My husband and I both got our driving licenses in Luxembourg: me first, and one year after – he did it too. At the time I was studying for a driving license, there were only two schools available nearby, more specifically, schools that have been teaching in English. There was Pepe driving school and the one at the Gare.

I found these schools in expat community groups on Facebook, with real feedback from other people. The school next to Gare did not satisfy users at all: the reviews told about how bad the instructors are, how they don't explain the theory well, and how they are late all the time. And on the contrary, Pepe school had good reviews only, especially on the theory. So I quickly enrolled there.

The only problem happened to be with the lessons in English: they were only scheduled once a week. Maybe now they have more classes, because of course, if we knew more languages, the theoretical part would be faster. And this way the theory process stretched out for 8 weeks because you must listen to all the topics and collect attendance stamps.

At last, I practiced and got used to this theoretical test so well, that I passed the real examination in 10 minutes. Including the time I spend thinking about some particular questions. In my opinion, the theory test is not that hard, especially if you train well. 

After successfully passing the examination, you will get the stamp on your paper, so you can show it in your driving school.

It is possible to change the driving school at this stage if you want. It means that you can study theory in one place, and practice driving in another.

Eventually, my instructor suggested that I switch to an automatic car because I was too distracted by the gearbox and couldn't keep my attention on practicing driving. This time I waited only around 3 weeks, maybe because I already started driving with an instructor at that point.

When I finished my practice, I was supposed to take an exam. Though I was indecisive, even nervous, and wanted to take more hours, my instructor was sure of me and registered me for the driving exam.

On the examination day, I had to drive to SNCA with my instructor next to me. At that facility, we submitted all the documents, meet our examiner, and went to the planned examination route.

And here I got lucky as well. My instructor was fluent in Russian, my native language. So during the exam, he translated all the things the examiner told me to do from Luxembourgish to Russian. Pretty convenient!

As well as you have to keep in mind all the rules — no one is there to remind you about the signs and signals.

Your instructor is not there just to keep you company. His pedal set has a sound signal system, so when he or she uses it — the examiner will be notified. This implies an automatic fail. Because if your instructor had to intervene in your driving, you are not ready to do it on your own.

By the way, during your exam, you will get points for the right moves, and lose them for mistakes. This is exactly how I failed my first driving test! After we drove the route, the inspector told me about all the errors I made: once I drove too close to the wall, another time – hit the brakes too late. All these details lowered my total score and I failed.

On my second attempt to take the driving exam, I was trying to go slower, so I make no mistakes. And it was a success! Though the examiner told me there is no need to drive like a turtle: of course, it's not a crime, but it's usually rather uncomfortable for other drivers. 

As I mentioned earlier, my husband had to get a driving license during the pandemic. He took theory classes in the center of Luxembourg, and then switched schools for his practical part — we moved to the north of the country back then, and he found a school in Ettelbruck. Fortunately, he could enroll in just two weeks, as there was lower demand.

On that course, we drove slippery roads, practiced emergency brakes, and tested our driving abilities and limitations. With a theoretical backup.

And in the end, our instructor decided to try and trick us. It was a slippery part of the route with a sharp curve. And he told us that the first driver to race this section will get an automatic pass for the exam.

Everything went according to his plan. And there was a moral of the story at the end: the adrenalin and competitiveness can really fail your driving experience. Not to mention the danger of such action.

This extreme course is available when you have at least 4000 km mileage, as it requires some general driving experience.

As I took the driving course before the pandemic hit, the precise prices might be a little off nowadays. Inflation definitely caused price growth.

I paid around 2500 euros, including my second attempt and additional driving practice hours. My husband paid around 2000 euros. He succeeded on the first try!

The automobile school will bill you on their side:

The first payment receipt will account for the theory classes and the theory examination. You can study after you paid the bill.

Then you pay for your instructor hours and practical exam.

Additional billing will be provided if you take more practice hours or special classes.

In case you fail the exam – another bill: this time for the required additional 8 hours of driving with the instructor and the exam afterward.

Anyways, I recommend taking instructed course too. Your own car will not have a second set of brakes. And good driving skills are important for your safety.

