Family in Luxembourg

A civil marriage is registered with the commune's civil registrar. A marriage concluded abroad may need recognition and registration in Luxembourg. A PACS is a registered partnership created by a joint personal declaration at the commune of the partners' shared residence. The partners must have their legal residence in Luxembourg and may not already be married, registered in another PACS or closely related. The registration takes effect when it is entered in the register and gives the partners mutual material support and a duty to contribute to household costs according to their financial means. They can agree their property arrangements. A PACS has many social-security and tax effects similar to marriage, including possible survivor's pension rights, but an informal cohabitation does not automatically have the same legal effect. A PACS can end by declaration, marriage or court proceedings, and the partners receive one day of special leave for registration. For a child born in Luxembourg, the birth is normally declared to the civil registrar within 10 days. Parental authority covers decisions and duties concerning the child's health, safety, welfare, care, supervision and education. Married parents generally exercise it jointly. For unmarried or separated parents, recognition of the child, the child's welfare and any decision by the family court can determine how parental authority is exercised. Residence, contact and maintenance are separate questions and can be arranged or decided independently. The juge aux affaires familiales, commonly shortened to JAF, is the family judge at the district court who decides or approves these matters when parents do not reach an agreement. The Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants, or CAE, pays family allowances. The allowance normally starts in the month of birth and continues until the end of schooling, up to age 25 when the conditions are met. From 1 June 2026, the indexed basic amount is EUR 315.04 per month, with supplements of EUR 23.81 from age 6 and EUR 59.44 from age 12. The back-to-school allowance is paid automatically in August at EUR 115 for children over 6 and EUR 235 for children over 12. A child with a permanent disability of at least 50% may qualify for a EUR 200 monthly supplement, generally until age 18 or, under the applicable conditions, up to age 25. Birth allowance consists of three independent payments of EUR 580.03, totalling EUR 1,740.09. The prenatal and birth instalments must be claimed within one year, while the postnatal instalment must be claimed by the child's second birthday. Residents generally need a legal domicile and the prescribed medical examinations. Non-residents generally need Luxembourg insurance affiliation and must not receive an equivalent childbirth benefit in their state of residence. Childcare can be provided by a crèche, mini-crèche, daycare facility, maison relais or assistant parental. Providers and communes handle enrolment, and providers require approval from the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, known as MENJE. The chèque-service accueil, or CSA, reduces childcare charges for resident children and for children whose parent works in Luxembourg under the applicable conditions. Eligibility and the family contribution depend on household income, the number of children, the type of care and the number of hours. In collective childcare, 20 hours per week are free for children aged 1 to 4. From age 4, when school attendance applies, care from 7:00 to 19:00 on school days is free within the applicable rules; extra hours, holiday care and exceptions can still generate charges. Work and family responsibilities are supported through several leave schemes. Maternity leave normally includes eight weeks before birth and twelve weeks after birth, for at least 20 weeks in total. The CNS, Luxembourg's National Health Fund, generally requires six months of affiliation during the twelve months before the leave. Paternity leave is 10 working days, or 80 hours for a 40-hour working week, and normally must be taken within two months after birth or adoption; the employer is generally notified two months in advance. Parental leave is available separately to each parent for each child. The first period can follow maternity or adoption leave, while the second period must normally be taken before the child's sixth birthday or, for an adopted child, before age 12. At least 12 months of affiliation and employment of at least 10 hours per week are generally required. Full-time, part-time and split arrangements exist, with a replacement allowance paid by the CAE. Parental leave is not transferable between parents, and employment-protection rules apply. Leave for family reasons applies when a child is ill. The ordinary allowance is 12 days per child for a child under 4, 18 days for a child aged 4 to under 13 and 5 days for a hospitalised child aged 13 to 18. A special supplementary allowance can double the duration and can remove some age or hospitalisation limits. Serious illness or disability can allow an extension of up to 52 weeks within a reference period of 104 weeks. A medical certificate is required. Both employed parents can use the entitlement, but they may not take the same leave at the same time. Health cover can extend through CNS co-insurance to a spouse or PACS partner and to a legitimate, natural, adopted or foster child where the required maintenance or educational responsibility exists. A child is generally covered up to age 29 when the resource conditions are met, including the threshold linked to the guaranteed minimum wage. Coverage after age 30 during studies may require CNS approval. Cross-border families follow residence-state, S1 and coordination rules that can change the responsible insurer and reimbursement process. Long-term