New to Luxembourg with a baby, small children or a baby on the way

Arriving with a baby, toddlers or a baby on the way is a lot to handle at once. This page covers two things: finding other parents, and the official steps you’ll meet in the first months. For anything medical, your doctor, midwife or maternity hospital is the right place to ask.

Meet other parents: the Eltereforum

The Eltereforum (parent forums) is a public service run by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. There are ten forums around the country, from Wiltz and Marnach in the north to Esch, Differdange and Bettembourg in the south. It’s open to all parents, grandparents and carers, from pregnancy until children turn 18, whatever your family situation or background.

What you’ll find in the calendar:

• during pregnancy: prenatal yoga (from the 12th week, after checking with your doctor), keeping fit in pregnancy and birth preparation, and brunches for parents-to-be
• with a baby: baby yoga, baby-carrying cafés and walks, crawling groups for babies up to 12 months
• with toddlers: play groups for children up to 4, and meet-and-play mornings for the whole family
• for you: talks on parenting and one-to-one guidance

Languages: each activity in the calendar lists the languages spoken. Many include English, and a few are in English only. You can filter the calendar by language, age group and region. According to the ministry, most activities are free; some are run by partner organisations, so check each one.

Eltereforum activity calendar · Find a forum near you · central contact eltereforum@men.lu, +352 247 63700

Courses before and after the birth: Initiativ Liewensufank

Initiativ Liewensufank is a non-profit association set up in 1986 by parents and midwives. It supports parents-to-be and new parents with information, advice and courses, from pregnancy up to pre-school age. Its office is at 20, rue de Contern, L-5955 Itzig, and courses also run in other towns (baby massage, for example, has run in Itzig, Grosbous and Belvaux this autumn).

• During pregnancy: birth preparation (evening, weekend, intensive or one-to-one), breastfeeding preparation, MamaYOGA.
• After the birth: postnatal pelvic floor and recovery, MamaYOGA after birth.
• With babies and toddlers: baby massage (five 1½-hour sessions for babies aged 1 to 6 months), BabyYOGA, PEKiP, Pikler® groups, ToddlerYOGA.
• For parents: first aid for children, and a group for fathers.
• In English: the course list marks these as English: Preparing for birth (intensive or individual course), Breastfeeding Preparation Class, MamaYOGA before and after birth, BabyYOGA and ToddlerYOGA. Baby massage is in Luxembourgish, French or German. The website itself is in German and French.
• Baby Hotline: a free, multilingual phone line for questions about pregnancy and life with a baby or toddler, on 36 05 98 on weekday mornings (check the site for the exact times).

Courses are paid and you sign up online. liewensufank.lu · All courses · info@liewensufank.lu, +352 36 61 34

If you’re pregnant and working

• Maternity leave is 8 weeks before the expected birth and 12 weeks after it. If the baby comes early, the unused days before the birth are added afterwards. The total can’t go over 20 weeks.
• You apply to the CNS, not your employer, by sending the medical certificate with the expected date of birth. The certificate must be issued in the last 12 weeks of pregnancy; earlier ones are sent back.
• The CNS pays your maternity benefit during the leave, not your employer.
• Tell your employer with a medical certificate, by registered letter or by hand against a signed receipt. From then until 12 weeks after the birth, you’re protected against dismissal with notice.

Details: Guichet.lu, pregnancy and maternity leave

After the birth: the paperwork

1. Declare the birth within 10 days at the commune where the baby was born (the day of the birth doesn’t count). Bring the birth notice from the doctor or midwife and your ID. Married parents also bring the family record book or marriage certificate. Unmarried parents both bring ID.
2. The commune gives you 8 copies of the birth certificate, plus the application forms for the family and birth allowances and for the “Baby-Year” pension credit.
3. Send a copy to your employer, to your commune of residence if it’s a different one, to the CAE with the allowance application, and to your health fund (usually the CNS) to register the baby and get a social security number. Non-Luxembourg nationals may also want to tell their embassy.

Details: Guichet.lu, declaring a birth

Allowances

• Birth allowance: paid by the CAE in three instalments: before the birth, at the birth and after it. It depends on medical check-ups: one postnatal check with a gynaecologist between 2 and 10 weeks after the birth, and six check-ups for the child up to age 2. Apply within one year of the birth (for the last instalment, within one year of the child’s second birthday). CAE, birth allowance
• Family allowance: paid by the CAE from the month of birth until the child is 18 (longer if they’re still in secondary school). CAE, family allowance
• Parental leave: handled by the CAE too. CAE, parental leave

Cross-border workers have their own rules for each of these. The CAE pages explain them.

Childcare

The childcare service voucher (chèque-service accueil, CSA) lowers the cost of approved crèches, maisons relais and childminders for children under 12, and includes free hours for children aged 1 to 4. If you live here, sign up at your commune. It doesn’t reserve a place: you apply to crèches separately. See Family & kids and Guichet.lu, childcare vouchers.

Also useful

• Moving to Luxembourg: the checklist for registering, health insurance and school
• What your commune does