To get enrolled in the driving school, you will need: 

A medical examination. There is a special kind of examination for the driving license;

A criminal record from all the countries you resided in;

An identification paper, like an ID card or passport.

Any changes in the process or additional documents are usually announced by the school you attend.

A car in Luxembourg is much more than a transport, your integration depends on it. A lot of people I know can not imagine a life without a car after getting one. Especially when you live in the countryside, far from the city center. After a few years of using a personal car in Luxembourg, you get used to the country's modest size, and start grumbling about an hour-long drive!

Government supports the public transportation system, nevertheless, it can not replace the benefits of a personal car for now. It seems like long routes and various stops make your path from A to B much more complicated.

Keep in mind the unpredicted crises. In 2020 the pandemic started, and it feels like a whole hero mission to be without a car in this scenario. I used my personal transport to buy groceries for the week, and can't imagine taking the bags home by bus.

Also during this tough period, the car helped us to escape to the hiking places. It's usually well-remote corners of the natural resources, where no one is around and you can admire the beauty of nature.

So, in order to get your driving license in Luxembourg, you need to:

Enroll in the driving school and pay for the course;

Pay for the driving lessons and the exam;

Get your temporary two-year driving license;

Take the one-day extreme driving course and pass the exam;

Share your stories with us. If you would like to tell us about moving to Luxembourg and about life here, please write to our editors 

 or email editorial@luxtoday.lu. One person's experience can help many.

Ludmila

How to obtain a driving license in Luxembourg

My name is Irina Bettendorf, I am a real estate agent. I moved to Luxembourg with my friends' assistance more than 20 years ago.

Back then I didn't have a European surname or a European passport. After many years of immigration and social integration, through work, studies, and continuous volunteering for various associations, all this came to me. Following the divorce, we found our soul mates, first my husband and then, 15 years later, me.

My journey to the Grand Duchy was not trivial either, as we came from Cuba.

trained and served as a basketball referee for three seasons;

looked for an apartment as a single mother;

experienced firsthand all the pitfalls of renting a place to live;

have been helping a wide variety of people find a roof over their heads in the Grand Duchy for many years, whether buying or renting.

Whether you are just considering renting, buying, or selling a house in Luxembourg or are already busy looking, check out my experience. The first thing we all do when arriving in the country is looking for an apartment to rent.

When we got married, my first husband and I moved to Liberty Island, his homeland. It wasn't easy there and basically, there was nothing but freedom. Once the situation reached a limit, some friends in Luxembourg helped us out. They arranged both visas and passports. We would not be here without them, of course – everything is extremely expensive.

No need to hide the fact that we were very lucky. We were just pulled out of one life and given everything, documents, and primary housing, to start another. All we had to do was to find a job on our own, cause there is no way to be jobless here.

However, this issue was not an easy one for us. Anyone who moves on a work contract knows that you have to be either a unique specialist or the highest-level expert to be needed in Luxembourg. That was not the case – we were both geologists. I ended up studying law at the Sorbonne and took a course for real estate agents, but that's a story for another day.

Why is it still hard to rent an apartment: 20 years ago vs. now

Housing availability in Luxembourg, or more precisely its unavailability, is not a recent problem.

 A little more than 20 years ago, when I moved here, there was a war in Yugoslavia. So many refugees escaped Serbia, Croatia, and nearby countries. Refugees and people with diplomas are very different categories of people and were not treated equally by landlords.

 The situation has only gotten worse since then. Many new housing units have been built. And new is always more expensive, so people have to take loans and pay them off. That means you can't simply ask your tenant to pay lower than the mortgage would be. Plus there are utilities and such.

If we look at the statistics, in the second quarter of 2022 the number of houses available for rent is down 5%, and apartments are down 14%, compared to the same numbers in 2021. At the same time, renting prices only grow. This is a natural process, and it will be continued.

For the last 10 years, highly qualified specialists have been coming to Luxembourg. Those people already have working contracts and high salaries at the moment. Along with high salaries come higher-priced rents.

At the same time, there are still a lot of refugees, single mothers, and workers from other countries with relatively modest incomes. And the market is supposed to adapt to them, which means that there should be more housing. But...

