Corporate headshot cost in Luxembourg (2026)

A €350 net project at TVA 17 % invoices at €410 — always confirm HT vs TTC on the quote, as photography studios often quote in net terms.

Format drivers:

• Session length — a 45-minute session yields 20–30 frames to choose from; a 90-minute session yields 60–90, with room for more wardrobe options
• Number of final retouched images — retouching is the single most time-consuming phase; each additional image adds €25–€45
• On-location vs studio — an on-location shoot at the client's office adds travel (€80–€150) and lighting setup (€60–€120)
• Licence scope — an internal + professional-network licence is standard; a commercial licence for use in paid ads adds €150–€400

The spread between a €250 and a €500 individual headshot session is driven by five concrete line items rather than margin.

The five drivers that matter:

• Retouching time per image. A LinkedIn-grade retouch (skin smoothing, dust spots, slight brightening) takes 10 to 15 minutes per image; a high-end executive retouch (full dodge-and-burn, wardrobe correction, eye sharpening, subtle frequency separation) takes 45 to 75 minutes. The difference shows on the invoice.
• Wardrobe and makeup. A session with hair-and-makeup support at the studio adds €120–€220 and materially lifts the final-image quality, especially for video thumbnails and web hero images.
• Background variety. A single grey studio paper costs nothing extra; two studio setups plus an outdoor background adds session time and post-processing, typically €80–€150.
• Licence term. Internal + professional-network use for two years is standard. Unlimited or five-year commercial use for paid ads, out-of-home or print brochures adds €150–€400.
• Turnaround. Standard delivery is 7–10 working days. A 48-hour rush turnaround during a hiring push or press release adds a 25–40 % surcharge.

The gap between a €250 entry-level session and a €500 executive session is rarely margin — it is retouching time, hair-and-makeup presence and licence scope. Ask for each line item separately.

A headshot quote reads deceptively simple, but the licence clause and the retouching line drive most of the surprise on the final invoice.

Included in a typical €350 solo session quote:

• 60 to 90 minutes studio time
• Lighting, backdrop and tethered preview screen
• Wardrobe and expression direction during the shoot
• Low-resolution contact sheet of all usable frames for selection
• 3 to 4 retouched high-resolution JPEG files, standard editorial retouch
• Internal + professional-network use licence, 2 years, Luxembourg and EU territory
• Delivery in a shareable folder within 7 to 10 working days

Usually not included — expect a separate line:

• Hair-and-makeup artist on location — €120–€220
• Additional retouched images beyond contract — €25–€45 each
• High-end executive retouch (full dodge-and-burn, wardrobe colour work) — +€40–€80 per image
• Outdoor or off-site location — €80–€150 for travel within Luxembourg, more beyond
• Extended commercial licence for paid ads, print brochures, out-of-home — €150–€400
• Rush turnaround 48 hours — +25–40 %
• RAW file delivery — generally not offered; if accepted, +€150–€300 per session

Red flags in a quote:

• No licence clause — the photographer retains copyright under LU droit d'auteur unless a written transfer or licence is signed. An ambiguous quote leaves you unable to use the image in a new context a year later.
• No retouching line — "includes some editing" is ambiguous. Ask for the number of finalised images and the retouching level
• No clarity on raw-file ownership — most photographers keep the originals and deliver only finalised JPEGs, which is industry standard but should be stated in writing

Under Luxembourg droit d'auteur (law of 18 April 2001 on copyright, neighbouring rights and databases), the photographer owns the copyright of every image they shoot unless a written transfer is signed. What the client pays for in a standard quote is not ownership of the file but a licence — a right to use the image within a defined scope, duration and territory.

Licence scope questions to settle in writing:

• Territory. Standard licence covers Luxembourg and the EU. Worldwide rights add 15–25 %.
• Duration. Two years is the default for professional-network and website use. Perpetual or five-year terms raise the fee.
• Medium. Internal intranet, LinkedIn and corporate website are standard. Paid Meta ads, billboards, press releases distributed outside of the company or editorial magazine covers require explicit commercial-licence language.
• Modifiability. Does the licence allow cropping, colour adjustments or compositing? Most LU photographers allow crop and colour, but explicit ban modifications that alter likeness.
• Sublicensing. Can the image be shared with a partner agency or a PR firm working on your account? If yes, the licence must state this.

