Debt Collection Agency in Luxembourg: No Win, No Fee
Need a debt collection agency in Luxembourg? For unpaid invoices from business customers in Luxembourg, your claims are handled by Étude Roden and Minden, our partner law firm at the Luxembourg Bar since 1954. You track every step online.
Questions about your case?
Write to us, we reply by email.
Why choose Debitura for debt collection in Luxembourg
Start recovering your Luxembourg debts in three steps
- Upload your claim: submit the invoice and supporting documents online in minutes.
- Roden & Minden takes action: a formal mise en demeure goes out, followed by negotiation where useful.
- Get paid: funds go directly to your account; escalation to court only happens with your approval.
Transparent, success-based pricing
With Debitura you pay a success fee only when money is recovered. Pre-legal collection is No Cure, No Pay: a success fee deducted from recovered amounts, invoiced locally by your partner. Fees depend on the debtor's country, not yours.
- Debtors in Europe (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the UK and Switzerland): success fees from 6% depending on claim size.
- Debtors in the rest of the world: success fees from 7.5% depending on claim size.
- Older claims: a surcharge applies for claims 12 to 24 months overdue and for claims older than 24 months.
- Legal action is optional: you approve a legal quote, with court costs stated separately, before any legal spend.
See the pricing page for the full fee schedule, or get an instant estimate when you upload a claim.
How does debt collection work in Luxembourg?
Debt collection in Luxembourg starts amicably: your case is handled locally by Étude Roden & Minden, a licensed law firm based in Luxembourg City, which sends a formal mise en demeure (notice to pay) before any court step. Most claims resolve at this stage without ever reaching a judge. If the debtor still does not pay, escalation to court and enforcement follows only with your approval, never automatically, so you stay in control of the cost and the timeline at every step.
- Submit your claim online in under 2 minutes.
- A licensed local partner takes the first action on your behalf.
- No Cure, No Pay: you owe nothing unless we recover.
- You approve every escalation before it happens.
- Track your case and get paid directly to your own account.
The four steps from unpaid invoice to recovered cash
- Amicable collection: a formal notice to pay from a licensed local partner, aimed at getting you paid without ever going to court.
- Enforceable title: if the debtor still does not pay, we help you obtain a court order or judgment that a bailiff can act on.
- Enforcement: with an enforceable title, the debtor's assets, bank accounts or wages can be seized to satisfy the debt.
- Insolvency: if the debtor is genuinely unable to pay, insolvency proceedings determine what, if anything, creditors ultimately recover.
The guide below walks through each of these four steps for Luxembourg in detail, with the specific courts, laws and timeframes that apply.
Debt collection in Luxembourg - the complete 2026 guide
This guide explains, step by step, how debt collection works in Luxembourg: which laws and courts apply, how long you have to act, and what each stage costs. It is written for creditors, in-house counsel and finance teams deciding how to recover a debt in Luxembourg.
Why you can trust this guide
Written from primary legal sources and reviewed by licensed local experts in this jurisdiction.
Questions or feedback? Email us at contact@debitura.com , we update this guide based on your input.
Debitura By the Numbers:
- 180 countries covered - each case handled by a local partner
- More than 5,000 businesses registered with Debitura
- 33 days median time to first payment on European cases
About the author
Written by Lars Holdgaard, Founder of Debitura (+10 years in global B2B debt recovery).
Contributing local experts:
Last updated:
Debt collection in Luxembourg - quick answers
How long do I have to collect a debt in Luxembourg?
For a commercial claim between businesses, you have 10 years under the Code de commerce (Commercial Code, art. 189). General civil claims run much longer, up to 30 years, under the Code civil (Civil Code, art. 2262: "Toutes les actions, tant réelles que personnelles, sont prescrites par trente ans"). That 30-year general period remains in force: no legislative reform has shortened it, despite occasional claims to the contrary. Because the shorter 10-year commercial period usually applies to unpaid B2B invoices, do not wait to act.
How much does it cost to collect a debt in Luxembourg?
Recovering a debt in Luxembourg does not have to cost you anything upfront, because Debitura works on a No Cure, No Pay basis: you pay only once money is actually recovered. If the case escalates, a huissier de justice's (bailiff's) fees, set by regulation, apply on top and include a variable component tied to the amount recovered.