Developers are unable to keep up with the growth of the migrant population, and often cannot just build where there is room. State policy requires that green space stay green. It could be decades before they turn into residential communities.

What can you afford for 2400 euros in Luxembourg City

When moving to Luxembourg you have to be prepared for the fact that the majority of your salary, no matter how high it is, will pay the rent. And so not all the variety of housing will be available for you with a specific level of income.

For example, with a salary of 2400 euros, you can only afford an apartment, probably even a studio, in the metropolitan area. Not a house. If we are talking about more or less comfortable accommodation, then the rent limit for such a salary would be 1500 euros.

Whether it's a loan or your own savings, it will take you 20 years to fully recoup the cost of your property. To put it simply.

However, the interesting thing is that houses and apartments are so expensive nowadays, that almost no one sets this 5%: as this amount is too harsh for tenants in Luxembourg, landlords usually set the rent about 2-3%.

Two main principles of accommodation search

The country is divided into 12 cantons, each of which has a key city to orient yourself to. If you look at the map, there is a huge spread of prices. For example, there is Luxembourg and the northern canton of Vianden.


The same studio will cost, say, 1400 euros in the capital and 1000 euros in Vianden. And the distance between these cities is only about 60 kilometers.

The first rule of looking for a roof over your head, especially if you do not have a car, is to look closer at your work.

If you already work outside the capital or in a bigger city, it is better to look at the place of employment. If you work in the capital, you can look for places where there is a bus or train connection.

This ratio is also very important because there is an unspoken rule, but the law doesn't say that. No landlord will rent you an apartment unless your family's income is mathematically three times the rent plus utilities.

Why am I talking about a budget of a theoretical 2400 euros? 

When there is a flood of refugees, like in the late 90s and now, the average salary of these people is just about this amount, sometimes a little more. European people working in European Institutions (Institutions européens) are paid much more and can afford rent from 3000 euros per month.

But do not be discouraged, you just need to move towards the northern or northeastern cantons. And you could also consider Esch-sur-Alzette.

In fact, there are plenty of ways to find a place to live in.

These are official portals, which put up apartments from agencies and 

 in the business of matching potential customers. How does the scheme usually work?

An agent publishes advertisements on the portals, and the users receive them through mailing lists or find themselves, while actively surfing the virtual pages of the portals, dreaming to find a roof over their heads. The agent starts getting calls from unknown numbers from people who want to sign up for a viewing, and so on.

What's the downside? It's not the fastest process. As an agent, you don't know the person who is looking for an apartment. You need to meet them, and understand what their psychological and financial situation is, where they work, and how much they make. You can't discuss such things over the phone, some people refuse even to give their surname.

Only after this work is done, it makes sense to take the tenant to look at the apartment.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Internations, Instagram, and internations.org give you a chance to check out the person right away, find out where they work, and estimate how much their salary is. It's something that can simplify the interaction between tenant and landlord. You can contact an agency if you don't want to search on your own.

We have our own apartment listings with owners' requests, locations, and other facts that help to sort the requests better. This saves time and allows us to work more efficiently.

If we're talking about someone who already works here and has a contract, it's simple:

Passport or residence permit, any legal document that grants the right of residence.

The last three payslips. It is very important to understand who the person is, who they work for, what company they are employed by, and whether they have a steady paycheck. This makes a 

If you have children, it would be very helpful to have a certificate of a family membership. Or at least a written mention that there are children and what age they are.

If there is no work contract, the context must be examined. Actually, each situation has to be considered individually.

The most important thing in renting an apartment is the money. When a person wants to rent a place, they should be prepared for impressive expenses right on the first day.

The tenant always pays for the first month's rent in advance.

Normally he has to pay a deposit as well. Usually, the deposit is the equivalent of 2 to 3 months' rent. Sometimes it is not required, but this is rare.

You have to pay the agent's fee if you use the services of an agent. Unfortunately, it is the person concerned, i.e. the tenant, who pays. Agent's fee is the amount of one month's rent and 17% on top. That is, for a studio that costs 1000 euros you will have to pay 1170 euros to an agent. An apartment or house with 3000 euros cost – 3510 euros.

 the owner but the tenant, who pays the agent's commission. This is a paradox, but it has been established for years because the long-term rental housing offer (a year or more) is much lower than the actual demand.

