Looking back to the time when you decided to move to Luxembourg, temporarily or for good (or thinking temporarily, only to decide afterwards to stay for good), what insights would you have liked to have?

We asked expats who came to Luxembourg at least five years ago about their decision to expatriate and what they would tell newcomers. According to our study, 87% of expats in Luxembourg agree that expatriation was a very good decision and they would highly recommend a life abroad, with the average recommendation score for moving to Luxembourg being 8.5 out of 10 points (vs. a global recommendation figure for a life abroad of 8.2). Expats aged 55 and over even recommend life in Luxembourg at a rate of 9.7.

Living in Luxembourg seems to be a long-term decision for most: 70% of foreign residents stated that they are willing to spend the rest of their lives in Luxembourg. Only a quarter of respondents would like to leave the country when they retire.

What would you tell newcomers to Luxembourg?

  1. Living in Luxembourg is expensive: 78% of expats in Luxembourg admitted that they did not forecast accurately the rental or property prices before their relocation. For 8 out of 10 respondents, property prices were higher than expected. Also a negative surprise in terms of costs were grocery prices (higher than expected for 54%) and restaurants (higher than expected for 63% of respondents). Nevertheless, there were some positive surprises: fuel and commuting costs are cheaper than expected by expats (cheaper for 51% and 37% of respondents respectively). And now we even have free public transport!
  2. Don’t hesitate to buy! 73% of expats would advise newcomers to purchase a house within five years of arriving in Luxembourg, according to the study. Only 1 out of 10 respondents recommend waiting for more than 10 years.
  3. Another reason to love Luxembourg: the quality of life. In this survey, 60% of respondents came originally from France, Belgium and Germany and hadn’t lived abroad prior to moving to Luxembourg. Unsurprisingly, the two main factors that have driven the expatriation decision of the participants in the study were “a better quality of life” and “a better remuneration”. For 62% of expats, a better quality of life was the main driving factor to move to Luxembourg.

Practical to-do list

We asked respondents to rank by order of priority what they wished they had done prior to moving to Luxembourg so we can advise future newcomers:

  • Receive information about the living costs in the country
  • Receive guidance for administrative to-dos
  • Make sure to have enough savings
  • Open a bank account in the new country of residence (for 94% of those surveyed!)

What would be your advice?

Just arrived in Luxembourg? Visit ING's website.