Luxembourg is, without a doubt, the most multicultural and cosmopolitan country in the world, with nearly 170 nationalities. If you are planning to move to Luxembourg for work, here we explain the entry requirements and how to manage accommodation.
A little reminder about the country
For the past 50 years, Luxembourg has been a small country open to the world. Foreigners make up for 47,5% of the population of 683,000. The largest group of foreign nationals are Portuguese (14%), French (7,6%), Italian (3,5%), Belgian (3,1%) and German (2%).
The labour market consists of 75% foreign workers, 95% of whom are EU citizens, and the unemployment rate is 6,3%.
Luxembourg is a multilingual hub. Language learning in Luxembourg starts early with Luxembourgish, one of the 3 national languages, mainly used in spoken communication. German is the language of literacy, French is taught from age 8, and English from age 13. Other languages, such as Portuguese and Italian, are widely spoken at home. Notably, 98% of residents speak French. French and English are the most commonly used languages in the private sector, while Luxembourgish is required for public sector jobs.
Conditions for entry into the territory
The conditions for entry into the territory depend on the intended duration of stay and your citizenship.
If you are an EU citizen, you benefit from freedom of movement, allowing you to reside and work in any EU country, such as 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 first 3 months of your arrival at the commune administration, which will provide you with a certificate.
If you are a national of a country outside the EU and you live in one of these countries, you will need a type D visa to live, work or even travel through Luxembourg or any other country in the Schengen area. If you come from another country, please consult this list to find out the entry requirements for your country.
Please note that you are not permitted to travel to Luxembourg while your visa application is being processed. Once you have completed the application documents, you must send them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will decide whether or not to approve your 90-day temporary residence permit. After receiving a temporary residence visa, you can apply for a long-term work permit in Luxembourg.
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 you arrive in the Luxembourg territory, you will have to ask for a residence permit (its duration depends on your situation) through the Luxembourgish Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Within the first three working days, you must make a declaration of arrival at the commune administration of your residence. You will then have 3 months to undergo two medical examinations and to make an application for a residence permit with the immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
If your family members are EU citizens, they are entitled to apply for a residence permit with the Administration of your commune administration. If they are non-EU citizens, 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 is applicable, apply for a resident permit through the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Useful links and resources
- Luxembourg government website on immigration
- List of countries subject to visa requirements for entry into Luxembourg
- Staying and/or working in Luxembourg for more than 90 days as an EU citizen
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