Giving Birth in Luxembourg: What Expat Parents Need to Know

Luxembourg has a well-funded, high-quality healthcare system — and giving birth here as an expat is a positive experience for most families. But the system has its own terminology, processes, and paperwork. This guide walks you through everything from your first prenatal appointment to registering your baby.

Registering Your Pregnancy

As soon as you know you are pregnant, register with a gynaecologist (gynécologue-obstétricien) or midwife (sage-femme). In Luxembourg, prenatal care is shared between gynaecologists and midwives, and most women see both.

You will need your Carte d’assurance maladie (health insurance card from the CNS — Caisse Nationale de Santé). If you work in Luxembourg, you are automatically affiliated with the CNS. Contact them at cns.lu to get your card if you haven’t already.

Prenatal Care and Check-ups

The CNS funds a series of mandatory prenatal examinations (examens prénataux). There are 5 standard ultrasound scans covered, plus regular blood tests and check-ups. These are largely free or have minimal co-payment when you see a CNS-affiliated provider (secteur conventionné).

Key scans: First trimester screen (11–13 weeks), anomaly scan (20–22 weeks), and a third trimester scan (30–32 weeks) are standard.

Choosing Where to Give Birth

Luxembourg has three main maternity hospitals:

• Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) — the largest, with a level 3 NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Located in Luxembourg City. Also operates the Kannerklinik children’s hospital.
• Hôpitaux Robert Schuman (HRS) — runs two maternities: Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte (Kirchberg) and Clinique Bohler (Hollerich). Both are modern and well-regarded.
• Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch (CHEM) — in Esch-sur-Alzette, in the south of the country. Good option for families in the south.

All three offer single maternity rooms and English-speaking staff. Register with your chosen hospital in your second trimester — popular maternities can fill up.

What to Bring to Hospital

• Your maternity booklet (carnet de maternité) — given to you early in pregnancy
• ID / passport and residence permit
• CNS health card
• Birth plan if you have one (translated into French if possible — most staff speak English but French is the working language)
• Hospital bag with essentials for you and baby

Postnatal Care at Home

After discharge (typically 3 days after vaginal birth, 4–5 days after caesarean), you are entitled to postnatal home visits from a midwife, funded by the CNS. Contact a sage-femme before birth to arrange this — it is a vital service, especially for breastfeeding support. The CNS covers a set number of visits; check cns.lu for the current allowance.

Registering Your Baby

You must register your baby’s birth at the Service de l’état civil of the commune (municipality) where the birth took place, within 10 days. You will need:

• Both parents’ passports/IDs and residence permits
• The hospital’s birth declaration form
• Marriage certificate if applicable (and an official translation if not in French/German/Luxembourgish)

For non-married parents, both parents must go together to establish the father’s filiation (reconnaissance de paternité).

Language Tip

Most medical staff in Luxembourg speak English. However, official correspondence, hospital forms, and CNS documents are in French. Google Translate and DeepL are your friends. The CNS website (cns.lu) has some English sections, and the helpline has English-speaking staff.

Official Sources

Official Luxembourg government information — confirm current rules and deadlines directly:

• Guichet.lu — Declaring the birth of a new-born child
• Guichet.lu — Maternity leave
• Caisse nationale de santé (CNS) — maternity & paternity