What interest and costs can I add to an unpaid invoice in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg runs a clear B2B/B2C split under the loi modifiée du 18 avril 2004 (Payment Terms and Late Payment Interest Act): a business-to-business claim carries the statutory reference rate plus 8 percentage points, currently 10.15% per year for the first half of 2026, while a consumer or other-case claim carries the general legal interest rate, set at 3.75% for 2026. A fixed EUR 40 recovery compensation can also be claimed without a prior reminder, plus reasonable additional costs above that amount.
Which court handles a debt collection case in Luxembourg?
The split is by claim value: the justice de paix handles claims below EUR 15,000, and the tribunal d'arrondissement handles claims above EUR 15,000. Luxembourg has two judicial districts, Luxembourg (city) and Diekirch, plus a third territorial division at Esch-sur-Alzette for justice de paix purposes.
What documents do I need to collect a debt in Luxembourg?
At minimum you need the underlying contract or order, the unpaid invoice, proof of delivery of goods or services, and a copy of the mise en demeure (formal notice to pay) sent by registered mail or through a huissier de justice, since a vague reminder without a firm deadline does not satisfy the legal notice requirement.
| Claim type | Limitation period |
|---|---|
| Commercial (B2B) claim | 10 years (Code de commerce, art. 189) |
| General civil claim | 30 years (Code civil, art. 2262) |
Is collecting from a business different to collecting from a consumer in Luxembourg?
Yes, mainly in the interest rate and invoicing rules. A B2B claim carries the higher 10.15% commercial late-payment rate and a maximum contractual payment term of 60 days absent manifest abuse, and a B2B invoice should be issued by the 15th of the month following delivery; a B2C claim instead carries the lower 3.75% general rate, and the supplier should invoice within one month of delivery. The 30-year and 10-year limitation periods, by contrast, turn on whether the underlying obligation is commercial, not on who the debtor is.
Who does what in Luxembourg debt collection?
Licensed law firms
Debt collection in Luxembourg is carried out locally by Étude Roden & Minden, Debitura's exclusive local partner, a law firm regulated by the Ordre des avocats du Barreau de Luxembourg (the Luxembourg Bar). Debitura is the platform that connects you to Roden & Minden; Roden & Minden carries out the licensed, regulated collection and litigation work in Luxembourg.
Huissiers de justice (bailiffs)
A huissier de justice holds sole competence to formally serve documents and execute enforceable court decisions in Luxembourg, and may also file an ordonnance de paiement request and pursue saisie-arrêt (garnishment) or the public sale of a debtor's movable property. Appointment requires Luxembourg nationality, a one-year apprenticeship, a bailiff-candidate certificate and a Luxembourg-law qualification.
Do you need a lawyer?
Filing an ordonnance de paiement for a claim of EUR 15,000 or less requires no lawyer, since the request goes directly to the registry of the justice de paix, which keeps early-stage costs low for an undisputed debt.
The courts
The justice de paix and the tribunal d'arrondissement issue judgments depending on claim value; neither court itself carries out enforcement, which is the huissier's role.
Debitura's role
Debitura is the platform: you submit your claim once, we route it to Roden & Minden, and you track progress from one dashboard while Roden & Minden performs the licensed work on the ground in Luxembourg.
Which laws and courts apply to debt collection in Luxembourg?
The court system
Luxembourg splits civil and commercial jurisdiction by claim value: the justice de paix hears claims below EUR 15,000, with claims of EUR 2,000 or less decided in first and last instance (no appeal) and claims between EUR 2,000 and EUR 15,000 open to appeal; the tribunal d'arrondissement hears claims above EUR 15,000. There are two judicial districts, Luxembourg (city) and Diekirch, and a third territorial division at Esch-sur-Alzette for justice de paix purposes.
Key legislation
Civil obligations generally are codified in the Code civil (Civil Code); civil procedure in the Nouveau Code de procédure civile (NCPC, the New Code of Civil Procedure); and commercial obligations in the Code de commerce (Commercial Code), whose article 189 sets the 10-year commercial limitation period. Payment terms and late-payment interest are governed by the loi modifiée du 18 avril 2004 (Payment Terms and Late Payment Interest Act), as amended by the loi du 29 mars 2013 transposing EU Directive 2011/7/EU on combating late payment in commercial transactions. Insolvency currently runs under the loi du 7 août 2023 relative à la préservation des entreprises (Law on the Preservation of Enterprises), which introduced the réorganisation judiciaire procedure.
