Entry conditions and visas

EU, EEA & Switzerland: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Third countries: Are any countries not included in the list above.

EU, EEA & Swiss nationas are free to enter, stay and work in Luxembourg. All that needs to be done is to bring a valid ID card or passport, regardless of the length of the stay.

Citizens of the EU, EEA, Switzerland: Within 8 days of your arrival, citizens not falling into this category: Within 3 days of your arrival in Luxembourg, you must make a declaration of arrival at the administration of the commune where you intend to establish residence, and present the following documents:

•     a valid national identity card or passport;
•   a family record book or a certificate of marriage or partnership;
•   the children's birth certificates.

Detailed information on guichet.lu: Declaring one’s move to a new commune

Within 3 months from arriving in Luxembourg, you need to fill in a registration certificate. It must necessarily be completed at the communal administration of the place of residence.

The registration form must be accompanied by the documents corresponding to the relevant category (salaried workers, self-employed workers, non-working persons, students, family members) See the required documents for each category on guichet.lu: Staying and/or working in Luxembourg for more than 90 days as an EU citizen

Health insurance: EU, EEA & Swiss nationals have to apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in their home country before travelling to Luxembourg.

Third country nationals who cannot apply for an EHIC must obtain private health insurance for the duration of their stay. Please check with your host institution that the insurance you have subscribed to covers all of the requirements necessary to enter Luxembourg.

Find detailed information here: ec.europa.eu: European Health Insurance Card

As a general rule, EU, EEA & Swiss nationals do not need a visa.

Third country nationals may need to apply for a visa, depending on their nationality. For a comprehensive list of countries requiring a visa, see: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (maee.gouvernement.lu): Visa and Immigration

Different types of visa exist depending on the duration and nature of the visit.

In any case, you must, before applying for a visa, have a valid passport with a validity for at least another 3 months after the expiration date of the visa applied for.

Visa fees: Depending on the type of visa, the cost can vary between €50 and €80. However, fees are waived for third country researchers going abroad to carry out scientific research.

More information on guichet.lu: Luxembourg entry visa for third-country nationals

This visa allows entry into the Schengen territory for a maximum uninterrupted stay of 90 days over a period of six months. The visa can be issued for single or multiple entries. In the event of multiple entries, the total duration of the different stays spent in the Schengen area cannot exceed 90 days over a period of six months. The Schengen visa is a short stay visa for business, tourist visits, family visits, etc. This visa does not give the holder the right to carry out paid activity in Luxembourg. In such case, the person must apply for a visa type D.

How to apply for a short-stay visa (Type C)?

You should apply for a Schengen visa at the Embassy or Consulate of Luxembourg, if Luxembourg is the principal destination of your visit. Before travelling and leaving your country of origin, you must complete the Schengen visa application form and take it in person to a Luxembourg diplomatic or consular mission no more than 90 days and no fewer than 15 days before your visit to the host country.

The visa application (2 copies) must be accompanied by the following documents:

• 2 recent identical passport photos;
• a passport or a travel document accepted by the Schengen countries, which is valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the requested visa;

Supporting documents associated with the purpose of the journey:

• an official letter of invitation for a business visit;
• a formal obligation (a template is available on the Foreign Ministry website) from the reference person in Luxembourg;
• a hotel booking;
• return airline ticket;
• proof of sufficient means of subsistence (bank account statements, etc.);
• proof of legal residence in the usual country of residence;
• health insurance covering the travel period.

Other supporting documents relating to the purpose of the visit may be requested

See all details about necessary documents on guichet.lu: Luxembourg entry visa for third-country nationals(Applying for short-stay visa)

Third country nationals who require visa and wish to stay in Luxembourg for more than 3 months must apply for a long-stay visa type D. Before submitting an application for a visa, you must apply for a temporary authorisation to stay from your country of origin (see 6 below).

Within 90 days of receipt of the temporary authorisation to stay, you must submit a long-stay visa application (type D) in person (in two copies) to the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular mission in your country of residence or, failing that, to the embassy or consulate of the country in the Schengen area which represents Luxembourg for the issuance of long-stay visas In countries in which Luxembourg is not represented, you may contact a diplomatic/consular mission. For a full list of Luxembourg’s diplomatic representations, see: maee.gouvernement.lu: Luxembourg diplomatic and consular missions.

The application must be accompanied by the follow ing documents

• 2 recent and identical identity photos;
• a valid passport or a travel document accepted in the Schengen area, which is valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the requested visa;
• the temporary authorisation to stay.

When the visa is granted, it is affixed in the passport in the form of a stamp or vignette. It is valid for a period of 90 days to a maximum of one year.

For additional information on how to apply for a type D visa, see: guichet.lu: Luxembourg entry visa for third country nationals

Obtaining a long term VISA/Temporary Authorisation to stay in view of carrying out a research project

A third-country national who wishes to come to Luxembourg to work as a researcher employed by an approved research institute for a period of more than 3 months, must follow a procedure in 2 consecutive steps:

Step 1: before entering the country

• submit an application for a temporary authorisation to stay to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs;
• be in possession of a valid passport
• or persons subject to visa requirements in order to enter Luxembourg: request, where necessary, a type D visa after having obtained the temporary authorisation to stay.

