How do cross-border families living in France, Germany or Belgium claim family allowance in Luxembourg?

If you work in Luxembourg and your family lives in France, Germany or Belgium, your children can get Luxembourg family benefits through your job here. Children of your spouse or partner count too if they live with you both.

Which country pays first: under EU rules, work takes precedence over residence.

• If only one parent works, and that is in Luxembourg, Luxembourg is the priority payer and pays monthly.
• If the other parent works in your country of residence, that country usually pays first and Luxembourg tops this up with a differential supplement.

How to apply: send the CAE form, or apply on MyGuichet.lu, with:

• a recent residence or household composition certificate listing all family members
• the birth certificate and your bank details (RIB)
• where relevant, a certificate from the fund that pays or last paid your family benefits

The form asks whether another institution already pays for your children. Apply to the family allowance fund in your country of residence as well, and tell both funds about a new baby.

The differential supplement is paid twice a year, at the end of January and July at the earliest, once the file is complete. Since EU funds exchange data electronically (EESSI), the CAE receives the amounts paid in your country directly: E411 forms and paper payment certificates are no longer required or accepted, and you only send other documents if the CAE asks for them.

What changes on 1 January 2027: after the family allowance reform, the CAE has announced higher Luxembourg amounts per child, at today's index: €360.04 a month under 6, €383.85 from 6 and €434.48 from 12, plus a back-to-school allowance of €175 from 6 and €325 from 12. If you get the differential supplement, what you receive still depends on what your country of residence pays.