Discover how to access paediatric support in Luxembourg, including a compiled list to help you find the right option for your needs.

Healthcare in Luxembourg has amongst the highest public financing of all countries in Europe, so it is no surprise that Luxembourg ranks highly (6th place) in the 2023 Euro Health Consumer Index, which compares health systems across the continent.

This is also true for family and child healthcare, with Luxembourg performing highly in terms of child health. Our guide below helps you navigate the steps and processes to best take advantage of this service.

Health insurance for children

Paediatric consultations are largely free of charge under state health insurance, which all residents are granted for their children. This applies until the age of 18 or if in full-time education, until the age of 27. Some supplementary or elective treatments may require additional private insurance.

In Luxembourg, parents typically register their child with a GP (general practitioner) or family doctor, however parents can freely register with paediatrician without a referral. Both paediatricians and GPs are qualified to ensure the health of your child. The key difference being that paediatricians specialise only in the care of children from birth to adolescence and GP’s can manage the health of the whole family including any genetic or hereditary problems. 

Healthcare services

Child healthcare can include routine check-ups, screenings and vaccinations administered in health centres and through school visits. Specialist paediatric treatments are administered at paediatrician clinics and children's hospitals.

In Luxembourg, there are six compulsory routine check-ups between ages of zero and two, with additional checks between the age of two and four. School age children have health checks in the third and fifth years of primary school and the fourth year of secondary school. There are also tests at key times including vision, oral health and hearing.

Vaccinations are free of charge, administered between the ages of two months and 16 years. The vast majority of people in Luxembourg choose to vaccinate their children, indicated by the country outperforming the EU average in child vaccinations.

See Luxembourg's Vaccination timeline for more details.

How to find a paediatrician

To connect with a paediatrician, The Luxembourg Paediatric Society offers a comprehensive directory across hospital and private practice settings. All medical practitioners must register with Collège Médical which in turn details a comprehensive list.

The 'Doctena' website and mobile app provide a quick and easy way to book medical appointments. The app offers the ability to search for a paediatrician by location, languages spoken, specialisation, or even by practitioner. Other features include ratings collated from patient feedback to help give confidence to parents, and a text alert reminder ahead of appointments. Many practitioners also offer online calendar booking systems via their office.

Social media community forums are another source of advice, particularly amongst expats (who make up almost 50% of the Luxembourg resident population). While this is not always the most precise source of information, it does offer value to parents seeking additional opinions from real-life experiences.

All general hospitals in Luxembourg are part of the state-funded health service with most providing emergency paediatric care. The Kannerklinik is Luxembourg's specialist children’s hospital formed as part of Luxembourg’s central hospital complex, CHL.

Emergency situations

All the following services are open 7 days per week, including weekends and public holidays.

Since 1 February 2024, CHdN in Ettelbruck has offered accessible paediatric care for mild to moderate needs without a prior appointment. CHdN emphasises that CHL KannerKlinik remains the primary point of contact as CHdN is not equipped to handle children arriving by ambulance, those with serious illnesses requiring hospitalisation or those in need of psychiatric care.

Out-with paediatrician office hours

For out of hours services, three Maisons Médicales (Medical Homes) are open from 8pm - 12am on weekdays and from 8am - 12am on weekends. After midnight, you will need to call the emergency services on 112. The team will record your call and refer you to a practitioner who will call you back.

  • Luxembourg City       
    23, Val Fleuri, L-1526 Luxembourg

  • Belval                          
    3-5, avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belvaux (Esch-Belval)

  • Ettelbruck                     
    110, avenue Lucien Salentiny, L-9080 Ettelbruck

Paediatric Medical Centre CHL Kannerklinik is open Monday - Friday, 7pm - 10pm, weekends and public holidays; 9am - 9pm for patients who do not require hospital care.

A shortage of paediatricians in Luxembourg?

Recently, a shortage of paediatricians has led to longer waiting times and limitations on the capacity of paediatricians to take on new patients.
Serge Allard, president of the Luxembourg Association of Paediatricians stated in an interview with RTL Radio in September 2023: "We don't have enough paediatricians, clearly".

Former Minister of Health Pauline Lenert reported for 2022, that there were 137 active paediatricians while the Ministry reported 127 in the same year, and the Association of Paediatricians only listed 75.

Discrepancies are due to whether the paediatricians listed are considered "active" and currently working, or retain a "lifetime right to exercise" which remains ongoing unless voluntarily revoked by the practitioner.

Moreover, more than a quarter of doctors and two thirds of nurses live outside the Grand Duchy. The University of Luxembourg launched four new nursing degrees in 2023 to combat the situation.

Despite these frustrations, notably only 1-2% of children in Luxembourg have unmet healthcare needs. According to the 2022 EU-SILC survey (EU statistics on income and living conditions), only 0.5% of Luxembourg residents reported unmet healthcare needs as a result of waiting times, distance travelled or costs incurred.