Step 2: after entering the country

• make a declaration of arrival in the new commune of residence;
• undergo a medical check;
• then apply for a residence permit for third-country researchers

If the researcher already has a residence permit without another EU Member State and wishes to stay in Luxembourg for a part of his research, a specific procedure is applicable.

Who is concerned

A third-country national (i.e. from a country which is neither an EU member state, nor a country treated as such - Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) who resides in a third country and wishes to reside in Luxembourg to conduct a research project will need an authorisation to stay and then a residence permit.

• third-country researchers (who are not citizens of a EU Member State or of a country treated as such - Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland) who hold a higher education diploma giving them access to doctorate programmes and who wish to reside in Luxembourg to conduct a research project for an approved research institute;
• third-country researchers who have concluded a hosting agreement in another EU Member State.

Public or private research institutes who intend to host a third-country national to conduct research projects are also concerned.

The application for an authorisation to stay must be submitted by the applicant. However, he may mandate a third party (e.g. the research institute) to carry out the necessary procedures.

Get more information avbout the prerequisites under guichet.lu: Conditions of residence for third country researchers in Luxembourg

A hosting agreement is an agreement concluded between the researcher and an accredited public or private research organisation that conducts or plans to conduct research in Luxembourg. In the hosting agreement, the researcher commits to conducting the research project and the institute commits to hosting the researcher to that end.

The following information must be included:

• the purpose and duration of the research project as well as proof of the financial resources needed to carry out the project;
• the researcher’s qualifications for the research project, as proven by a certified true copy of the relevant diplomas;
• the researcher’s sufficient monthly resources amounting to at least the social minimum wage for skilled workers, in order to cover the cost of living and return travel without the need to apply to the social assistance system as well as the cost of health insurance
• the precise legal relationship in the hosting agreement, as well as the researcher’s working conditions

Third-country researchers must submit an application for a temporary authorisation to stay (on plain paper) from their country of origin before coming to Luxembourg, to one of the following:

•     Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: Directorate of immigration
•   Luxembourg diplomatic or consular representation or a diplomatic or consular mission representing Luxembourg. In countries in which Luxembourg is not represented, you may contact a diplomatic/consular mission

For a full list of Luxembourg’s diplomatic representations, see: maee.gouvernement.lu: Luxembourg diplomatic and consular missions.

The temporary authorisation to stay is available for researchers in public and private organisations. Students are not eligible; if you are a PhD student / candidate please check the procedure with the HR department at your host institution.

A researcher in this context is defined as a third-country national who holds an appropriate higher education qualification giving access to doctoral programmes and wishes to reside in Luxembourg to conduct a research project for an approved research institute, or a third-country researcher who has concluded a hosting agreement in another EU country.

The application for a temporary authorisation to stay must contain the applicant’s identity details (last name, first name(s) and address) and must be accompanied by the following documents and information:

• certified copy of their valid passport, in its entirety;
• extract from the criminal records or an affidavit (sworn oath) established in the country of residence;
• curriculum vitae;
• copy of their diplomas or professional qualifications;
• signed hosting agreement with an accredited research institute;
• individual financial statement of support covering the cost of living and return travel. The financial statement of support is drafted by the approved research institute after the hosting agreement has been signed;
• proxy where necessary (third-country nationals may mandate a third party, e.g. the research institute, to submit the application for them).

The documents enclosed must be originals or true copies (except for the passport, where a simple copy will suffice). Only complete applications will be processed. The time required for a response from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is a maximum of 4 months. If no response is received within this time limit, you can consider the application as having been denied. If the application is accepted, you receive a temporary authorisation to stay by post. This temporary authorisation to stay is valid for a duration of 90 days. During that time, you must:

• either apply for a visa, if you are subject to visa requirements;
• or, if you are not subject to visa requirements, enter Luxembourg territory and make a declaration of arrival to the offices of the commune of residence.

More information is available under guichet.lu: Conditions of residence for third-country researchers in Luxembourg.

After entering Luxembourg, you must take steps to obtain a residence permit.

Before applying for a residence permit, you must undergo a medical check for foreigners as soon as possible.

This involves:

• a medical examination by a doctor based in Luxembourg and authorised to work there as a general practitioner or a doctor specialising in internal/general medicine or paediatrics;
• a Tubercolosis screening test by the Health and Social Welfare League (Ligue médico-sociale – LMS).

After receiving the results of these examinations, the Immigration Medical Department (Service Médical de l’Immigration – SMI) in the National Health Directorate will issue a medical certificate, which will be sent to the Immigration Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs so that the residence permit application can be processed.

More information under guichet.lu: Medical check-up for third-country nationals

Third-country researchers must submit an application for a residence permit to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within 3 months of their arrival in Luxembourg.