Consumer protection
Consumer and other-case claims carry a lower statutory legal interest rate than B2B commercial claims, and a consumer debtor unable to pay at all can access a dedicated three-phase over-indebtedness (surendettement) regime rather than the ordinary business insolvency route, starting with an amicable Mediation Commission before any court is involved.
Step 1 - How does amicable (pre-legal) debt collection work in Luxembourg?
Amicable collection in Luxembourg centres on the mise en demeure, a formal notice to pay sent by registered mail or through a huissier de justice. To be legally effective the notice must state a precise, strict deadline; a vague reminder without a firm deadline does not satisfy the legal notice requirement. Invoice timing also matters for later interest claims: a B2B invoice should be issued by the 15th of the month following delivery or completion, and a B2C invoice within one month. Roden & Minden handles this stage on your behalf, sending the notice and negotiating a resolution where useful.
| Timeframe | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Claim submitted; Roden & Minden reviews the file and contacts the debtor. |
| Day 1-14 | Mise en demeure sent by registered mail or huissier, with a firm deadline. |
| Day 14-45 | Follow-up contact and, where appropriate, a negotiated payment plan. |
| Day 45-90 | If unpaid, the file is prepared for escalation to court, with your approval. |
Escalate once the debtor stops responding, disputes the claim without a credible basis, or the agreed deadline in the mise en demeure passes; Roden & Minden will recommend the next step before any court fee is incurred.
Step 2 - How do you obtain an enforceable title in Luxembourg?
For an undisputed debt, Luxembourg offers a dedicated fast-track: the domestic ordonnance de paiement (payment order, NCPC arts. 129-143). For claims of EUR 15,000 or less, the request goes to the justice de paix registry and does not require a lawyer; for claims above EUR 15,000, it goes to the president of the tribunal d'arrondissement. Once issued, the debtor has 30 days to pay or formally oppose it (contredit); if the debtor does neither, the creditor then has 6 months to enforce the order. Filing requires one original plus four copies of the supporting documents.
Fast-track vs ordinary route
A contested claim, or one the creditor does not route through the payment-order procedure, instead proceeds as an ordinary citation before the justice de paix or the tribunal d'arrondissement depending on value, with pleadings and a hearing before judgment.
Determining the right court
The EUR 15,000 threshold determines both the ordinary court and the payment-order route; Roden & Minden identifies the correct court and procedure for your claim.
More on court proceedings in Luxembourg
Appeals
Within the justice de paix, a judgment on a claim of EUR 2,000 or less is final, with no appeal; a judgment on a claim between EUR 2,000 and EUR 15,000 can be appealed.
Registry fees
A specific, numeric registry-fee or stamp-duty schedule for the ordonnance de paiement or an ordinary citation was not located in current official sources for this guide; confirm the applicable court fees with Roden & Minden before filing. [NEEDS VERIFIED SOURCE]
Step 3 - How does debt enforcement work in Luxembourg?
With an enforceable title in hand, enforcement in Luxembourg is carried out exclusively by a huissier de justice (bailiff), the only professional with competence to formally serve documents and execute enforceable court decisions.
Wage and pension garnishment
Garnishment of wages and pensions (saisie-arrêt) is regulated by the Règlement grand-ducal du 9 janvier 1979, as amended by the loi du 11 août 1996, which sets protected minimums so that a debtor is not left without any income.
Seizing and selling movable property
Beyond wage garnishment, a huissier de justice can seize a debtor's movable property and organise its public sale to satisfy the debt, and can pursue saisie-arrêt against a debtor's bank accounts or other assets held by a third party.
Huissier fees
A huissier's fees for this work are fixed by regulation and combine a fixed fee, travel costs, an hourly rate and 0.5% to 3% of the amount actually recovered; these are statutory costs of enforcement, not a Debitura fee.
If enforcement finds nothing
Where the huissier's search turns up no seizable wages or assets, the case typically moves toward the insolvency route covered in Step 4.
Step 4 - How do insolvency procedures affect debt recovery in Luxembourg?
Business insolvency in Luxembourg (faillite) requires three conditions: the debtor has merchant status, has ceased payments, and shows an "ébranlement du crédit" (credit impairment). The competent court is the tribunal d'arrondissement.
