Luxembourg is without a doubt, the most multicultural and cosmopolite country in the world with close to 170 nationalities. If you are expecting to move in Luxembourg to work, here we explain what are the conditions for entry onto the territory and how to cope with accommodations.
Little reminder about the country
Since 50 years, Luxembourg is a small country which opened up to the world. Foreigners account for 47,3% of the population of 666,430. The greatest number of foreign nationals are Portuguese (14,5%), French (7,6%), Italian (3,7%), Belgian (3,1%) and German (2%).
The labor market is composed of 75% of foreigner workers, and 95% are citizens of the European Union. The economic situation is good: close to 16,000 new jobs have been created in 2012 and the unemployed rate stagnate at 5%.
Luxembourg is a multilingual hub. Luxembourg learning starts early with Luxembourgish, which is the national language, used mostly in spoken communication. German is the language of literacy, French is learned from 8, and English from 13. Not to mention the languages spoken at home like Portuguese, Italian and many more. Note also that 98% of residents speak French in Luxembourg. French and English are the most spoken languages in the private sector. However, Luxembourgish is a prerequisite to work in the public sector.
Conditions for entry onto the territory
The conditions for entry onto the territory depend on the duration intended to stay and your citizenship.
If you are an EU citizen, you benefit from the freedom of movement allowing you to reside and work in any country of the EU like Luxembourg. For a short stay of up to 3 months, no administrative procedure is necessary. If you want to reside in Luxembourg, once you have a work contract or an employment proposal, you need to register within the 3 months of your arrival at the House Hall Administration, which will provide you with a certificate.
If you are a Non EU-citizen, to live and work in Luxembourg, you need to seek for a job before any administration application. Of course, it is possible to come in Luxembourg with a touristic visa of 90 days (also called Schengen visa) in order to conduct job interviews. Once your employment contract is signed, you must go back in your origin country before starting any application for a temporary residence permit. Be careful, you are not allowed to be in Luxembourg while your application is processed. Once you completed the application papers, you need to send them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which will validate or not your temporary residence permit of 90 days.
Usually, visa applications must be submitted in the applicant's country of residence, at a Luxembourg consulate or diplomatic mission representing Luxembourg. If there is no Luxembourg consulate and Luxembourg is not represented, the application must be submitted to the consulate with territorial jurisdiction for visa applications from that country.
After your arrival on the Luxembourg territory, you will have to ask for a residence permit (its duration depends on your situation), across the Luxembourgish Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Within the 3 first working days, you must make a declaration of arrival at the House Hall Administration of your residence. You will then have 3 months to undergo 2 medical examinations and to make an application for a residence permit with the immigration Directorate of the for Foreign and European Affairs.
If you family members are EU-citizen, they are entitled for applying for a residence permit with the Administration of your House Hall of residence. If they are Non EU-citizen, they will have to follow the same procedure as a worker: with an application for a temporary residence permit, as a family member, then if the visa applicable, ask for a resident permit across the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
To settle in Luxembourg
To take up residence in Luxembourg, make sure to find accommodation, a paid employment, and health insurance. What may look simple in your origin country, may not be in a new country. That is why the City of Luxembourg and the Just Arrived Ambassadors Club (JAAClub ASBL), will provide a joint weekly support service for new residents in Luxembourg. The purpose of the support service is to facilitate the installation and integration of new residents.
The JAAClub is composed of ambassadors from foreign origins, who also dealt with an arrival in Luxembourg. Backed up by the employees of the Integration and Special Needs service, they will guide newcomers in finding information, useful tips to get their benchmarks in the new surroundings and provide a human support in the settling down process.
As from the 26th September 2017, the newcomers welcome desk will be held every Tuesday from 8.30 am to 11.00 am (except from school holidays) in the Integration and Special Needs Service offices of the City of Luxembourg (City Hall, 42, Place Guillaume II, entrance next to the Knuedler parking).
Sources:
Bénédicte Souy, CEO & Mobility (work permit) expert at Moving People 2 Luxembourg
Find a job – the best guide to employment in Luxembourg, Natalia Zvereva
Retel, Observatoire de l'emploi au Luxembourg, tableau de bord du marché de l'emploi luxembourgeois, juin 2016
