Customs and Excise Agency which is responsible for the commune in which the event takes place.

The revenue office will issue the licence holder either an authorisation to temporarily transfer their licence (a maximum of 30 times per year, for 24 hours at a time) or an authorisation to temporarily set up an additional drinking establishment. This right is limited to 15 days per year. However, this limit can be increased to 21 days per year, if the additional drinking establishment is set up for purposes of a local kermesse, the Schueberfouer or the Oktavmäertchen.

Procedures for temporary transfer of an alcohol licence

A temporary transfer must take place in a fixed building.

In the case of a temporary transfer, the licence holder closes their usual premises. Then the licence holder will either, themselves, dispense the alcoholic beverages at the event or appoint an assistant manager using the relevant form. The assistant manager, generally a member of the club that is organising the event, may then legally replace the licence holder at the point of sale of the drinks during the event.

The form used to appoint an assistant manager requires that the signature of the licence holder be certified by an official of the Customs and Excise Agency, the mayor or a notary.

The assistant manager must provide an extract from the criminal record. Assistant managers who are not Luxembourg nationals must provide a certified copy of their foreign ID card, and, if applicable, a 5-year residence certificate issued by the relevant commune or communes (this pertains only to nationals of non-EU Member States, who must provide proof of at least 5 years of residence in Luxembourg).

The form and the criminal record extract must be sent to the Customs Office Luxembourg-Howald / Alcohol Division, which will prepare a special authorisation in the name of the appointed candidate which will be valid only for the period of time requested by the licence holder. For reasons of convenience, it is recommended that the authorisation be requested for an indeterminate period of time.

Procedures for setting up an additional drinking establishment

Where an additional drinking establishment is set up, the licence holder may operate an additional drinking establishment in the open air, in a tent/marquee or in temporary buildings in the commune where the principal drinking establishment is located. It is therefore never possible in a building (a fixed construction), except on the occasion of a fair or a trade fair.

This right is limited to 15 days per year. However, this limit may be increased to 21 days per year if the additional drinking establishment is established on the occasion of a local kermesse, the Schueberfouer or the Oktavmäertchen.

During large events with several stands organised by a single association, the Customs and Excise Agency permits the operation of all of the stands under a single alcohol licence provided by a single operator. However, the operator must appoint one assistant manager per stand.

Good to know

It is now possible to use MyGuichet.lu without a LuxTrust product in order to make an appointment with the reception desk of the Customs and Excise Agency (Administration des douanes et accises - ADA).

The applicant selects:

• the reason for the application, i.e.:
  • a request for a vignette 705; or
  • a request for a licence to serve/sell alcohol ('Schanklizenz'); or
  • other: applicants who choose "Autre" must give the reason for requesting an appointment;
• the customs office to which they wish to go for the appointment :
  • Centre (Howald);
  • East (Grevenmacher);
  • North (Diekirch);
• the date and time of their appointment among the proposed time slots.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact