With or without visa: grounds for legal stay in Luxembourg

Legal residence in the Grand Duchy is governed by these two categories:

Citizenship of the visitor — the EU or a third country

The special status of third-country nationals who are family members of an EU citizen.

Period of stay

How long do you aim to stay in the country — up to 3 months, or more than that — when you are a third-country national.

If you are an EU citizen

Regardless of the period of stay, all EU citizens have the right to travel within the EU, work and reside in any country of the Eurozone. The same applies to family members if they are EU citizens.

If your relatives are in the EU but have no EU citizenship

In this case, you can stay in the country absolutely legally and apply for family reunification in Luxembourg.

The following categories can be reunited legally in the Grand Duchy:

spouses and registered partners;

children and parents, when children are in the care of an EU citizen or their spouse/partner.

Citizens of several non-EU countries can also enter Luxembourg without a visa.

Thus, to stay in the Grand Duchy, third-country citizens who are considered family members must hold only a valid passport and, if necessary, an entry visa before arriving in Luxembourg. Once you have it, you need to obtain documents at the place of residence in one of the communes and apply for a residence permit.

If you are from a third country and have no relatives in the EU

In this case, besides a valid passport, you will need a visa to legally stay in the Grand Duchy.

Visa A will not be suitable for a long-term stay in Luxembourg. It is granted for passing through cross-border areas at airports, that is, for transit only. Visa A does not grant travelers the right to enter countries of the Schengen Area and, therefore, is not valid for a stay in Luxembourg.

Short Stay: Visa C — less than 3 months

It is suitable for the following purposes of travel:

business trip (visiting partners, negotiating, concluding contracts, etc.);

attendance in conferences (for conference speakers and university teachers), exhibitions, or fairs;

attendance in board meetings and town hall meetings;

provision of services as part of one business group;

other activities related to study or work;

tourism, if you are a citizen of the country that is permitted to enter the Grand Duchy for such trips.

How can you obtain a Visa C?

The process of acquiring a short-term Visa C for a legal stay in the Grand Duchy is usually divided into these simple stages.

Determine if you need a visa

Check if your country of citizenship requires a visa to enter Luxembourg by visiting the website of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Gather the required documents

You will need to submit several documents with your completed visa application, including a passport valid for at least three months beyond your planned stay, a recent passport-sized photo, proof of travel arrangements, proof of accommodation, and proof of sufficient financial means to cover your stay in Luxembourg.

Schedule an appointment

Contact the Luxembourg embassy or consulate in your country of residence to schedule an appointment to submit your visa application.

Submit your application

On the day of your appointment, bring all the required documents and submit your application in person. You may also be required to pay a visa application fee. You will have to submit your international passport original to the embassy for stamping the visa.

Long Stay: Visa D — more than 3 months

This type of Luxembourg visa can be obtained by:

holders of temporary residence permits;

those traveling for reunification with a family member who is an EU citizen;

highly qualified worker;

private reasons;

salaried worker (employee) and salaried worker posted by a company established outside the EU;

self-employed workers;

researcher;

trainee;

student;

pupil;

athlete.

How Can You Obtain a Visa D?

The process is broadly divided into four stages.

Get a temporary residence permit

It is issued by the Directorate of Immigration of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg. To obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to submit an application. The nature of your supposed activity determines the procedure for submitting the application. The application must be submitted in the country of residence and before you submit the documents for the visa.

Prepare the necessary documents

They include the following:

Two color photos 3.5×4.5 cm against a light background (white, whitish blue). The photo must be free of stains, folds, rubbing marks, glare, fuzziness, and other defects. You need a photo without colored corners and ovals; it must be printed on matte photo paper.

A passport valid for at least 3 months after the requested visa expires. It must have two blank pages.

A temporary residence permit.

Apply for a visa and provide the documents

You can do this in two ways:

Go to the diplomatic mission or consulate of Luxembourg in the country of your residence.

Contact the embassy or consulate of the country in the Schengen Area that acts on behalf of Luxembourg for the visa issuance.

Meet the deadline for application

You must personally submit the documents in two copies. You must do this within 90 days of obtaining a temporary residence permit.

Thus, third-country nationals must obtain a visa C or D and hold a valid passport to stay in the Grand Duchy. Then you can apply for a residence permit.

Cost

There is no visa fee for children under the age of 6, school and university students, teachers, scientists traveling abroad for scientific research, family members who are EU/EEA nationals, and some other groups of citizens