In fact, I think that a fixed rate or an equal split of agency fees between tenant and landlord would be a fairer policy.

Think about it, even with the example of one miserable studio for 1000 euros we get a pretty hefty sum of money for the tenant to pay:

That's about 4-5 thousand. And insurance! You should do it beforehand. Frequently when signing the contract you will be asked to show the insurance contract. Overall, one-sided agency fees and excessive deposits make life very difficult for everyone, as it seems to me.

So this money can be used to repair the house after the move-out, for amortization, so to speak. Or to pay off utility bills that you owe. But you have to pay your rent regularly. Even if it rains in the apartment and a jet flew in it.

What should you consider when checking out the apartment

One of the most important steps is coming to the viewing. That is when the contract will be signed and the certificate of acceptance will be handed in – these are the most important documents that act as a guarantor for both parties. This entire job is left on the shoulders of the agent if you have one.

Basically, it's a complete inventory of the apartment, whether we're talking about moving in or moving out: you need to get the meter readings, to document everything in the apartment. When you move out, you will have to return the apartment in the same condition as you received it. Repaint where necessary, fix the holes you drilled for your paintings, etc.

Most contracts mean a ban on subletting, even if it's not spelled out.

So if the landlord, seeing you for the first time, says, " Live in, no contract," then there's a trick. Probably this person does not own the apartment, or the apartment is for sale. Or when the rent is paid in cash, this does not give any guarantees and rights to the tenant. Agents always verify this.

People often sign contracts without reading them, but you have to inspect every line like your life depends on it.

If there is an opportunity to change something in your favor, you should do it.

When a person moves to a foreign country, there is stress and sometimes panic. They are happy with any kind of accommodation. But later it can lead to bigger problems. So it is better not to rush with the choice.

If there is a language barrier, it is definitely worth asking for help from a specialist. It can also be useful on various occasions. For example, the third party in the dialogue when viewing the apartment helps to avoid awkward moments. The landlord has no need to ask how much the candidate earns, or how reliable he or she is. The agent does that. He also finds the words to soften the situation if the owner of the apartment is absolutely unwilling to see the potential tenant.

It is best to accompany the certificate of acceptance (inventory) with photographs to avoid controversial situations.

Rental secrets in Luxembourg you won't hear anywhere else

My name is Alex Pospekhov, I am the founder of the “Mission space” start-up. I moved to Luxembourg in 2021 after winning a start-up competition.

We won the Fit 4 Start competition in May, received our invitations, and around November I was already here. In addition to my main work with my start-up, I also help other businesses to relocate to Europe.

About my approach to relocation and reasons to relocate

A bit of background info. In 2017, I was the first person to receive a start-up visa in Latvia. Since that moment, I have helped more than 250 businesses relocate. I have been doing this for 3 years now.

Before moving it’s important to answer this question: “What are my goals and objectives here?”. The task of “moving somewhere” is not an end goal unto itself, it’s just a stage of a larger process. When you approach it at least with thoughts like “I want my children to live in such and such country” or “I want to get an EU passport» — that’s something you can start to work with.

It takes place twice a year. The Luxembourg government is picking tech start-ups to essentially make them its own. These projects can be at completely different stages of development and readiness. Each start-up that reaches the finals receives 150 000 euros. There’s no specific field Luxembourg favors: the projects chosen are always different.

At one time, space-related projects were in great demand. Then the last year’s set of finalists was dedicated to HPC (high-performance computing — editor’s note). This year, it’s innovative technologies and Big Data. There will be some other direction chosen for the next set, no doubt.

To get into the competition, you need to prepare a pitch and answer questions about your business that the organizers will ask. That’s it. You will only need other documents much later — if your start-up is selected.

Yes, we won this competition. Out of 650 applications, 5 were selected, and we were one of them. It must be said, though, that the conditions there are quite tough.

