Well, here you are. You’ve just landed in Luxembourg, one of Europe’s smallest countries with a population of just under 600,000 inhabitants, 47% of whom are foreigners, composed of around 170 nationalities. [1] Suffice to say that in such an environment, you should find your feet quite quickly.

According to American researchers McCormick and Chapman, your adaptation process will follow a U-shaped curve. First, the honeymoon period; then the disillusionment as you face your first hurdles. Then the transformation: your expectations evolve, along with your outlook. And, finally, integration: you find your bearings, you plan your future, you love your way of life. But one essential condition has to be met to ensure a smooth integration: you need to feel at home. Here are a few tips.

Home sweet home

You will soon realise that the real estate market is relatively small. Rest assured: offers are listed on the internet[2]. All surfaces combined, it costs on average €1,359 to rent an apartment and €2,460 for a house with four bedrooms[3]. One tip is to take time to carefully consider the location of your property and take into account traffic density: 162,000 border residents commute to Luxembourg for work daily.

You should also be aware that, while you are not required by law to take out home insurance, the landlord will usually impose it. Make sure that you cover the most frequent risks (water damage, burglary, etc.) while choosing an insurance that suits you. Consider:

•       Covering specific needs (e.g., wine cellar, works of art, musical instruments, etc.)
•       Protecting your loved ones (have you or a family member caused damage to a third party?)

Consider whether your insurance provider can offer you those extra services, such as finding authorised professionals within 48 hours to carry out your odd jobs (gardening, painting, etc.).
At AXA, we have a network of multilingual agents throughout the country to help you with your formalities and together we can build you a customised solution.

Registering your vehicle in Luxembourg

Luxembourg also has rather specific vehicle registration rules.  Newcomers have six months to change the registration plates. Start the process online on the SNCA website[4]. Your vehicle will undergo a technical inspection, which means setting aside a good half-day waiting on site.

You can spare yourself all these formalities by taking out motor insurance with AXA.

Your vehicle will be picked up at your home and dropped off again with new plates! By downloading the MyAXA application, you can also make the most of additional time-saving services: report your claims online, contact customer support in one click, and more.

Also remember that winter tyres are mandatory in winter conditions.

A healthy start

If you’ve recently been posted to Luxembourg, your employer will enrol you in the social security system. While social security does not cover you in full, the CNS[5] website provides more information about doctors’ fees and prescription reimbursements.

To obtain 100% coverage of your medical benefits, take out supplementary health insurance. Do you wear glasses, dentures, or hearing aids? Are you into alternative medicine? Has your child been admitted to hospital? Do you need assistance before and after hospitalisation, such as an academic tutoring service? Have you fallen ill abroad and urgently need to be repatriated?

Not everyone has the same needs and requirements which is why AXA will offer you tailor-made solutions.

[1] Source: Guide JustArrived, edition 2017-2018

[2]  Market reference: athome.lu, rent.lu, wortimmo.lu, immotop.lu

[3] Source: athome, 17/10/2016

[4] Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile

[5] Caisse Nationale de Santé /National Health Fund