Luxembourg has introduced free Covid-19 testing for businesses who need to send employees abroad for urgent business reasons. This article provides details.

In a press release dated 23 July 2020, the General Directorate responsible for small and medium-sized businesses (the 'Direction générale des classes moyennes') recommended that Luxembourg companies whose employees need to travel abroad for urgent professional reasons should provide their travelling employees with a negative Covid-19 test certificate dated less than 48 hours before the travel.

In this context, companies may request free tests for their employees travelling to countries that require the presentation of a negative Covid-19 test, by sending the following information to the e-mail address covid19@houseofentrepreneurship.lu: the name of the company, the destination country, the date of the trip abroad (date of the border crossing), the number of employees involved in the trip, as well as the reasons for it and possible justifications for travel.

In addition, in a press release dated 24 July 2020, the government specifies that the online form ' Covidtest.déplacements' should be used for journeys by Luxembourg residents which will take place until 2 August 2020 to a country explicitly requiring a negative Covid-19 test.

The provisions set out below apply in particular to business trips by employees resident in Luxembourg.

 A negative Covid-19 test is currently mandatory for:

  • travel to Germany and to the Portuguese islands of Madeira and the Azores;
  • transit through Slovakia as well as through Lithuania to another country of destination.

A negative Covid-19 test is not required for:

  • transit through Germany or Switzerland,
  • travel to Portugal via France and Spain,
  • travel to France, Spain, Austria, Italy and Greece.

It is recommended that the individuals concerned by these measures consult the regular updates provided on the government website as well as on the websites of the embassies of the destination or transit countries concerned.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.