Hospitals in Luxembourg

Luxembourg has one of the best healthcare systems in Europe. There are state-funded services available to all residents, including specialist and emergency treatment at public hospitals. However, some 75% of residents have extra private insurance for treatment that the state might consider not essential. So, if you are moving to Luxembourg, it’s important to know where and how to access treatment should you need hospital care.

Find out all about:

Hospitals in Luxembourg

Hospitals in Luxembourg are part of the state-funded health service (Caisse Nationale de Santé – CNS). In fact, there are 18 hospitals or treatment centers across Luxembourg, with public hospitals easily visible due to their sign of a large white H on a blue background.

However, despite the country’s small size, Luxembourg hospitals provide a range of specialist in-patient and outpatient services, although not all of them have emergency services. They form part of the secondary healthcare system in Luxembourg, which is available to all residents. Specialist care can include:

• Cardiology
• Gynecology
• Maternity care
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Pediatric care
• Psychiatric and mental health services
• Radiotherapy
• Urology

You can access all treatments covered under your health insurance package. However, dental care is typically not provided in hospitals in Luxembourg.

You can also find several specialist hospitals in Luxembourg. Overall, there are 4.6 hospital beds per 1,000 people in Luxembourg, according to 2019 statistics. This is above the global average of 2.9 per 1,000, although it’s the same as the EU average. As a result, the quality of hospital care in Luxembourg is considered to be good. In fact, the country ranks 12th in the world for healthcare on the 2021 Legatum Prosperity Index.

How to access hospital treatment in Luxembourg

You need a referral from a doctor to be admitted for hospital care. However, you do not need a doctor’s referral to visit a specialist for outpatient treatment and can make an appointment directly. All patients have the right to choose a specialist, as long as the treatment is available on the CNS. For some specialist treatments, however, there may be a waiting list and you may have to wait a few weeks for an appointment.

Hospital care through the CNS is available free to all residents who have health insurance coverage, as well as their dependent family members. If you are a resident, remember that you need to take your social security card with you to appointments at hospitals in Luxembourg.

Non-residents, and those in Luxembourg on short visits, will need to take out private health insurance to access hospitals in Luxembourg. However, nationals from European Union/European Free Trade Area countries can use their European Health Insurance Card. If you do not have adequate health insurance coverage, then you will only be able to access emergency healthcare.

Emergency treatment in Luxembourg

Emergency treatment in Luxembourg is free, even if you don’t have health insurance. However, charges apply if your situation is no longer urgent. Hospitals provide urgent care through their emergency departments (cas d’urgence or spoedgeval).

However, do keep in mind that some of the smaller and specialist hospitals don’t provide emergency services. Also, be aware that out-of-hours service rotates between regions. You can find schedules for emergency treatment in local newspapers, doctors’ surgeries, and pharmacies.

The phone number for medical emergencies in Luxembourg is 112.

Hospital stays in Luxembourg: what to expect

When attending a hospital in Luxembourg, either for a stay as an in-patient or an outpatient appointment, you should bring your ID and your CNS card which you will need to present at the reception desk. If you stay overnight, it is also advisable to take your clothes and toiletries. You should also bring money to pay for certain services and products on offer, such as TV, internet and supplementary food and drink.

There are three classes of hospital service in Luxembourg:

• First class – this is a single private room, which costs extra unless you have premium-level private health insurance.
• Second class – this is the standard service, which is a shared room with two or three other patients.
• Third class – this is a ward with more than three patients. However, this usually only occurs when there are no other rooms available.

Some hospital staff speak English but there is no guarantee that there will be English-speaking staff available. The most common language in Luxembourg is French; if you are concerned about this and you’re still learning one of Luxembourg’s languages, then you might want to have a few useful French medical phrases to hand.

Hospital costs in Luxembourg

Treatment in hospitals in Luxembourg is free but the CNS operates on a system of reimbursements so patients have to pay upfront and then submit receipts to get the money back. Although treatment is free, patients (with the exception of children under 18) are charged €23.10 per night for overnight stays in a standard room and €11.55 for a day visit.

If you stay in a first class private room, then costs for the room and services increase by 66%. This is unless you have been placed in an individual private room for medical reasons beyond your control.

