If you’re moving to Luxembourg from elsewhere in Western Europe, you should find the local culture in Luxembourg fairly easy to adjust to, although a few points of social etiquette take some getting used to. Most newcomers find their feet quickly.
Languages in Luxembourg
Getting to grips with the languages in Luxembourg is easier than many expect. Around four in five residents speak some English, and it’s the main working language across the international companies and EU institutions based here. But French is the language of everyday life. You’ll hear it in shops and cafés and at government counters, so if you rely only on English, you might find yourself stuck in the expat bubble.
If you’re planning to stay long term, French is the most useful language day to day and at work. Luxembourgish is the key to deeper integration and is required for citizenship, while German is mainly the language of newspapers and official documents. In the short term, newly arrived expats can get by comfortably with a decent grasp of just one language, and that’s usually French or English.
Luxembourgers take real pride in their languages. Some are happy to speak English, but a foreigner who makes even a halting attempt at French or Luxembourgish will find locals much warmer. That effort tends to be well rewarded.
Meeting and greeting in Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, meeting and greeting is a more formal business than most new arrivals are used to. A brief, firm handshake with eye contact is the usual greeting between new acquaintances, in business and social settings alike. Address them by their surname and the honorific Monsieur or Madame, and use the formal vous rather than tu until you’re invited to do otherwise.
Locals can come across as reserved and formal at first, but they tend to open up once a relationship is established. Good friends greet each other with three light kisses on alternating cheeks, and you begin on the right. This happens between two women, or between a man and a woman; men greet one another with a handshake. Hugs are rare, so it’s best to wait for the other person to make the first move.
Cultural differences in Luxembourg
One of the first cultural differences in Luxembourg that newcomers notice is how much weight families carry here. Many locals never move away from their hometown and live close to relatives their whole lives. Grandparents often pitch in with childcare, and families stay tightly knit well into adulthood.
Luxembourgers value their privacy, so it can take a while to make local friends. Locals tend to keep conversation light and neutral until they know you well, and they won’t discuss family matters with people they’re not very close to.
Mealtimes are fairly formal, and hosts expect a few courtesies when they invite you home. Flowers and good chocolates are safe gifts, as is a bottle of wine or Luxembourgish crémant. You should wait to be seated and hold off eating until the host begins. The host usually gives a toast, and a guest returns the gesture later in the meal. Keep your elbows off the table and your hands in view; rest your wrists on the table’s edge.
Time in Luxembourg
Punctuality matters a great deal in Luxembourg, so arriving on time signals respect, whether for a business meeting or a dinner invitation. If you’re going to be more than five minutes late, call ahead and apologise. Showing up early isn’t ideal either. Attitudes here are closer to those in Germany than in southern Europe, and lateness gets noticed.
Bureaucracy in Luxembourg
For most new arrivals, the first real taste of bureaucracy in Luxembourg is the commune. Soon after you move in, you’ll need to register your arrival at the local Biergeramt, and EU citizens usually have eight days to do it. It’s an important step, because without it, you can’t open a bank account or start your residence paperwork. Most of it now happens through the official guichet.lu portal, and you can handle a lot online, although a bit of French or German helps when forms and counter staff aren’t in English.
LGBTQ+ in Luxembourg
Luxembourg is among the most welcoming countries in Europe for LGBTQ+ residents, and the country has had an openly gay prime minister for a decade. Same-sex couples have been able to marry and adopt since 2015, and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is against the law. Transgender individuals can change their legal gender by simple self-declaration.
LGBTQ+, Diversity and Inclusion in Luxembourg
Women in Luxembourg
Women in Luxembourg have strong legal protections, and equal pay for equal work is written into the Labour Code. The country’s headline gender pay gap is one of the smallest in the EU, although that number is a little misleading, because it leaves out the many women working part-time. Higher up, boardrooms and senior roles are still mostly male, and progress there has been gradual. In politics, parties must put forward at least 40 percent women on their national candidate lists.