Am I required to have my child vaccinated?
No — in Luxembourg no vaccine is compulsory for children. Unlike France, which has imposed eleven vaccines since 2018, or Italy, the Grand Duchy works purely by recommendation. The vaccination schedule is drawn up by the Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses and implemented by the Directorate of Health; following it is the parents' choice, never a legal obligation. The most stubborn myth is that an unvaccinated child can be refused entry to daycare or school — that is false, no law requires it. Every recommended vaccine is free of charge, delivered directly to doctors, and you are free to choose your own. Not vaccinating carries no fine; but during an outbreak — measles, for example — the Directorate of Health may lawfully keep an unprotected child away from a group setting for as long as the risk lasts.
📋 The rules
- No childhood vaccination is legally compulsory: the schedule is a set of recommendations, not an order.
- The recommendations are set by the Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses (CSMI); the Directorate of Health publishes and updates the vaccination schedule.
- Every vaccine on the schedule is free: the State supplies them to doctors, who vaccinate the child at no cost to the family.
- Vaccination is recorded in the electronic vaccination record and at school-medicine check-ups, which inform but impose nothing.
- No vaccination is required to enrol a child in daycare or public school; an institution cannot make it a lawful condition of admission.
🔓 Exceptions
- During an outbreak (measles in particular), the Directorate of Health may order the temporary exclusion of an unvaccinated child from a group setting while the risk lasts.
- Some travel destinations require vaccines (yellow fever, for example): the obligation then comes from the destination country, not from Luxembourg.
- Private daycare centres or activities may write vaccination requirements into their own rules; that is a contractual choice of the provider, not a State rule.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no criminal penalty and no fine for a parent who refuses to vaccinate a child: on this point Luxembourg clearly departs from France or Italy, where non-vaccination is punished. The real consequences lie elsewhere. During an epidemic flare-up, an unprotected child can be kept away from daycare, school or a holiday camp by a health decision, which upends family life. In civil terms, a parent could see their liability raised if their child infected a vulnerable person. The unvaccinated child also remains exposed to serious, even fatal diseases, when the protection was free — and certain trips or healthcare jobs will be closed to them for lack of the required vaccines. Prevention, in short, costs nothing; its absence can cost a great deal.
📎 Official sources
- Health Portal · vaccination and vaccination schedule (official site) →
- Ministry of Health and Social Security · official portal →
- CNS · health insurance and benefits (official site) →
❓ Frequently asked
Is vaccination required to start school in Luxembourg?
No: no Luxembourg law makes school enrolment conditional on vaccination, contrary to a very common belief. A public institution cannot turn a child away merely because they are unvaccinated, except under an exceptional health measure during an epidemic.
Are children's vaccines free?
Yes, every vaccine on the national schedule is entirely free for the family. The State supplies them directly to doctors, and you may have your child vaccinated by the doctor of your choice, with nothing to pay upfront.
Who decides which vaccines are recommended in Luxembourg?
Recommendations are drawn up by the Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses, an expert advisory body. The Directorate of Health then turns those opinions into an official vaccination schedule, updated regularly in line with epidemiological data.
What does a parent risk by not vaccinating their child?
No fine and no prosecution: non-vaccination is not punished in Luxembourg. However, the child can be temporarily excluded from a group setting during an outbreak, and remains exposed to preventable diseases that are sometimes serious.
Can my unvaccinated child be excluded from daycare?
A public daycare cannot demand vaccination as a condition of admission, but a private provider may write it into its own rules. In addition, during an outbreak the Directorate of Health can order a temporary exclusion to protect the other children.
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