Health insurance for hospital costs in Luxembourg

If you have public health insurance, you can claim reimbursements (usually between 80–90% of the full costs) for things such as:

• Medical care
• Prescriptions
• Analysis and laboratory tests
• Prosthetics
• Hearing, visual, and speech aids
• Travel costs
• Medical devices
• Maternity care
• Rehabilitation costs
• Funeral costs

You won’t be able to claim anything back for cosmetic procedures or additional hospital services such as TV access, phone calls, and supplementary food and drink.

Insurance payments also cover dependent family members such as children, and students up to the age of 27. People on low incomes do not have to make CNS contributions.

Given the heightened need for medical care in these COVID times, it is worth noting that you might be able to claim back 100% of all treatment costs and services if you take out private health insurance in Luxembourg. You may also be able to claim back any fees that you pay for overnight stays or day visits. However, this will depend on the level of private coverage that you have taken out.

There are a number of expat-friendly international health insurance companies which offer different coverage packages, including companies such as:

• Allianz Care
• Cigna Global

Being discharged from hospitals in Luxembourg

If you are admitted to the hospital for a stay as an in-patient, then you will be under the care of a designated doctor or specialist who will be responsible for discharging you. You can discharge yourself early, however, this means that your health insurance provider may refuse to pay for your care.

Outpatients are free to leave the hospital at any time. However, if the health professional treating you thinks that this may pose a risk to your health or well-being, you will need to sign a certificate of discharge stating that you are aware of the risks of doing this.

When you are discharged from a hospital in Luxembourg, you should be informed of a follow-up treatment schedule if needed. This may involve further hospital appointments or treatment at another specialist healthcare unit.

Visiting someone in hospital in Luxembourg

Visitor guidelines for hospitals in Luxembourg vary across institutions, so you will need to check with the hospital you wish to visit for details. Some hospitals also have visiting hours and general information on their website.

Typically, visits are restricted to afternoons. Do note, restrictions have been in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals announced that visiting hours at state hospitals would be between 15:00 and 19:00 and there would be a maximum of two masked visitors per bed.

The best-rated hospitals in Luxembourg

According to the world hospital rankings, the best hospitals in Luxembourg include:

• Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg – ranked 1,966 in global rankings, this is the main municipal hospital and the largest general hospital. It is a seven-story building in Luxembourg City in the south of the country.
• Clinique Privée Dr E Bohler – ranked 5,826, this is a specialist Robert Schuman clinic for gynecology and obstetrics located next to the Centre Hospitalier du Kirchberg in the northeast of the city center.
• CNHP Centre Hospitalier Neuro Psychiatrique – ranked 5,846, the CNHP is the largest psychiatric hospital in Luxembourg. It has three units: a rehabilitation center, a support center for older people, and a support center for those with mental disabilities. The hospital is in Ettelbruck in north-central Luxembourg.
• Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch (CHEM) – ranked 6,178, the CHEM is the largest general hospital in southern Luxembourg. It consists of several buildings in Esch-sur-Alzette and Dudelange.
• Centre Hospitalier du Nord – ranked 6,824, this is a general hospital in Luxembourg’s north. It consists of a grouping of hospital buildings spread across Ettelbruck and Wiltz.

List of hospitals in Luxembourg

General hospitals in Luxembourg

• Centre Hospitalier du Kirchberg (part of Robert Schuman Hospitals)
• CHL Clinique d’Eich
• ZithaKlink (part of Robert Schuman Hospitals)

Specialist hospitals in Luxembourg

• Centre François Baclesse Centre Nationale de Radiothérapie (radiotherapy, part of Emile Mayrisch Hospital)
• Centre Thérapeutique Diekirch (psychiatric rehabilitation)
• CTM Centre Thérapeutique Maternach (substance abuse rehabilitation)
• Centre Thérapeutique Useldange (substance abuse rehabilitation)
• CHL Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg Maternité (maternity care)
• Clinique Saint Marie (geriatric care, part of Robert Schuman Hospitals)
• Hospital Intercommunal Steinfort (geriatric care)
• Institut National de Chirurgie Cardiaque et de Cardiologie Interventionnelle (INCCI) (cardiology)
• KannerKlinik (pediatrics, part of CHL)
• Rehazenter (National Rehabilitation Center)

Useful resources

• Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – healthcare section of the government website.
• National Health Fund (Caisse Nationale de Santé – CNS) – information on public health insurance.
• Medicins Specialistes – search for specialist doctors in Luxembourg (in French).