Psychotherapists
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To practise as a psychotherapist, you need a licence issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Security.
To obtain such a licence, you must satisfy the profession's qualification, ethics, good repute, and physical and mental health requirements.
Who is concerned?
If you wish to practise as a psychotherapist in Luxembourg, you must be a national of:
- an EU Member State; or
- a State of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway) or Switzerland; or
- a third country.
If you are a third-country national, you must also:
- have a valid residence permit; or
- have been granted international protection.
If you are banned (temporarily or permanently) from practising in the country where you last practised your profession, you cannot practise in Luxembourg either. The same applies if disqualification proceedings are currently under way against you.
Prerequisites
As a psychotherapist, you must hold:
- for basic training:
- either a Master's degree in clinical psychology, or a diploma in psychology that is recognised as equivalent by the Luxembourg Ministry of Health and Social Security, following an assessment by the Scientific Council for Psychotherapy (Conseil scientifique de psychothérapie);
- or basic medical training;
- either a Master's degree in clinical psychology, or a diploma in psychology that is recognised as equivalent by the Luxembourg Ministry of Health and Social Security, following an assessment by the Scientific Council for Psychotherapy (Conseil scientifique de psychothérapie);
- for training in psychotherapy:
- a diploma, certificate or other qualification in psychotherapy issued in Luxembourg or abroad;
- satisfy the ethics, good repute and physical and mental health requirements applicable to the psychotherapist profession;
- have the linguistic abilities which are necessary to carry out your profession in Luxembourg.
Preliminary steps
Qualification in psychology
Your diploma in psychology was obtained in a country other than one of the 3 BENELUX countries, it must first be registered in the register of formal higher education qualifications maintained by the Ministry for Research and Higher Education.
Basic medical qualification
If the basic medical qualification was obtained in an EU Member State, recognition of the diploma need not be applied for.
If you obtained your qualification in a non-EU country, you must obtain prior recognition of your qualifications in another EU Member State. Such recognition must entitle the holder to practise in the Member State in question:
- on an equal footing with the holders of a diploma specified in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC; and
- in accordance with the conditions and criteria stipulated in Article 24 of the Law of 28 October 2016 on the recognition of professional qualifications, as amended (loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016 relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles).
Qualification in psychotherapy
If your diploma was not obtained in Luxembourg, you must apply for recognition of your diploma. Applications for recognition must be sent to the Ministry for Research and Higher Education.
Required language skills
You must have the linguistic abilities which are necessary to carry out your profession in Luxembourg.
If your mother tongue is not French, German or Luxembourgish, you must provide proof of your language skills in order to be authorised to practise.
The minimum level of language proficiency required in French or German is Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The level can be proven by any means such as:
- a copy of the training certificates obtained in one of these 2 languages;
- proof of professional experience in a French- or German-speaking country.
If you cannot supply any of the above proof, you must provide a level B2 certificate of language proficiency from an approved examination centre.
In Luxembourg, the approved examination centre is the National Institute for Languages Luxembourg (Institut national des langues Luxembourg - INLL).
Costs
Applications for the licence to practise carry a fee of EUR 75.
When applications are made online through MyGuichet.lu, the fee must be paid online. The EUR 75 fee must be paid by credit card at the end of the procedure, and is mandatory to complete the application. Therefore, if you have already made the payment by bank transfer, you should send your application by post.
Note: fees will not be reimbursed if the Ministry of Health and Social Security refuses to grant the licence to practise, or if you withdraw your application.
How to proceed
Applying for the licence to practise
You can apply for your licence to practise online via MyGuichet.lu.
Your procedure can be carried out:
- with authentication, using a LuxTrust product or an electronic ID (eID) card; or
- without authentication.
The procedure with authentication has several advantages compared to the procedure without authentication. In particular, it allows you to temporarily save any data that you have already entered so that you can access it at a later date.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive any related messages/notifications by email.
