What you need to know about your social security card
The social security card in Luxembourg has two sides:
- National side: Allows identification as an insured person and contains the holder's name and 13-digit national identification number. It allows access to healthcare in Luxembourg (doctor's appointments, pharmacy, hospital).
- European side (European Health Insurance Card – EHIC): It covers medically necessary care during temporary stays in European Union countries, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
This article summarizes the key points
For complete information, see the detailed section on our website here Social Security Card.
Find the answers to your questions here:
- Can the card expire?
- Is a new card sent automatically?
- Should I always carry my card with me?
Validity of the national side
The national side does not have an expiry date.
It remains valid as long as the person is affiliated to social security in Luxembourg.
If affiliation ends, the card becomes invalid immediately, even without an expiry date.
Validity of the European side
The European side is valid for a limited period of up to five years.
In the event of termination of affiliation, it also becomes invalid immediately, even before its expiry date.
In principle, the card is not sent automatically and needs to be requested by the insured person.
However, if all conditions are met (active membership, correct address and updated data), the card may, in some cases, be issued automatically by internal systems.
Delivery time: up to three weeks.
In case of emergency: A provisional replacement certificate, valid for three months, can be requested via MyGuichet.lu, either as an electronic version or by post.
Last update