Is there a special type of leave for doctor\u2019s visits? Are you allowed to leave the house while on sick leave? How much time off can you get? What do you do if you catch something during your vacation? With so many questions that affect us all, we thought it would be helpful to give an overview of sick leave in Luxembourg.<\/p>\n
Take Lucas, for instance: Lucas has been working in Luxembourg for a few months now. He makes social security payments and knows he\u2019s covered by the country\u2019s healthcare system. What he doesn\u2019t know is just what rights he has, and what to do if he\u2019s ill. Let\u2019s answer Lucas\u2019 questions together.<\/p>\n
One morning, Lucas wakes up not feeling well. He\u2019s dizzy and nauseous, with a fever and a headache. He knows he won\u2019t be able to work. But what should he do? Before going to the doctor, Lucas should tell his employer or a representative of the company on the very first day he\u2019s sick<\/strong><\/span>. He can do this in person or have someone else do it, or he could call in, write an email or send a text… Whatever works!<\/p>\n Lucas can then go to the doctor. He can find one in Luxembourg, or if he lives in one of the neighbouring countries, he can go to one there.<\/p>\n Helpful tip<\/strong>: in the event of a legal dispute, Lucas would have to prove that he informed his employer in due time. It\u2019s therefore advisable to keep a written record of this whenever possible.<\/p>\n No, there isn\u2019t. If Lucas starts to feel under the weather at work, he will have to ask his boss for permission to leave during business hours to see the doctor. The same is true if he needs to see a specialist, for example.<\/p>\n Helpful tip<\/strong>: if Lucas\u2019 boss allows him to leave work, they should specify whether or not this absence will be considered sick leave.<\/p>\n Your employer and the CNS must have received your medical certificate by the third day of absence at the latest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A certificate from a doctor is mandatory for absences of three days or more. That being said, your employer is entitled to request them for even just one day of absence. That\u2019s why Lucas is advised to see the doctor and get a certificate, no matter how long he thinks he\u2019ll be gone.<\/p>\n In order to benefit from protection against dismissal<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and to avoid any litigation, Lucas should notify his employer of his absence from day one and<\/strong> ensure that he delivers his doctor\u2019s note to both his employer and the <\/strong>CNS<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (the national health insurance fund) by the third day he\u2019s gone. When a person is hospitalised, this deadline is increased to the eighth day.<\/span><\/p>\n Example<\/strong>: Lucas woke up feeling unwell on Wednesday morning, and his doctor put him on sick leave for three days. Since he\u2019s not in the hospital, his employer and the CNS will need to have received his medical certificate by Friday at the latest.<\/p>\n No matter which country the doctor\u2019s note comes from, you have to complete it by filling in your Luxembourg social security number (13\u00a0digits). Then you must send the top copy to the relevant department of the CNS (by postal mail to the D\u00e9partement des Indemnit\u00e9s P\u00e9cuniaires<\/em> (Financial Compensation department) L-2980 Luxembourg or via their online form<\/strong><\/span><\/a>) and the second copy to your employer. The third copy should be kept. Note that sending the certificate by email is no longer accepted by the CNS since December 1, 2024.<\/p>\n Helpful tip<\/strong>: if the certificate comes from Belgium (with no carbon copies attached), you need to ask your doctor for an official copy. If the medical certificate comes from France, you must check that it is the new secure Cerfa form that has been mandatory in France since 1 July 2025.<\/p>\n This virus is a mean one! Now Lucas\u2019 doctor has decided to extend his sick leave for a few more days. He\u2019ll have to inform his employer immediately of the change, and deliver the new medical certificate to both them and the CNS. Once again, the deadline is three days.<\/p>\n Example<\/strong>: Lucas was supposed to come back to work on Monday, before the doctor extended his sick leave. His employer and the CNS must receive the new doctor\u2019s note on Wednesday at the latest.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t leave the house during the first five days of sick leave \u2013 not even on the weekend.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Lucas has been in bed for four whole days. He\u2019s finally starting to feel better, and would like to take a walk to get some fresh air. But unfortunately for him, he\u2019s not allowed out during the first five days of his sick leave\u00a0\u2013 not even on the weekend! Even if his medical certificate indicates otherwise, he may not leave his home, or whatever place of convalescence he has reported to the CNS. The only exceptions to this rule are doctor\u2019s visits and trips to the pharmacy, evaluations by the Social Security Medical Board, or visits to other healthcare providers.