How to process the documents for a temporary residence permit

This article provides you with a step-by-step guide on how to obtain a temporary residence permit in Luxembourg.

Table of content

Apply for a temporary residence permit with a full set of documents to the Immigration Office of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs or to its diplomatic representative.The resulting effective interest rate would therefore be as shown in the table. In case of approval, you will receive Authorization to stay in the mail by post.

Who needs a Luxembourg residence permit

Before getting down to business and reviewing the necessary documents, it is important to be clear about who needs a Luxembourg residence permit. The answer to this question is quite simple: all citizens of countries that are not members of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland need a residence permit if they wish to stay in the country for periods longer than 90 days.

In addition, it is important bear in mind that there is no single type of residence permit, there are different types of residence permits depending on the purpose of the stay. Each one has its own requirements and application procedures, so it is essential to carefully review the requirements for the desired residence permit and follow the corresponding application process in order to successfully immigrate without setbacks. Below, we present the different types of permits classified by category.

Field	Visa type
Work-related	Highly qualified workers
-	Employed workers
-	Seasonal workers
-	Athletes or coaches
-	Researchers
-	Au pair workers
-	Posted salaried workers
-	Transferred salaried workers
Business-related and self-employed or voluntary work	Investors
-	Self-employed workers
-	Volunteer workers
Studies	Students
-	Students in an exchange program
-	Internship for students
Private and family reasons	Family members of third-country nationals
-	Private reasons

How long does it take to get a residence permit?

The procedure that has the greatest influence on the duration of the process is the application for temporary authorization to stay. The General Directorate of Immigration has different response times depending on the type of visa requested. Below we present the deadlines for the most common types of visas:

Field	Visa type	Deadline (months)
Work-related	Highly qualified workers	4
-	.Employed workers	3
-	Seasonal workers	4
-	Athletes or coaches	3
-	Researchers	4
-	Au pair workers	2
Business-related and self-employed or voluntary work	Investors	3
-	Self-employed workers	3
-	Volunteer workers	2
Studies	Students	2
-	Students in an exchange program	3
-	Internship for students	2
Private and family reasons	Family members of third-country nationals	9
-	Private reasons	3

Example of what a temporary residence permit looks like

What to do

Applications are processed only when they are full and complete, and include all the needed documents. Otherwise, the application will be returned to the applicant. It is important to follow every step of the application process correctly, as your success will depend on it.

Fill out the application for a temporary residence permit

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Please complete the application form in French.

Documents

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Application form

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Collect the necessary documents to submit with the application for a temporary permit

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It is very important to collect all the documents the first time. Otherwise, your application will not be accepted.

copies of all pages of valid passport;
a notarized copy of a recent criminal record certificate with apostille;
applicant's curriculum vitae;
copies of diplomas or certificates of professional competencies;
copy of the work contract (in accordance with Luxembourg law), dated and signed by both the applicant and his future employer in Luxembourg;
the official certificate from the National Employment Agency stating that the employer has the right to hire a third-country national.
biographical details of the applicant.

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Documents

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Curriculum vitae (CV)

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If the documents are not in French, German or English, a translation must be provided

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Only the necessary documents that are required for moving to Luxembourg have to be translated in your country of origin. Normally, a notarized translation is enough. However, you can ask a sworn translator in Luxembourg to certify the translation.

All personal documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.) need to be apostilled. An apostille can only be issued by the state authorities of the country that issued the document. It is impossible for anyone else to do this. Diplomas do not need to be apostilled, unless your employer specifically demands it.

Submit documents

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Submit an application for a temporary residence permit (see section 1 “Fill out the application for a temporary residence permit”) with the complete set of documents (see section 2 “Collect the necessary documents to submit with the application for a temporary permit”) to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg or to a diplomatic representative.

The documents must all be either originals or notarized copies (except for the passport, where a simple copy will be enough). In case authenticity is questionable, the authorities will require the document to be certified by the relevant domestic authority and legalized by the embassy or apostilled.

Get a temporary residence permit (temporary authorisation to stay)

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This is the document sent by the post letter, that has an official stamp and signature on it. It states that the permission to obtain the residence permit is granted and you need to proceed with the next steps of the application process within 90 days of acquiring the paper.

Note, that it is a post letter, not an email.

Documents

PDF

Temporary authorisation to stay for sample

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