During her leave, the woman is entitled to a maternity allowance to replace her salary. The leave period begins eight weeks before the theoretical delivery date. The pregnant woman must submit a medical certificate to the health insurance fund with the expected date of delivery. The certificate cannot be issued before 10 weeks before the due date.
After the birth, postnatal maternity leave is 12 weeks and begins on the actual date of delivery and not on the due date. If the delivery occurs before the expected date shown on the pregnancy certificate issued by the doctor, the unused portion of the eight-week prenatal leave is not lost; the days in question are simply added to the postnatal leave, which is thus extended. Maternity leave is nevertheless capped at 20 weeks.
During maternity leave, the employee is not paid by the employer, but by the National Health Fund (CNS). She receives maternity leave equal to the sickness benefit, which generally corresponds to the salary previously earned, but is limited to five times the minimum wage. The employee must send the CNS a medical certificate indicating the expected due date. This certificate must be issued within the last 12 weeks of pregnancy. After delivery, a copy of the newborn’s birth certificate must also be sent to the CNS.
Paternity leave
In Luxembourg, the duration of paternity leave is 10 days. The law of 29 July 2023 specifies that these 10 days correspond to 80 divisible hours for an employee with a 40-hour workweek. These days can be taken in full or in parts within a maximum of two months following the birth. In principle, the employer must be informed two months before the expected date of leave. However, this deadline does not apply if the birth occurs two months before the expected date. The law of 29 July 2023 also provides that, if the two-month deadline is not respected, the leave can only be taken in one go and immediately after the birth of the child, unless the employer and employee agree on another solution.
Once the child is born, both parents can take parental leave. You can apply for parental leave if you have been registered with Luxembourg’s social security system for more than 12 continuous months (a maximum seven-day break is permitted), work at least 10 hours per week (for employees) and are under contract for the entire duration of the leave (for employees and apprentices). This right applies to employees, apprentices, self-employed workers, civil servants and public sector employees.
Both parents get parental leave, but one of them must take it immediately after maternity or adoption leave. If they don’t, the right is lost. The other parent can take leave at any point before the child’s sixth birthday, or 12th birthday in the case of adoption. Exceptions exist for single-parent families or if only one parent works. It is also possible for both parents to take their leave at the same time.
Parental leave and daycare
When you’re on full-time parental leave, daycare for your child must be exceptional and limited to a few hours per week. Inform the Children’s Future Fund (Caisse pour l’avenir des enfants, or CAE) in writing; otherwise, you may have to repay your allowance.
Luxembourg offers different options depending on your usual working hours. For example, if you work 40 hours/week or are self-employed, there is full-time leave for four or six months, part-time leave for eight or 12 months (with employer agreement), four one-month periods over 20 months (with employer agreement) or one day per week for 20 months (with employer agreement).
Enrolling your child in a nursery
Luxembourg’s educational landscape includes more than 880 education and childcare services and mini-crèches, as well as more than 360 parental assistants, offering educational childcare places to more than 68,000 children aged 0-12, according to figures from the education ministry as of 31 March 2024. A directory is available here.
Daycare services are provided in Luxembourgish, but also in other languages depending on the facility, such as French, English, German, Portuguese or Arabic. Prices vary greatly between daycares, depending on whether they are public or private, and depending on the services they offer. It is best to inquire early in the pregnancy, as places are limited.
The babysitter saves the day
To find a last-minute babysitter in Luxembourg, you can use specialised platforms like yoopies.lu or babysitting.lu, which connect families with sitters. You can also browse ads on sites like petitweb.lu or yoojo.lu. In case of a sick child, there is the “Krank Kanner Doheem” service, which cares for sick children at home. Rates vary based on the household’s net income.
This article was written for the August/September 2025 issue of Paperjam magazine (Expat Guide), published on 10 July. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the site to contribute to the full Paperjam archive. Click this link to subscribe to the magazine.
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