What happens once faillite is declared
The debtor becomes "dessaisi" (divested of managing its own assets); a court-appointed curateur (trustee) administers the estate under the supervision of a juge-commissaire (supervising judge). Individual creditor enforcement actions are barred once judgment is declared, except for specially privileged creditors, so creditors instead file a déclaration de créances (proof of claim) and are paid pro rata ("au marc le franc") from what the estate recovers.
The suspect period
A période suspecte (suspect period) of up to 6 months before the bankruptcy judgment lets the curateur void certain transactions the debtor made while insolvent, including gratuitous transfers, below-market sales and early payment of debts not yet due.
Reorganisation before bankruptcy
The loi du 7 août 2023 relative à la préservation des entreprises (Law on the Preservation of Enterprises) introduced the réorganisation judiciaire procedure as a modern alternative to straight liquidation, aimed at rescuing a viable but distressed business before faillite becomes necessary.
Consumer over-indebtedness
Where the debtor is an individual consumer rather than a merchant, a separate three-phase surendettement (over-indebtedness) regime applies instead of faillite: an amicable phase before the Mediation Commission, followed if needed by judicial rehabilitation before the justice de paix, and a subsidiary personal-recovery phase. The exact conditions for a full debt discharge ("effacement de dettes") for an individual were not independently confirmed for this guide. [NEEDS VERIFIED SOURCE]
Fees, interest and who pays what in Luxembourg
- Our fee: success-based, No Cure, No Pay. Fees depend on the debtor's country, not yours; for a debtor in Luxembourg (a European jurisdiction), rates start from 6%. See pricing for the full schedule.
- Huissier and court fees: apply only if the case escalates. A huissier de justice's fees are set by regulation, combining a fixed fee, travel costs, an hourly rate and 0.5% to 3% of the amount recovered, not a Debitura charge.
- Statutory interest: a B2B commercial claim carries the reference rate plus 8 percentage points, currently 10.15% per year for the first half of 2026, under the loi modifiée du 18 avril 2004; a consumer or other-case claim carries the general legal interest rate, 3.75% for 2026.
- Recovery compensation: a fixed EUR 40 can be claimed without a prior reminder, plus reasonable reimbursement of additional recovery costs above that amount.
- Who keeps what: once a debt is recovered, the principal and any recoverable statutory interest and costs go to you; Debitura's success fee is deducted only from what is actually recovered.
Cross-border debt collection in Luxembourg
As an EU member state, Luxembourg gives creditors access to the full set of EU cross-border recovery tools. The European Payment Order (Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006) runs alongside the domestic ordonnance de paiement for an uncontested cross-border claim, and the European Small Claims Procedure (Regulation (EC) No 861/2007, as amended) is available for eligible smaller cross-border claims, handled by the justice de paix.
Under the Brussels I recast (Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012), in force since 10 January 2015, a judgment from another EU member state is automatically recognised and enforceable in Luxembourg without a separate exequatur procedure. This matters in practice for Luxembourg's small, internationally exposed business base: Roden & Minden itself also covers claims connected to France, Belgium and Germany in addition to Luxembourg, reflecting how closely the Greater Region's economies are linked.
Partners in our network
These firms are partners in our network for this country. Open a profile to learn more about each one. If court action is needed on your case, your partner sends a quote on the platform; nothing starts until you accept it.
- Verified specialists
- Nothing starts until you accept the quote
- Fair, pre-negotiated rates
CERNO is a premier law firm in Luxembourg offering effective Debt Collection services in Luxembourg, positioning itself as the go-to partner for debt recovery since 2013, with memberships in the European Immigration Lawyers Network and AEA International Lawyers Network, serving 124 countries worldwide according to the firm.
.webp)
.png)
.png)
Valette Bove Law Firm is a premier law firm in Luxembourg offering effective Debt Collection services in Luxembourg, positioning the firm as the go-to partner for debt recovery with accolades from Leaders League and membership in IPBA and UAE.
Roden & Minden is a premier law firm in Luxembourg offering effective debt collection services, positioning itself as the go-to partner for debt recovery since 1954, with a No Cure No Pay model as a Debitura partner, adhering to Debitura's No Cure, No Pay standard terms and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our most common FAQs below, or reach out directly at contact@debitura.com if you need help with a specific case.
.svg){kind=icon}
.png)
.png)
.svg)
.svg)
