Family Benefits in Luxembourg (prestations familiales)
Family benefits are paid by the Children's Future Fund (Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants, CAE). The main one, the family allowance, is a right of each child who lives in Luxembourg. Children of cross-border workers can also qualify. Amounts are adjusted to the cost of living and were last raised on 1 June 2026. Childcare is supported separately through the childcare voucher (chèque-service accueil, CSA), which includes free hours.
Family allowance and other CAE benefits
- Family allowance (allocation familiale): €315.04 per child per month (June 2026), from the month of birth until age 18. It continues up to age 25 for pupils in secondary education or for some apprentices, but not for students in higher education.
- Age supplements: +€23.81 a month for children aged 6–11 and +€59.44 for children aged 12 and over.
- School-start allowance (allocation de rentrée scolaire): paid every August from age 6: €115 for ages 6–11 and €235 from age 12.
- Birth allowance (allocation de naissance): paid in 3 instalments of €580.03 each (June 2026), under conditions.
- Apply to the CAE online through MyGuichet.lu or by post, with the child's birth certificate and your bank details. Newcomers add documents such as residence permits (third-country nationals) or proof that benefits in their previous EU country have stopped.
Childcare: chèque-service accueil
- The CSA lowers the price of approved crèches, mini-crèches, maisons relais and childminders (assistants parentaux) for children under 12 who have not yet left basic education. Residents sign up at their commune.
- What you pay depends on household income, the number of children, the type of childcare and the hours used. The State pays up to €7 an hour in a childcare facility and €5.40 an hour with a childminder, for up to 60 hours a week.
- Free hours: children aged 1 to 4 who do not yet go to school get 20 free hours a week (46 weeks a year) in an approved crèche or mini-crèche, under the multilingual education programme (Luxembourgish and French).
- School-age children (from 4) get free care and free lunches in maisons relais and other approved facilities during school periods, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 19:00.
- A reform presented in January 2026 plans to lower parents' costs further. Check whether it is in force before you budget.
Common pitfalls for newcomers
- The family allowance is not paid automatically when you arrive. Apply to the CAE as soon as your child is registered at your commune.
- The 20 free hours apply only in approved crèches and mini-crèches, whatever your income. A child in full-time early education (éducation précoce) gets no free hours under the programme.
- If you do not give your income when you sign up for the CSA, the highest rate applies. Renew the CSA contract before it expires, or you pay the full price.
- Students in higher education are not covered by the family allowance; they can apply for state student aid (AideFi) instead.
Official guidance: Guichet.lu: family allowance, CAE, Guichet.lu: chèque-service accueil, Ministry of Education: free childcare measures, IGSS: social parameters June 2026 (PDF)