Luxembourg is a fairly wealthy country that can afford to give out 150 000 euros to start-ups under certain conditions. Acting as a venture investor, the Grand Duchy hopes that at least a few projects will shoot to the stars.

Out of 10 start-ups, 8 die, 2 develop steadily and 1 of those 2 becomes successful and makes a tenfold or even a hundredfold profit.

There is also a unique program working here that allows a company to get a million or two (I don’t remember the exact amount) to spend exclusively for marketing. That’s the area investors usually don’t give money for at all. Basically, you are given a budget for advertising yourself, attracting customers, and so on.

In general, such an approach to business and start-ups in Luxembourg was not born in a second. The Grand Duchy is currently doing what Latvia did a few years ago.

Right now Luxembourg is trying to transform itself from a “boring bankers’ country” into a state filled with active techno-entrepreneurs.

But don’t get too excited. There are still numerous difficulties in making your start-up successful here. And a grant’s a grant: it’s difficult to get, takes a long time, and doesn’t always happen on time.

About competing for the grant and the conditions for participation

Fit 4 Start is a state competition where a very small percentage of contestants is selected. On average, 600-700 applications are submitted, and from 5 to 20 projects are selected. Simply put, you need to be prepared for tough competition.

When we participated in the competition, out of 650 submitted applications, 4 space-related companies won, including our team.

We deal with infrastructure, satellites and software for measuring solar radiation. In fact, we are studying space weather, the understanding of which contributes to the industrial space exploration.

Basically, solar flares happen all the time. In space, they affect satellites, space stations, and astronauts. But their consequences are also being felt on Earth.

For example, in the middle of the 19th century a solar flare caused telegraph cables to burn. And you don’t even have to look that far back for an example. This spring SpaceX launched Starlink satellites into orbit — and lost $100 million worth of satellites, because it lacked the necessary solar flare data.

Why am I talking about this in such detail? To clearly explain that the profile of a start-up must be practically applicable and in-demand at the time.

We’ve presented our idea at the competition loud and clear and conveyed two important thoughts:

Due to solar flares, the Earth’s atmosphere and stratosphere heat up and «swell». Satellites fly following a set orbit at a certain height. If the trajectory calculation is done incorrectly, that is, the flare data isn’t taken into account, the satellites simply won’t be able to leave the atmosphere. They will burn out, which is a huge financial loss.

We are directly involved in the production of hardware and infrastructure for launches to avoid this problem.

To get to the finals you need to be well-liked by the jury. The preferred theme is different every year. The jury has an internal scoring system and certain milestones that must be achieved based on the plan that you’ve agreed upon with the jury.

In addition to the grant itself, our team received:

assistance from specialists: lawyers, consultants, tax advisers, etc.

8 months of acceleration, which means access to a space with all the necessary social contacts. This is a golden opportunity to establish your contact network, get a lot of useful advice, and communicate with more experienced mentors.

It’s important to keep in mind that the state gives a start-up 50 000 euros as the first aid tranche. You can get 80 000 more, if after this tranche your project attracts and spends another 50 000 of funds.

In total support ranges from 130 to 150 thousand euros, but only on condition that you invest your own money into the project too.

Contrary to popular beliefs, Luxembourg has a great tax system. I personally call the Grand Duchy a country for those who “get it”.

. If you have a patent, write books, create educational courses, then all your income from that is taxed at a grand rate of 0%. And this is just the beginning.

 if you held the asset for more than 6 months and owned less than 10% of the company’s shares. Let me explain this in a simpler way: if you owned some amount of shares for six months or more, and that amount did not exceed 10% of the total number of company’s securities, when you sell it, you will not pay any tax on your investments. As you can see, it’s very profitable to be a business angel in Luxembourg (i.e. an investor who supports a company in the early stages of its development. — editor’s note).

. If what you are doing is an intellectual property product, then you can pay taxes at a favorable rate.

For married people with children, that is, the second tax class, Luxembourg has 

And also just a bunch of tax deductions: for this, for that, for transport …

You need to take your time, understand the system and do some counting. Externally, the tax system looks scary. But once you take in the details, it all becomes clear, convenient and pleasant.

