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How to obtain and renew a residence permit in Luxembourg
Where do you start if you want to make Luxembourg your new home? Much depends on where you come from. Here is a guide to what you need to do.
A residence permit in Luxembourg is a necessity for those planning to stay in the country for a long time or move here forever. A residence permit is the first step to becoming a citizen of the country.
What are the pros of a Residence Permit in Luxembourg
The document itself looks like a chip card with information about its owner: their identification and biometric data, as well as their photo.
The residence permit in Luxembourg not only grants an opportunity to move to the country but also provides several rights and resources you can use throughout the EU. They include:
- EU residency;
- The opportunity to educate children in any EU country on a par with its citizens;
- The right to work, run a business, purchase cars and real estate;
- Getting social services.
What is required to obtain a Residence Permit
To qualify for a residence permit in Luxembourg, you must meet special criteria, like:
- Stable income: you need to have a minimum amount of money that will cover your stays in your bank account;
- Permanent place of residence: own property or rented living space in the country;
- Grounds for moving: reasons you need to stay, such as work, studies, family reunification, etc.
Residence Permit for EU Citizens
Citizens of the EU and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can move to Luxembourg and live here without a residence permit for the first three months of stay.
To live in the country for more than three months — you need legal grounds, such as study in Luxembourg, employment, business or kinship with a Luxembourg citizen.
The documents to be provided depend on the status of an EU citizen.
You can find out more about the needed papers with official resources:
- on www.guichet.public.lu or on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs;
- by contacting the agency personally.
Residence Permit for Non-EU Citizens
Citizens of non-EU countries who would like to stay in the country for up to three months must obtain a visa. Then, you can submit an application to the immigration office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain a residence permit.
There are several ways to legally stay in Luxembourg.
Grounds for obtaining a Residence Permit
As mentioned before, a lot depends on your legal grounds for a long-time stay in Luxembourg. They can include the following ones.
Employment
Foreign nationals who want to move to Luxembourg for employment must first sign a contract of work with a local company if they come from outside the EU, to receive the work visa.
The Luxembourgish employer or company must apply for a work permit on behalf of the prospective employee. But first, the company must make sure it has done whatever it takes to find a citizen of its country or an EU citizen for this position. This is usually done with ADEM.
In addition to the standard work visa, you have the option of moving to Luxembourg with a Blue Card if you have a degree and experience that you can propose to the country's service. It usually offers more favorable terms, so it is worth considering.
Are you a skilled professional with an advanced degree? You can read more about the Blue Card and check if you qualify for it in our Relocation Guide.
To obtain it you will need to fulfill several special conditions, mentioned on the European Commission website. Among others, there are strict employment requirements:
- an employment contract for a highly-qualified work position for at least one year,
- an annual gross wage offer:
- of at least 117,504 euros (1.5 times the average salary) in any professional sphere, or
- of at least 75,201 euros (1.2 times the average salary) for professions in the country's shortage list.
Currently, the professions that are on the shortage list for Luxembourg include mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries, systems analysts, software developers, web and multimedia developers, applications programmers, software and application developers and analysts, database designers and administrators, system administrators, and computer network professionals.
Marriage
Obtaining a residence permit by marriage enables a foreign spouse to claim citizenship after three years of marriage. But in addition to living together (the country’s authorities make sure that the marriage is not fake), the spouse from another country must pass a test and a language exam.
Even if the couple divorced after three years, the newly obtained status for the immigrant spouse would remain.
Study
A residence permit in Luxembourg must also be issued to students who have come to study in the country. The residence permit is issued for a year based on the university enrollment document. But you need to renew this type of residence permit.
During their studies, students are allowed to work part-time. Read more about student employment in our special guide article.
Investment
Obtaining a residence permit in Luxembourg for investment is a reliable way to get settled in the country, though an expensive one. Investments can be direct (investments in the national economy) or can go into the business.
- If you invest in an existing company, you need to be able to invest at least 500,000 euros in the enterprise and keep your presence in it for five years.
- If you open a new company, these requirements are also supplemented by requiring you to hire at least five local citizens. All legal issues must be resolved with notaries and consultants in Luxembourg.
Direct investment involves capital investment in investment funds (at least 3,000,000 euros) or the creation of a deposit in a bank of the country (at least 20,000 euros).
You can obtain a residence permit in Luxembourg by an investment for three years, with an option to extend. After five years, the investor can claim permanent residence.
Purchasing a property is not considered an investment nor gives the right to obtain a residence permit in Luxembourg automatically.
Family Reunification
Foreigners with relatives in the Grand Duchy may move to the country. This involves family reunification. In this case, you can get a residence permit in Luxembourg by providing the migration agency with documents confirming the relationship. Your relatives must provide an official invitation and offer accommodation to the migrant.
We recommend you submit notarized copies of all official documents translated into English, French or German.
Luxembourg Residence Permit renewal
The main difference between a residence permit and citizenship is the limited validity period. If you plan to stay in Luxembourg for a long time, sooner or later this document will need to be prolonged.
How long is the Residence Permit valid for
The residence permit is valid from 1 year to several years. It all depends on the type of activity and the type of card issued.
You must apply to renew the residence permit in Luxembourg two months before the expiration of the current certificate.