<\/p>\n Lucas is free to go out on the sixth day (unless this goes against his doctor\u2019s orders). Still, he can\u2019t stay out all night partying! While on sick leave, he\u2019s only allowed out from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm, and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. And even during these hours, Lucas cannot do whatever he likes. He can\u2019t play any sports (unless they\u2019re ordered by the doctor) or go out to eat. …Well, to be perfectly accurate, he could take a meal in a restaurant even from the first day of his leave, but he would have to inform the CNS in advance using a special form on their website<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n No matter what country Lucas lives in, the CNS can send someone to check on him starting from the very first day of sick leave, if his employer or insurance provider requests it. These surprise checks can occur anywhere between 8.00\u00a0am and 9.00\u00a0pm.<\/p>\n Helpful tip<\/strong>: if during his sick leave Lucas stays somewhere other than his usual home (but in the same country as his official country of residence), he must indicate the exact address on the certificate of incapacity for work or inform the CNS using the form<\/strong><\/span><\/a> provided for this purpose. However, he must obtain prior authorization from the CNS if he wishes to stay in a country different from the one where he resides.<\/p>\n Lucas is not allowed to stay abroad overnight while on sick leave<\/strong><\/span><\/a> for holidays or even the weekend. However, he can request to do so in one of the following exceptional cases:<\/p>\n If one of these situations applies to Lucas, he should send his request to the CNS by sending the prior authorization request form for a stay abroad<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to the Department for Management of Certificates of Incapacity for Work L-2980 Luxembourg. The submission must be made at least one week before departure (except in the case of a death or a birth).<\/p>\n If one of these situations applies to Lucas, he should send a request to the CNS Department for Management of Certificates of Incapacity for Work.<\/p>\n If Lucas falls ill during his holiday from work, that holiday may be ruined, but he won\u2019t necessarily lose his days off. To get them back, he has to inform his employer and submit a medical certificate to his employer and the CNS as quickly as possible (within three days if he is in Luxembourg). The days covered by the certificate will then be considered sick days, and not holidays. That means Lucas will get them back, and can use them later in the year at a time approved by his employer.<\/p>\n Here, the logic is less straightforward. If Lucas gets sick on a legal holiday that falls on a day of the week when he would normally have been working, he will not get an extra holiday back. However, if the legal holiday is one that he would have had off, he can get a day back to replace it.<\/p>\n Example<\/strong>: Lucas usually works Monday to Friday. This year, he needs sick leave on National Day. He can only get that day back if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday.<\/p>\n During his sick leave, Lucas will continue to receive his usual salary (pay and benefits provided for in his employment contract). His employer would be the one to pay his salary until the end of the month in which the 77th<\/sup> day of sick leave fell. The days of leave are recorded within a rolling 18-month period (unless his employment contract ends earlier).<\/p>\n After the 77th<\/sup> day, the CNS would take over Lucas\u2019 sick pay. This benefit is limited to 78\u00a0weeks over a rolling 104-week period. Beyond this, his employment contract terminates automatically.<\/p>\n If they meet the obligation to inform their employer and the CNS, a person cannot be fired while on sick leave for 26 weeks, starting from the first day of leave.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If Lucas met his obligation to inform his employer and the CNS, he cannot be fired (with exceptions) while on sick leave for 26 weeks, starting from the first day of leave. However, if he takes sick leave very often and it impedes the smooth running of his workplace, this could be a valid reason to fire him (unless his absence is due to a work-related illness or workplace accident). Before letting him go and beginning his legal notice period, his boss would have to wait for him to return from leave or until the 26 weeks had elapsed.<\/p>\n Lucas doesn\u2019t have children yet, but he knows that it can be hard for the parents he works with when their children are sick. While there is no special type of leave for parents who need to care for their sick children, there is leave for family reasons<\/strong><\/span><\/a> that can be used when a child under 18 is sick or seriously injured, or in other special cases.<\/p>\n To get it, a parent has to inform their employer from the first day of their absence and deliver the doctor\u2019s note to the CNS by the third day. This certificate must indicate the child\u2019s illness as well as the fact that the parent is caring for them.<\/p>\nIs there a special type of leave for doctor\u2019s visits?<\/h2>\n
What about doctor\u2019s notes?<\/h2>\n
What do I do if I\u2019m sick for a long time?<\/h2>\n
Can I leave the house while I\u2019m on sick leave?<\/h2>\n
Will someone come to my house to check that I\u2019m really ill?<\/h2>\n
Can I leave the country while I\u2019m on sick leave?<\/h2>\n
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If I\u2019m sick during my holiday, can I get my days back?<\/h2>\n
What if I\u2019m sick during a legal holiday?<\/h2>\n
How long am I allowed to remain on sick leave, and who pays for it?<\/h2>\n
Am I protected from being fired when I\u2019m on sick leave?<\/h2>\n
Can I take leave when my child is sick?<\/h2>\n