Have you just moved to Luxembourg and imported your car? If your driving licence was issued in a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area (EEA), it is also valid in Luxembourg. Nevertheless, registering your foreign driving licence is recommended. Doing so will save you trouble, especially if your licence is damaged, lost or stolen, because you'll be able to apply for a new one more quickly and easily.

To do so, simply register with the driving licence department of the “Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile” (SNCA), the National Society of Automotive Traffic.

Registration procedure

• The registration application form, which you can download on guichet.lu
• A copy of your ID document
• A copy of your driving licence

If the application is accepted, your new licence will use the 12 points system in force in Luxembourg.

If you got your licence outside the EU or the EEA, particularly if the language in which it is issued is not known in Luxembourg, you have one year from the date of your arrival to have it converted in Luxembourg. Once this period has elapsed, your foreign licence will become invalid in Luxembourg, and you will have to pass a new theory and practical test to get it back.

Here are the documents you need to submit to the SNCA to exchange your driver's licence:

• The conversion application form, available to download on guichet.lu

• A copy of your ID document

• A copy of your driving licence

• An extract from your foreign and Luxembourg criminal record which is less than 3 months old and covers the last 5 years (for the Luxembourgish criminal record you can apply on guichet.lu

• A medical certificate drawn up by a doctor authorised to practice the profession of general practitioner in Luxembourg

• A recent 45 x 35 mm photo

• A tax stamp to the value of €30 purchased by making a bank transfer to the Luxembourg Guichet Unique – timbres account. Proof of the transfer replaces the stamp, no physical stamp is sent.

Your Luxembourgish driving licence is systematically valid:

• for 10 years up to the age of 70

• from the age of 70, it is extended for 5 years

• from the age of 80, it is extended for 2 years

The SNCA will send you a renewal letter in plenty of time when your driving licence is due to expire. From the age of 60, a medical certificate that is less than 3 months old must be attached to the application for extension. Issued by a doctor, this document certifies that the person is fit to drive.

Loss of 6 points:

• Driving under the influence of drugs

Loss of 4 points:

• No insurance

• Driving without owning a valid driving licence

• Use of a mobile while driving

Loss of 2 points:

• Speeding:

  • 15 km/h in an urban area
  • 20 km/h in a rural area
  • 25 km/h on the motorway
     

• Failure to respect a right of way or a priority signal (red light, stop sign, etc.)

• Driving the wrong way down a street

Note - this list is not exhaustive. You will find the complete list of offences on guichet.public.lu.

Luxembourg conforms strictly to the European Highway Code, imposing high standards to ensure road safety. Here are a few of the key regulations you should know:

• Traffic and speed limits:  Drivers must drive on the right-hand side of the road. The maximum speeds vary: 20 km/h, 30 km/h or 50 km/h in urban areas (according to signage), 70 km/h or 90 km/h on national roads and up to 130 km/h on motorways.

• Vehicle equipment and safety:  All vehicles must be registered and have civil liability insurance at least. Wearing a seatbelt is compulsory when sitting in both the front and back of the vehicle. In winter, the use of winter tyres is compulsory because of the weather conditions.

• Zipper system: To make driving easier, Luxembourg uses the zipper system. Each driver must give way to another vehicle wishing to change lanes before resuming driving.

Failure to comply with the rules of the Highway Code may result in various penalties, including fines (to be paid within 45 days of notification of the offence), points deducted from your driving licence and even prosecution for serious offences.

If you have your licence suspended then you must also take a road safety course in the Colmar-Berg Centre, as previously explained.

Be careful, your car driving licence is also linked to getting about by bicycle! If you are caught cycling whilst under the influence of alcohol, you can lose points, just as you would in a car. This is due to the wording of the Highway Code, which generally refers to the “driver of a vehicle”. No distinction is made between motorised vehicles and non-motorised vehicles. In short, it is also possible to lose your driving licence on a bicycle.

You now have a Luxembourgish driving licence and you know all the right things to do! Don't have insurance for your car yet and don't know anything about insurance in Luxembourg? Click here to learn more about the bonus-malus system and the different easyPROTECT Auto packages offered by LALUX.

Useful information

Haven’t imported your vehicle yet and want to know more about the right steps to take? Check out our guide