Vehicle inspection

All cars, motorcycles and trailers registered in the grand duchy need to be checked by an authorised technical inspection body on a regular basis. Cars and motorcycles need to be checked four years after they first hit the road, then two years later and then annually. Trailers and vans need to be inspected annually. Owners can take their vehicle for the check eight weeks before the current technical inspection certificate expires. The National Vehicle Testing Centre (SNCT) has three locations and Dekra, a private outfit, has one location in Luxembourg.

Parking permits

If you live in the capital, you can apply for a residential parking permit, enabling you to park on-street in your neighbourhood free of charge (and in other neighbourhoods for up to two hours). Similar schemes are run in other bigger communes.

Low-emission incentives

Luxembourg offers a €2,500 cash subsidy on the purchase of a new hybrid plugin car or van (with emissions below 50g/km) and up to €8,000 on a fully electric or hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Winter tyres

It is compulsory to fit winter tyres on all cars driven in Luxembourg (regardless of country of registration) when there is “ice, packed snow, slush, black ice or frost” or face a €74 police fine. Winter tyres are marked with the letters M and S or have a symbol of a mountain and a snowflake on them.

Breakdown cover

Roadside assistance for breakdowns is not always included in standard insurance packages. The gold standard for breakdown assistance in the grand duchy is the Automobile Club of Luxembourg.