Since we’ve talked about problems with taxes and grants — those most often arise due to the fact that it’s very difficult for the state officials to explain something to the populace. They have real communication problems. It’s not without a reason that the use of complex and compound sentences in oral and written speech was forbidden for New Zealand officials. Speak in simpler terms!

In reality, start-ups just need to find out if they can get support in achieving certain goals. And to do this, you just need to communicate with officials, which is extremely simple to do.

I’m not kidding when I say that you can arrange a meeting with the Minister of Economy on Twitter.

He generally likes to visit all business-related events. You can meet him there, complain about some problems, offer an idea or share an opinion. It seems to me, this helps him be actually aware of what’s happening in the country, and to make more balanced and rational decisions.

Luxembourg is a truly unique place. A country and a state with an expat mindset. The entire apparatus clearly understands the needs of business and how to run from point A to point B in the most efficient way.

The low unemployment rate combined with the presence of a huge number of open vacancies in various companies means one thing — a great simplification of the migration process for any specialist who wants to work here.

Of course, there are difficulties in the form of a mandatory first-priority search for labor within the EU. Any company is obliged to look for personnel in “its labor market”, and only when there’s no result does the company get permission to attract employees from third countries. But it’s all solvable.

When you are in a tech company, you understand that people and talent are the main expenditure. I mean attracting really high-profile specialists, of course.

So for companies like ours and others like it, the problem of finding employees is not particularly acute. And in general, the situation in the labor market is not frightening to us at all.

About the main problem of those, who relocate

As a person who has changed more than one country, I can say that the main problem with relocation is always excessive optimism. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a business or a specific person.

When I talk to a company and take a look at their business plan, I often say: «Guys, look what needs to be done now. We need to divide all income by 3, and multiply expenses by 4. Then we’ll be looking at a somewhat realistic plan». And every time sadness overcomes them, because, well, how could that be? What can I say, life is like that.

When you move, you do everything wrong: from choosing an apartment to choosing a mobile operator. And don’t even start me on choosing a school for your kid…

Having lived somewhere for 20-30 years, you simply do not think about how some processes can be different in another city or another country. Sometimes they’re so different that they take much more time and resources to complete.

Two tips that will help you save a lot of money, time and effort:

Write down what your important household and business processes are. I’ll just throw some examples at you. I go to the gym and I drive a car. Also I want to live in a certain place. I only eat meat or, on the contrary, I only eat vegetables. I am a fan of expensive brands and I need to know where to buy them. It’s amazing how people don’t think about organizing their processes.

Constantly communicate with locals. Ask questions. Where do they live, and why? Why don’t they live in another place, the one you’ve been eyeing? Where is the closest office space? What’s nearby? And so on. It is impossible to understand possible mistakes or avoid making them on your own.

About Luxembourg’s pros and cons through the eyes of an entrepreneur

. This means that you can reach anyone through about 4 handshakes. This is very important because it creates a high level of trust and makes many things easier.

, which is actually quite convenient if you know how to use it correctly.

. The only points of discussion are “who’s doing what”, “let’s do something together”, “let’s earn some money”. It makes you feel more driven.

The technology ecosystem is still developing

. The entry threshold is not too high yet, there are a lot of opportunities just waiting for you.

. A meter of residential real estate in a village cannot, should not cost 10 000 euros. It’s clear that the village is chic, but have some mercy! I don’t understand how this works.

. Luxembourg is a country for those who rise early. Making an appointment at 7 am is fine. And the last Auchan closes at 8 pm, which isn’t very normal as far as I’m concerned. And when it closes, that’s it. There are no 24/7 shops at all. Didn’t buy any food before the closing hours? Feel free to go on a diet until tomorrow!

. If I were a part of the government, I’d be very concerned about this. Why is it possible to travel to Paris in 2 hours, but not Frankfurt? What’s preventing this? I don’t understand.

You can read more about the peculiarities of doing business in Luxembourg, benefits and support programs, paying taxes and other important topics in our relocation guide:

How to obtain a driving license in Luxembourg

Rental secrets in Luxembourg you won't hear anywhere else

How to relocate a business to Luxembourg, an expat mindset country