The following documents must be sent together with the residence permit application form:

• a copy of the (non-blank) pages of the valid passport;
• a copy of the temporary authorisation to stay;
• a copy of the declaration of arrival drawn up by the local commune;
• a proof of suitable housing (rental agreement, property deed, etc.);
• a proof of a bank transfer of €80 to the following account: IBAN: LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000 / BIC: CCPLLULL; Beneficiary: Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes, Direction de l’immigration; Communication: Titre de séjour dans le chef de “insert your name here”);

Detailed information as well as the residence permit application form is available under: guichet.lu: Conditions of residence for third-country salaried workes in Luxembourg.

If the application is approved, you will receive a letter inviting them to come in person with their valid passport and the letter to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs during opening hours. You will have your photograph and fingerprints taken so that you can be incorporated into the residence permit. A few days after the biometric data have been provided, you may pick up your residence permit in person at the Immigration Directorate.

The residence permit is valid for one year or for the duration of the research project, and can be renewed provided that the conditions for renewal are still met. Once you have obtained your residence permit, you will have equal status to that of nationals of your host country in terms of pay and working conditions, access to goods and services, recognition of professional qualifications and social security. A residence permit may be granted to your family members for the duration of your residence permit. You can take up a teaching position.

Luxembourg diplomatic or consular missions:

In countries with no Luxembourg diplomatic representation, you may also contact the Belgian or Dutch consular services.

To find the full list of Luxembourg’s diplomatic representations please visit the dedicated page of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration

Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes

Direction de l’Immigration

B.P. 752

L-2017 Luxembourg

Communes

To find the address and additional information on your local commune, please click here.

Sworn translation

If the documents are not drawn up in German, French or English, they must be accompanied by a sworn translation. A sworn translation consists of the original text, the translated text and a statement signed by the translator or translation company’s representative, with their signature notarised by a Notary Public, attesting that they believe the translated text is an accurate and complete translation of the original text.

EU, EEA & Swiss family members are free to stay in Luxembourg.

If you are staying :

• less than 3 months, you will require a valid identity card,
• more than 3 months, registration at your local commune is compulsory.Third country family members of EU, EEA or Swiss researchers

The following family members are entitled to residency:

• the spouse;
• the registered partner;
• the non-registered partner (free union) with whom the EU citizen has a duly demonstrated long-term relationship;
• direct descendants (sons or daughters) of the EU citizen or their spouse/partner if they are under 21 or are under their care;
• direct ascendants (father or mother) if they are under the care of the EU citizen or their spouse/partner.

Any other family member if:

• in their country of origin, they were under the care or were a member of the household of the EU citizen with the right to reside; or
• the EU citizen is obliged to personally take care of the family member in question because of serious health problems.

Stays up to 3 months

For a stay of less than 3 months, third-country nationals considered to be family members are only required to hold a valid passport and, where applicable, to hold a visa before arriving in Luxembourg.

). If the family member holds a valid temporary authorisation to stay as a family member issued by the Luxembourg authorities or another EU Member State, they do not require a visa to enter Luxembourg.

More information on Guichet.lu Staying in Luxembourg for less than 90 days as a third-country national and family member of an EU citizen or Luxembourg national.

Stays over 3 months

Third-country nationals considered to be family members who wish to stay for more than 3 months are only obliged to hold a valid passport and, where applicable, an entry visa before arriving in Luxembourg. Within 3 months of arriving in Luxembourg, the researcher must register them at their commune of residence and apply for a residence permit for them, giving their last name, first name(s) and exact address.

The processing time by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is generally a maximum of 6 months. A copy of the application for a residence permit is provided to the applicant in the form of a receipt. It has the same legal status as a residence permit for a maximum period of 6 months. However, this receipt may not be used as a travel document outside Luxembourg.

If the residence permit is granted, it will be sent to the commune for collection by the holder. Guichet.lu: Staying in Luxembourg for more than 3 months as a third-country national and family member of an EU citizen or Luxembourg national.

Third country family members of third country researchers

Family members are considered to be:

• the spouse or registered partner;
• unmarried children under 18 of the researcher and/ or the spouse or partner for whom they have custody and who are dependent on the researcher;
• first-degree direct ascendants (mother and father) of unaccompanied minors who have been granted international protection.

The ministry may widen the possibilities for family reunification to other family members provided the applicant has lawfully resided in Luxembourg for at least 12 months. Third-country nationals residing in Luxembourg (“sponsors”) wishing to bring their family to Luxembourg must meet a number of conditions.

Before entering the country, each member of the researcher’s family wishing to settle in Luxembourg must submit an application to the Immigration Directorate with the following required documents:

• the full name and address;
• a full copy of his/her passport;
• a proof of the researcher’s income equivalent to the minimum wage over a 12-month period (e.g. a copy of the work contract);
• a copy of the sponsor’s residence permit, which must be valid for more than one year;
• a proof of appropriate housing in Luxembourg;
• a proof of health insurance coverage in Luxembourg.

Find all details on the prices and required documents under guichet.lu: application for family reunification for third-country nationals