Leave & Absences

Family Leave (Sick Child) in Luxembourg

Family leave allows a parent to be absent from work to personally care for a sick child under 18 years of age. The salary is maintained by the employer, who is then reimbursed by the Caisse nationale de santé (CNS) or the Mutualité des employeurs (MDE). This right applies to employees, apprentices and self-employed persons.

Topic: Leave & Absences Sources: CNS · Guichet.lu · MDE · Labour Code Updated: 11 June 2026

1. Eligibility conditions

Who is entitled?

Family leave is available to:

  • any employee bound by an employment contract;
  • any apprentice;
  • any self-employed person affiliated with the Luxembourg social security system.

Conditions relating to the child

The following conditions must be met:

  • the child is under 18 years of age;
  • the child is sick (illness certified by a medical certificate);
  • the parent is personally caring for the child, no other appropriate care arrangement being available.
The purpose of this leave is to allow the parent to personally care for the sick child when no other appropriate care arrangement is available. In practice, the CNS may request additional information if there is any doubt about the conditions of entitlement.

2. Duration by child's age

The maximum duration of leave varies according to the child's age. The durations below are expressed per calendar year:

Child's age Maximum duration per year
0 to 4 years (not yet reached) 12 days
4 to 13 years (not yet reached) 18 days
13 to 18 years (not yet reached) 5 days
These durations apply per child per year. A parent with several sick children simultaneously may combine entitlements for each child. For specific situations (seriously ill child, disability, extended hospitalisation), specific provisions may apply — consult CNS or Guichet.lu directly for complex cases.
For children who are seriously or chronically ill, supplementary provisions may provide extended durations. These situations require individual assessment by the CNS.

3. Procedure: medical certificate and notification

Mandatory medical certificate

Entitlement to leave is conditional on presenting a medical certificate issued by the child's doctor. This certificate must:

  • confirm the child's illness;
  • indicate the expected duration of the need for care;
  • be submitted to the employer as soon as possible;
  • be sent to the CNS for reimbursement processing.

Notification to the employer

The employee must inform their employer of the absence as soon as possible and provide the medical certificate. There is no specific notice period given the unpredictable nature of a child's illness, but notification must take place as quickly as possible.

Good practice: inform the employer by phone or message on the first morning of absence, then submit the medical certificate on the same day or the next. This proactive approach avoids any dispute about the legitimacy of the absence.

4. Remuneration and reimbursement

Salary maintenance by the employer

During family leave, the employer continues to pay the salary under normal conditions. The employee suffers no loss of remuneration.

Reimbursement to the employer

The employer is then reimbursed for the salary maintained:

  • by the Caisse nationale de santé (CNS) for employees under the general scheme;
  • by the Mutualité des employeurs (MDE) depending on the case.

The reimbursement request is made by the employer on the basis of the medical certificate provided by the employee.

For self-employed persons, the compensation mechanism is managed directly with the CNS. The self-employed person receives a daily allowance subject to satisfying the applicable affiliation and contribution conditions.

5. Employee protection

An employee taking family leave benefits from the following protections:

  • the employment contract is maintained throughout the leave;
  • the duration of the leave is taken into account for calculating seniority;
  • exercising the right to family leave cannot, in itself, justify a disciplinary measure or dismissal.
This protection does not operate in the same way as the explicit nullity provision of Article L.233-16 for extraordinary leave. If an employee considers that a measure is abusive, they may contact the ITM (Labour and Mines Inspectorate) or the competent courts.

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The information in this guide is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It may contain inaccuracies or may not reflect the latest legislative or case-law developments. For any specific situation, please consult a qualified legal professional.