Guide for municipalities and schools · welcome

Welcoming a newly arrived child in Luxembourg: the SIA, the regular class and welcome courses.

By the Kawi team · Updated 28 October 2026

A family arrives from abroad and the child speaks none of the school's languages. In Luxembourg, a public system takes over: a ministry welcome service, a regular class from day one and intensive language courses organised by the municipalities. Here is how it works, based on the Ministry of Education's official pages.

One principle: no child is turned away

Every child of compulsory school age must be enrolled, whatever their parents' status. In fundamental education, school is compulsory for every child who turns 4 before 1 September; the early-education year (précoce), from age 3, is optional.

The SIA, the families' entry point

For children aged 4 to 11 who have recently arrived, enrolment and guidance go through the School Integration and Welcome Service (SIA). Its welcome takes four steps (official details):

1. an appointment, requested by the family, even before arriving in Luxembourg;
2. support for the family, with an intercultural mediator if needed;
3. guidance towards a suitable class;
4. follow-up of the pupil for two years.

The appointment form is available in twelve languages, and meetings take place in Luxembourg City or by video call.

Ages 4 to 5: cycle 1, by immersion

Children aged 4 and 5 join cycle 1. Luxembourgish is the main language of the classroom, family languages are valued, and children are introduced to spoken French. Welcome courses only start in cycle 2: at this age, classroom life, play and daily routines bring the language in.

In classes with many Portuguese-speaking children, the school can bring in a Portuguese-language assistant, two hours a week in the classroom, alongside the class teacher.

Ages 6 to 11: regular class and welcome courses

On arrival, the child is enrolled in a regular class (classe d'attache), chosen according to their schooling, age and tests in maths and in their mother tongue. Daily contact with classmates is intentional: the more the child hears the language, the faster they progress.

Alongside this, they attend welcome courses (cours d'accueil): intensive German and/or French, plus an introduction to Luxembourgish, from the second year of cycle 2. Teaching starts with one language, chosen according to prior learning, age and family languages; the second comes once the first is in place. The number of hours depends on progress (fundamental education, ministry).

Intercultural mediators, free of charge

Parents, teachers and education professionals can request the free help of an intercultural mediator: translating previous school records at the first welcome, interpreting at parent-teacher meetings, support in class. Requests are made online at least seven working days before the intervention, and cover dozens of languages, from Portuguese to Tigrinya (official list).

The role of municipalities and maisons relais

The municipalities organise support or welcome courses in their schools. The ministry's welcome service also works with embassies and associations that offer courses of and in first languages, optional and mostly outside school hours, so that the child keeps a link with their home language.

For the child, the day does not end at the bell: the maison relais (after-school care) can be the second place where they hear Luxembourgish. That is where a team that knows the family's story, and values its language, makes the difference.

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