Supporting documents
You must include the following supporting documents with your application:
- if you are a national of a European Economic Area state (EEA): a copy of a valid identity document; or
- if you are not a national of an EEA state:
- a copy of a valid residence permit; or
- a document certifying that you are a beneficiary of international protection;
- a copy of your basic qualification;
- where applicable, proof of registration of the basic qualification in the register of formal higher education qualifications;
- a copy of your diploma, certificate or other qualification in psychotherapy, issued in Luxembourg or abroad;
- where applicable, a copy of the professional recognition of the foreign diploma in psychotherapy by the Ministry for Research and Higher Education;
- an extract from the criminal record of your country of residence (no more than 3 months old);
- a certificate of good mental and physical health issued by a licensed doctor (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- a curriculum vitae;
- if your mother tongue is not French, German or Luxembourgish, you must provide proof of your language skills.
Translations of documents
All documents that are not drawn up in French, German or Luxembourgish must be accompanied by their French, German or Luxembourgish translation produced by a sworn/certified translator.
Processing the application
Once the file is complete, the Ministry of Health and Social Security forwards it to the Medical Board for assessment.
The Medical Board can take between 3 weeks and 3 months to issue their assessment.
After the application for the licence to practise (or the application for renewal) has been examined, you will receive the decision by post.
To speed up the processing of your application, you should ensure that you have added all the required information and supporting documents to your file.
Lapsing of the licence
Your licence to practise will lapse if you:
- do not start practising your profession in Luxembourg within 2 years of the issuance of the licence;
- have ceased your professional activity in Luxembourg for more than 2 years.
Lapsed licences to practise can be renewed upon request.
Application for a renewal of the licence to practise
The licence renewal application procedure is the same as the initial licence application procedure.
This can be done online using MyGuichet.lu (see 'Online services and forms').
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive any related messages/notifications by email.
Your licence renewal application must be accompanied by the following supporting documents, along with their translations where applicable (see above):
- if you are a national of a European Economic Area state (EEA): a copy of a valid identity document; or
- if you are not a national of an EEA state:
- a copy of a valid residence permit; or
- a document certifying that you are a beneficiary of international protection;
- an extract from the criminal record of your country of residence (no more than 3 months old);
- a certificate of good mental and physical health issued by a licensed doctor (no more than 3 months old);
- a certificate of good character issued by the Order of Physicians (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- an up-to-date curriculum vitae.
Possibilities of appeal in the event of refusal
If the application is refused, you may appeal the decision. The appeal must be filed with the administrative tribunal within 1 month of being notified of the decision.
Obligations
Register of psychotherapists
As a reminder, the contact details of all psychotherapists are listed in 2 registers:
- the professional register kept by the Ministry of Health and Social Security;
- the register maintained by the Medical Board.
You must be entered in the registers within one month of starting your practice.
You are also required to update your details in these registers if your situation changes (practice address, email address, telephone number, etc.).
Information
As soon as you start your practice you should acquaint yourself with the public health and social legislation applicable in Luxembourg, as well as the applicable code of ethics.
Liability insurance
If you practise in Luxembourg, you must have civil liability insurance to cover professional risks.
Use of the title
Persons who are licensed to practise may use the title 'psychotherapist'.
Sanctions
Your disciplinary, civil and criminal liability may be incurred if, owing to insufficient language skills, you make a mistake in the performance of your duties.
If you fail to comply with your professional obligations, you may face disciplinary sanctions, which may go as far as suspension or disqualification.
You can be fined or even imprisoned (in the event of repeated violations) in the case of:
- illegal use of the title 'psychotherapist';
- incitement to illegal practice of psychotherapy;
- illegal practice of psychotherapy;
- illegal practice of psychotherapy and misuse of protected title.
Requesting duplicates
Applications for a duplicate of the licence to practise as a psychotherapist should be made by post or by email to the Ministry of Health and Social Security, enclosing a copy of your identity document.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Health professionals - Psychotherapists
-
Ministry of Health and Social Security Health Professionals - Psychotherapists
- Address:
- 1, rue Charles Darwin L-1433 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 85505
- Email address:
- psychotherapie@ms.etat.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Legal references
-
Directive 2005/36 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 7 septembre 2005
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Loi modifiée du 14 juillet 2015
portant création de la profession de psychothérapeute
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 31 juillet 2015
fixant la procédure à suivre pour obtenir l’autorisation d’exercer la profession de psychothérapeute
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