What documents needed to renew the Residence Permit
Applications for renewal must be submitted to the Immigration Office of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs by post in one complete set.
You can also have your residence permit extended in your municipality. They will contact the immigration office themselves. For more information or any help regarding the renewal of the card contact your commune office.
Here you will find all the documents needed for different categories of workers to prolong residence permits in Luxembourg.
- Residence Permit renewal for Salaried Employee
To apply for renewal for this type of residence permit, you will need certain documents:
- copies of all pages of your passport;
- copy of a valid employment contract (compliant with Luxembourg labor law), dated and signed;
- a recent certificate of affiliation, which must include all connections of the employee with the social security system;
- a recent certificate of no criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of payment of the 80 euros state fee.
- Residence Permit renewal for Blue Card workers
Employees with the EU Blue Card are granted a residence permit for up to 4 years, or, if the contract is for less than 4 years, for the duration of the contract + 3 months.
In case the Blue Card owner can prove the effectiveness of their work and there are no impending circumstances, the residence permit is extended for the same period of time.
The application is accompanied by a list of documents:
- copies of all passport pages;
- a copy of the employment contract (valid and in accordance with Luxembourg employment law), duly dated and signed;
- proof of payment of wages (e.g. last 3 payslips, tax returns, etc.);
- a recent certificate of affiliation, which must include all connections of the employee with the social security system;
- a recent certificate of no criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of payment of the 80 euros state fee.
- Residence Permit renewal for Posted Workers
The procedure for extending a residence permit for such workers is identical regardless of the country of incorporation of the company. Employees of the company from the EU and third countries go through the same steps.
However, the renewal of this type of residence permit in Luxembourg is possible only if the period of the business trip is extended by mutual agreement between the sending and receiving parties.
You will need the following documents:
- confirmation of the business trip continuation;
- a justification for the requested extension;
- copy of an annex to the contract between the sending company and the recipient of services;
- copy of the employer's authorization to extend the business trip;
- copy of an annex to the contract of service provision;
- copy of a valid passport in its entirety;
- copy of a permanent employment contract with the date and signature of the sending employee and the sending company;
- a certificate of registration with the social security system of the country of origin/country of dispatch or Luxembourg;
- a recent certificate of no criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of payment of the 80 euros state fee.
- Residence Permit renewal for Seasonal Workers
The validity of the residence permit for seasonal employees cannot exceed 5 months in one year. The residence permit is renewed for the same period. It will not be possible to get more — this is the specifics of such employment.
The documents required for the residence permit renewal:
- a copy of all pages of the passport;
- a copy of the contract for seasonal work (currently in force and in compliance with the Luxembourg labor law) with the date and signature;
- a recent Luxembourg Social Security enrollment certificate showing all the seasonal worker's past admissions;
- a recent certificate of no criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of payment of the 80 euros state fee.
- Residence Permit renewal for Self-Employed and Independant Workers
A temporary residence permit for self-employed persons in Luxembourg is issued for a period of up to 3 years. You can renew the permit for an equivalent period by submitting the following documents:
- a copy of all pages of the passport;
- documents confirming that the conditions for access to the profession are still fulfilled (e.g., a business permit);
- recent affiliation certificates showing all of the self-employed person's previous affiliations with the Luxembourg social security system and, if applicable, his or her employees;
- a copy of the personal income tax return for the previous year and proof that it has been properly filed;
- a recent certificate of no criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of payment of the 80 euros state fee.
Add these documents for your registered companies:
- a complete balance sheet for the period preceding the application, as well as confirmation that it has been duly filed with the Commercial and Commercial Register (RCS);
- a copy of the income tax return for the previous fiscal year, as well as proof that it has been duly filed;
- a copy of the VAT return, as well as proof that it was duly filed.
A list of documents and the period of validity of the residence permit may vary according to the category of the document you previously obtained. However, the basic documents are usually the same.
When it comes to the state fee payment, you need to make a bank transfer to the following account with the correct commentary. Then you need to print out the transfer notice and attach it to the documents. The Ministry does not send a separate confirmation of payment.
A state fee payment of 80 euros has to be made to the bank account:
- IBAN: LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000
- BIC: CCPLLULL
- The beneficiary is the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Immigration Directorate.
In the commentary include "titre de séjour dans le chef de [Name Surname]" to specify the purpose of the payment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the requirements to obtain a residence permit in Luxembourg?
To qualify for a residence permit in Luxembourg, you must have a stable income, a permanent place of residence, and legal grounds for moving to the country, such as work, studies, or family reunification.
How long is the residence permit valid for?
The validity of a residence permit in Luxembourg ranges from 1 year to several years, depending on the type of activity and card issued. The residence permit must be renewed two months before the expiration of the current certificate.
Can EU citizens live in Luxembourg without a residence permit?
Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland can move to Luxembourg and live here without a residence permit for the first three months of their stay. After three months, legal grounds are required, such as study, employment, business, or kinship with a Luxembourg citizen.
What happens if I don't renew my residence permit in Luxembourg?
If you don't renew your residence permit in Luxembourg before it expires, you will be considered to be in the country illegally. This can result in fines, deportation, and difficulty obtaining future visas or residence permits.