care is covered through assurance dépendance administered by the CNS. The Administration d'évaluation et de contrôle, or AEC, assesses whether a person needs regular assistance for at least 3.5 hours per week and is expected to need it for more than six months or has an irreversible condition. Support can include a care network, residential care, respite care, semi-residential services, technical aids and home adaptations. A cash benefit may be available when an assessed informal caregiver provides the care. Technical aids and home adaptations are subject to a maximum of EUR 35,000 each under the stated scheme. The application uses a form and a physician's R20 report, and an appeal can generally be lodged within 40 days. The Office national de l'enfance, or ONE, is the access point for children and young people aged 0 to 27 who live in Luxembourg and face physical, mental, emotional or social difficulties, danger or a risk of exclusion. A child, family member, person in the child's surroundings or professional can submit a request. Support can include psychosocial, social and educational help, family organisation, childcare, domestic assistance and basic material support. Keeping the family together has priority, although separation may be necessary. Foster care can be temporary or permanent and may take place during the day or overnight. Contact with the child's original family is generally maintained, and ONE finances the placement through a daily flat rate. Services are generally covered, although a family contribution may depend on financial circumstances. Adoption changes family relationships through a court procedure. Full adoption replaces the original parent-child relationship, while simple adoption preserves certain rights and links with the original family. The responsible adoption unit and MENJE support the procedure, and the court issues the decision. After the judgment, the commune, CNS and CAE may need updated information. Adoption can also create access to adoption leave, parental leave and, where applicable, a reception leave. Court and legal costs depend on the case, so no blanket free procedure applies. Luxembourg recognises divorce by mutual consent and divorce based on the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship. The JAF decides or approves parental authority, the child's residence or alternating residence, contact, child and spousal maintenance and use of the family home. Provisional measures can apply while the case is pending. A mutual-consent agreement is prepared through an avocat à la Cour or a notary and covers residence, children, maintenance and division of assets. The court may propose or order mediation, and the information meeting may be free. Ending a PACS ends mutual support; exceptional maintenance may still be ordered by a court. The Fonds national de solidarité, or FNS, can advance and recover maintenance when the debtor does not pay and the legal conditions are met. A Luxembourg enforceable judgment is required. The applicant generally needs financial difficulty, five consecutive years of legal domicile or residence in Luxembourg and proof that private enforcement has been exhausted or ineffective. Payment can begin on the first day of the month after a valid application, with retroactive payment generally limited to six months. The amount is capped according to household limits under the applicable minimum-income rules, and recovery from the debtor includes a 10% fee. Appeals generally have a 40-day time limit. Domestic or family violence can be addressed through the Comité national de défense sociale, or CNVV, which offers multidisciplinary psychosocial, medical and legal support to child and adult victims and to people around them. Since 1 May 2026, the national helpline operates around the clock at 20 60 10 60. In immediate danger, call the Police at 113. Criminal-law issues may arise, but the family-protection pathway also includes safety planning, medical help, legal information and support for affected children. Congé d'accompagnement allows a worker to care for a spouse or legal partner, parent, child, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling or sibling-in-law at the end of life. It generally lasts up to five working days or 40 hours per cared-for relative in a calendar year, with a shared maximum of 40 hours. A physician must certify the situation and the application goes to the CNS. The leave ends when the relative dies. A survivor's pension from the Caisse nationale d'assurance pension, or CNAP, is not paid automatically. Potential beneficiaries include a spouse, legal partner, divorced spouse or former PACS partner, qualifying direct or collateral relatives and orphans. For an actively insured person, the scheme generally requires 12 months of affiliation during the previous three years. A spouse or PACS relationship generally must have lasted one year, subject to exceptions. An orphan's pension normally continues until age 18 and can extend to age 27 during qualifying education or training. Residence and employment across borders can change family-benefit, healthcare and co-insurance rights. Coordination rules apply to Luxembourg, EU, EEA and Swiss situations, as well as countries covered by bilateral agreements. A differential supplement may be payable when another state is primarily responsible for a family benefit. Third-country family reunification is handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs and can cover a spouse or registered partner, minor dependent children and, in limited cases, dependent ascendants or health-related cases. A third-country child born in Luxembourg may qualify for a simplified residence procedure. The deciding evidence usually includes residence, employment, insurance, family relationship and the benefit already paid by another state.