How to Find a Doctor, Dentist and Specialist in Luxembourg

Moving to Luxembourg and wondering how to see a doctor? The good news is that the system is refreshingly simple. There is no gatekeeper and no compulsory GP registration: you have free choice of healthcare provider, and you can book a generalist, a dentist or a specialist directly, whenever you need one.

You can go straight to a specialist

Luxembourg's health system is built on free choice of provider. You are free to pick any doctor, whether a general practitioner (GP) or a specialist, working alone or in a group practice. Crucially, you do not need a referral to see a specialist such as a gynaecologist, dermatologist or ophthalmologist, and a prescription is not required to book one. You can also change doctors whenever you wish.

This differs from countries where you must register with one GP who controls access to everyone else. Here, the choice is entirely yours.

How to find and book a doctor or dentist

Most residents use a mix of practical tools:

• Doctena (doctena.lu) lets you search and book online by specialty, location and the languages the doctor speaks, with real-time availability.
• Word of mouth from colleagues, neighbours and parent groups is invaluable, as good practices fill up quickly.
• The official register of doctors is published by the College Medical (collegemedical.lu).
• You can always phone a practice directly to request an appointment.

Luxembourg's medical community is highly multilingual: many doctors and dentists speak French, German, English and Luxembourgish, and Doctena lets you filter by language so you can find someone you are comfortable with.

The medecin referent (attending doctor) scheme

Luxembourg offers an optional "medecin referent" (attending doctor) scheme run by the CNS. Your attending doctor coordinates your care, keeps your medical file central and guides you to other professionals when needed. It is a voluntary, personal decision, not a requirement, and signing up does not restrict your free choice of doctor. The scheme is aimed mainly at people with a serious or chronic long-term condition; you and the doctor jointly sign a declaration that is sent to the CNS. You never need it simply to see a specialist.

Out-of-hours, emergencies and what to bring

For evenings, weekends and holidays, you have several options:

• Maison Medicale (medecin de garde): walk-in GP clinics in Luxembourg (Val Fleuri), Esch/Belval and Ettelbruck, open weekdays 20:00 to midnight and weekends and public holidays 08:00 to midnight. The switchboard is (+352) 20 333 111. After midnight, call 112, which routes you to the on-call doctor. See the official portal.
• Pharmacie de garde (on-call pharmacy): for urgent medicines outside normal hours, find the duty pharmacy at pharmacie.lu (see our separate pharmacy guide).
• Hospital A&E (urgences): for genuine emergencies, head to a hospital emergency department, such as the CHL, the Hopitaux Robert Schuman (HRS), the CHEM in the south or the CHdN in the north. In a life-threatening situation, call 112.

What to bring: your social security card, which carries your 13-digit national identification number and must be presented to providers, plus any supplementary insurance details.

Fees and CNS reimbursement

In most cases you pay the doctor or dentist directly, then claim back from the CNS. The CNS reimburses 88% of the official tariff for adults and 100% for under-18s. Reimbursement applies to the official tariff, not to any fees charged above it, so supplementary insurance can be worth having. People in financial difficulty can apply for the tiers payant social, which lets the CNS pay providers directly so you do not advance the cost. Dentists, GPs and specialists are all reimbursed on the same principle.

Last reviewed: June 2026. Tariffs, opening hours and reimbursement rates can change; always confirm with the CNS and the official Sante portal.