Guichet.lu: the virtual gateway to public administration.
Do you need a fishing licence or do you want to apply for a family allowance? It's so easy! Just knock on the door of Guichet.lu - the virtual gateway to the Luxembourg public administration.
The Government Portal makes it easier to deal with administrations and public institutions and provides an initial answer to all types of questions. Essentially, it puts users on the right path when dealing with administrative procedures. The most frequent requests include applications for financial aid for higher education and requests for criminal records.
Quick and easy access
Owing to its clear and straightforward layout, access to administrative information and services is just a click away! The home page immediately gives you an insight into its user-friendly design: here is one platform for citizens, one for businesses and a secure MyGuichet platform. Each interface points the user in the right direction.
In order to offer a more dynamic experience to users, each section is accompanied by pictograms which are accessible to all. Like Ariadne's thread, the web surfer receives support and guidance throughout the search process.
A well-defined tree structure leads the applicant to the relevant information. These pages set out the details regarding the persons concerned, the conditions to be met, the steps to be taken, the deadlines, the practical details relating to the applications as well as the contact organisations and their addresses.
The MyGuichet secure platform allows you to check your personal data recorded by the administration, download official documents and administrative forms. Thanks to the personal and secure access to the digital services of the Luxembourg State, you can carry out your administrative procedures online.
The 'Guichet accueil'
A support service and information help-desk is available to advise citizens on administrative procedures. It is located in the city centre next to the cathedral.
A popular vade mecum
Guichet.lu also provides several useful tools such as a rent subsidy simulator or housing subsidies. It also allows you to download forms for administrative procedures and offers information on training courses.
In addition, in the news section, the portal regularly provides reports on all the latest news concerning public services, including decisions, new support measures, publications and events.
The official site of the administration is accessible 24/7. It is available to all citizens, individuals and professionals searching for information. Guichet.lu is available in three languages (French, German and English). In normal times, it has around 570,000 unique visitors each month.
In 2019, approximately 553,000 procedures were carried out online. During the COVID-19 health crisis, the number of online applications rose significantly. More than 2 million procedures were submitted via MyGuichet.lu in 2020.
Since its launch, the Guichet.lu portal has enjoyed increasing success. In the future, new technologies will improve the accessibility and the use of the public administration platform. Overview with Patrick Houtsch, director of the CTIE and manager of the Guichet.lu website.
1. What was the original idea behind the launch of Guichet.lu?
Guichet.lu went online for the first time in 2008. Its objective was to provide both citizens and businesses with an online platform containing all the information on the procedures and services offered by the State. The intention was to create a common platform for both target groups.
The main advantage of Guichet.lu is that any user looking for information does not need to know in advance which administration or public authority to contact. The search is therefore carried out depending on the user's personal situation (and the type of request being made) and not, as is common practice, according to the responsibilities of each respective administration or public institution.
2. Which services are available via Guichet.lu?
Guichet.lu offers quick and user-friendly access to all the information, procedures and services offered by Luxembourg’s public institutions. It therefore helps citizens and businesses alike to carry out a wide range of formalities with administrations and public authorities.
Guichet.lu also offers:
- a series of administrative procedures to be carried out online via the secure MyGuichet.lu platform;
- forms to download relating to procedures and, in certain cases, these forms can be sent electronically to the relevant institution;
- online tools such as a rent subsidy simulator;
- up-to-date news in order to inform Internet users about latest developments relating to specific procedures.
The MyGuichet.lu service - the interactive Guichet.lu platform - which is also developed by the State Information Technology Centre (CTIE), is a package of online services helping to simplify the user's administrative procedures with the State and municipal administrations, and with certain public institutions. It allows users to complete, send and monitor procedures online and to consult the authentic sources made available on the platform.
Authentic source is the term used to refer to data held by administrations on citizens. As such, citizens can view and check their own data and use it in order to complete online procedures. For example, users can consult data from the National Register of Natural Persons, their driving licence or vehicles registered in their name.
The eDelivery feature offered by MyGuichet.lu allows certain official documents to be received in electronic format in the user's private space, such as reimbursement details sent by the CNS or certain documents drawn up by the Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants (CAE) in the framework of parental leave.
It is ... essential that access to this data is protected by the highest levels of security.
Patrick Houtsch, director of CTIE
3. How do you ensure that the procedures are secure?
As previously stated, MyGuichet.lu not only provides citizens and businesses with the option to carry out procedures online, it also enables users to check and correct data held by administrations. Moreover, users can also have certain documents issued to them in electronic format.
It is therefore essential that access to this data is protected by the highest level of security. This is why the CTIE has implemented a strong authentication process. Users must first confirm their identity via their LuxTrust product or electronic identification before gaining access their personal space. This is the same procedure implemented by banks for eBanking services. Therefore, users can utilise the same product for their banking transactions and their communications with the State.
4. Which services are most frequently used on the Guichet.lu platform?
One of the most frequently used services on MyGuichet.lu is the online appointment booking service for certain administrations and public institutions (e.g. the National Health Fund (CNS), the Guichet offices, etc.). The Guichet.lu platform provides all the necessary information on how to book an appointment.
User demand for this service has increased considerably during the pandemic. For example, MyGuichet.lu enables residents and cross-border residents to make appointments for COVID-19 testing as part of the Large Scale Testing.
5. How would you assess the success of Guichet.lu?
I think the success of Guichet.lu can be attributed to three factors.
Firstly, Guichet.lu has established itself as the main web platform; it provides information on all the steps that can be taken with public authorities in Luxembourg. Surveys have shown that the overwhelming majority of citizens and businesses are aware of Guichet.lu and use it regularly if they need to contact Luxembourg State institutions. As such, we are also well referenced on search engines; even Internet users who are not aware of Guichet.lu are often redirected to us.
Secondly, the information has been available in three languages for many years. We were one of the first State websites to offer a comprehensive service in French, German and English, which has obviously broadened our audience in the country and beyond its borders.
Thirdly, I dare say that we have a very good relationship with the administrations that offer the procedures. They provide us with everything we need to offer up-to-date and high-quality information. As part of editorial guidelines, we ensure that all procedural descriptions are proofread by the relevant administration before publication.
6. What does the future hold in terms of new services, instant messaging, etc.?
Besides the obvious fascination with new technologies and the solutions they offer, we must not lose sight of the fact that the web also makes it possible to use technology for the benefit of people with disabilities. By ensuring that websites are adaptable to all types of tools (such as screen readers), information becomes accessible to the largest number of users.
The accessibility of information is anchored in the coalition agreement which, in particular, also provides for the use of plain language. In this regard, the Guichet.lu information portal has expanded the scope of multilingual descriptions of the procedures. Since the end of 2019, several texts in German are written in "Leichte Sprache".
This is a very clear and simplified version of the language. It is intended for people who have difficulty reading and understanding. It consists of short sentences, uncomplicated words, explanations and pictures.
During 2021, we also aim to make more services available on Guichet.lu.
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