Practical contract pattern:

1. A single, 300–500-word licence clause at the foot of the invoice
2. Named end-uses (e.g. "LinkedIn profile, corporate website bio page, internal HR communication, press release photograph")
3. Explicit exclusions (e.g. "not for paid advertising campaigns, not for third-party sale or distribution")
4. A photographer credit requirement when publishing in editorial context

A clean licence clause prevents the legal risk of a photographer's claim three years later when your portrait ends up on a billboard without an extended licence — the standard settlement in such a case is 4 to 8× the original session fee.

Photography is a commercial service, not a primary-residence renovation, so the default TVA position is 17 % on the full session fee, on retouching and on licence charges. The 3 % super-reduced rate does not apply.

Rate in practice:

• Solo session at a LU studio, invoiced to a LU individual: TVA 17 %
• Session at a LU studio, invoiced to a LU company with VAT number: TVA 17 %, fully recoverable if the image is used for business purposes
• Session at a LU studio, invoiced to an EU business outside LU: reverse charge B2B — no TVA charged on the invoice, client self-assesses TVA in their country
• Session for a non-EU business (US, UK): no TVA, out-of-scope supply

What a compliant invoice shows:

• Net amount per line (session fee, retouching, licence, travel)
• TVA line explicit at 17 %, or "autoliquidation B2B UE" reference for EU B2B
• Photographer's TVA number and Autorisation d'établissement reference
• Licence clause or reference to a separate signed licence document

Example on a €450 net executive session:

A photographer invoicing a LU company without a TVA line should be declared under the franchise de TVA — confirm the CA threshold of €35 000 is respected before booking, since invoices from non-compliant suppliers are not deductible.

A team shoot on company premises is the most cost-effective way to get a consistent headshot set for a 10- to 50-person team. Per-person cost drops materially as sitter count rises, and the team benefits from a consistent background, lighting and post-processing pipeline.

Price structure for team shoots:

• 8 to 15 sitters — €45–€60 per person all-in, one half-day on site
• 16 to 30 sitters — €35–€50 per person, one full day on site
• 31 to 50 sitters — €28–€42 per person, two half-days or one long day

The package includes a mobile studio setup (backdrop, 2-3 studio lights, tethered laptop), 6 to 8 frames per sitter, selection and 1 to 2 retouched images per person. The client provides a calendar slot for each sitter (6 to 8 minutes per person) and a neutral room of at least 20 m² with stable electrical supply.

Logistics to settle in the brief:

• Room requirements. 20 m² minimum, 2,4 m ceiling, neutral background wall or space for a portable backdrop, stable 230 V supply
• Scheduling. 6 to 8 minutes per sitter in a shared calendar (one tool like a company intranet poll or a simple Outlook calendar block works)
• Wardrobe brief. Send a short style guide to all sitters two weeks before — dark solids, no logos, avoid fine patterns
• Delivery format. One shared folder with named files, plus a print-ready and a web-ready version of each image
• Licence. A team shoot is almost always covered by an internal + professional-network licence for 2 years; confirm whether LinkedIn posts and external bio pages are both covered

Three photographer quotes for apparently identical headshot briefs can easily diverge by a factor of two. A shared brief and six focused questions make the comparison evaluable.

The six checks that matter:

• Portfolio relevance. Ask for a corporate headshot set shot in the last 12 months, not a wedding portfolio with one CEO image. Consistency of lighting and expression is what you are buying.
• Retouching style sample. Request a before/after example. Some photographers over-retouch, erasing skin texture; others leave the image too raw.
• Number of final retouched images. Explicit in the quote, not "some images". Benchmark: 3 images for €250–€350, 4 to 6 for €350–€500.
• Licence clause text. Ask for the full wording of the licence, not just "licence included". Territory, duration, medium and modifiability should all appear.
• Turnaround commitment. A firm 7–10 working day commitment with a named delivery date, not a vague "few weeks".
• TVA line. Net or all-in stated on every line — if bidders mix, convert before comparing.

A clean briefing pack for three photographers:

• Purpose of the portrait (LinkedIn, corporate website, press release, annual report)
• Preferred aesthetic reference (3 to 5 sample images from their own portfolio or a competitor's)
• Session length and number of final images required
• Studio or on-location, and address if on-location
• Licence scope required (territory, duration, medium)
• Budget range and TVA treatment (private or company invoice)

Photographers briefed on the same pack land within ±20 % of each other. A wider spread traces back to a scope misread — call the cheapest bidder before signing.