Obtaining a Residence Permit in Luxembourg
People around the world are attracted by Luxembourg for investment of employment reasons. In order to come here, they must apply for one of the visas or permits which allow them to live in Luxembourg for short or long periods of time.
When individuals want to stay more than three months in Luxembourg, they must obtain a residence permit. This document will allow them to legally spend more time in the country to study, work or live with their family.
An individual who decides to live in Luxembourg needs to register with the local authorities from the areas where he or she will live and obtain an identity card which must be carried at all times. Our lawyers in Luxembourg can help you with the formalities for obtaining a residence permit if you are a foreigner who wants to live in this country.
With a vast experience in relocation matters, our immigration lawyers in Luxembourg can help foreign citizens who want to relocate to the Grand Duchy.
Different requirements for obtaining a Luxembourg residence permit
Applying for a residence permit for Luxembourg is possible for everyone, however, under the immigration legislation, there are various requirements for each individual depending on the country of provenience.
Obtaining a Luxembourg residence permit will imply different criteria, among which:
- if the foreign citizen is a national of a European Union country, the requirements are less severe;
- if the foreign citizen is a national of a non-EU country, the documentation to be prepared is more extensive;
- if the foreign national plans on staying in Luxembourg for less than 3 months;
- if the foreign national plans on relocating to Luxembourg for more than 3 months.
No matter the reasons for which a foreign national comes to Luxembourg, a valid ID is required in the case of EU citizens, while a valid passport is needed in the case of a third-country citizen.
Our immigration lawyers in Luxembourg will carefully analyze each case in order to propose a good solution for those interested in acquiring a residence permit in the Grand Duchy.
Residence permits for EU nationals
EU nationals and citizens of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland do not need to apply for a residence permit, instead, they will need to obtain a registration certificate from the local authorities where their place of residence is located, within three months of arrival.
EU/EEA citizens who wish to stay longer than three months in Luxembourg need to be employed by a Luxembourg company, be self-employed or enrolled in some form of education and have enough resources to sustain themselves. Some citizens may still need to obtain a work permit. If a family member is not an EU citizen, he or she will need to provide additional documents in order to be able to join you. Our lawyers in Luxembourg can help you obtain the necessary permits and bring other family members in this country.
After an uninterrupted period of three years, individuals have the right to become permanent residents.
Residence permits for non-EU nationals
Non-EU citizens who want to stay in the country for up to three months need to obtain a visa. After this time, they can submit an application to the immigration office belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to obtain a residence permit.
The documents needed in order to make the application are:
- a valid passport;
- health certificate;
- proof of housing and employment;
- police record (if applicable).
All documents submitted for residence permits in Luxembourg must be in French, German or English and certified by a notary public. Certified translations are necessary for documents which are not originally in one of these languages.
Obtaining a residence permit for working in Luxembourg
Foreign citizens who want to relocate to Luxembourg for employment purposes must first secure a work contract with a local company if they come from non-EU countries. It will be the Luxembourg company’s job to apply for the work permit on behalf of the future employee, but not before making sure it has done everything possible to find a national or an EU citizen to fill out the position.
In the case of EU citizens, they can relocate to Luxembourg without applying for the residence permit during the first 3 months of living here. They have the possibility of working in a local company or operating as sole traders in Luxembourg.
Our attorneys in Luxembourg can help foreign entrepreneurs who want to relocate here with the purpose of setting up businesses.
The residence permit for foreign investors in Luxembourg
At the beginning of 2017, the Luxembourg government has enabled the Quality Investors Residence Visa program, under which foreign nationals from non-EU countries can apply for residence permits by investing in making specific investments.
The conditions for obtaining a residence permit as a foreign investor from a third-country in Luxembourg are:
- the foreigner must invest at least 500,000 euros in a Luxembourg company and keep that investment for a minimum period of 5 years;
- the foreign must invest 500,000 euros in registering a company in Luxembourg which will undertake a commercial or artisanal activity and to create at least 5 jobs in maximum 3 years after opening the business;
- the foreigner can also invest 3 million euros in an existing Luxembourg company or to open a new company which carries out investment and management activities;
- the foreign citizen is also welcome to invest at least 20 million euros in a Luxembourg investment fund and keep the investments for at least 5 years.
Only of the above-mentioned conditions must be met by third-country nationals seeking to apply for a residence permit in Luxembourg under this program. The applicant must also live at least 6 months per year in Luxembourg. They can do that with the help of our immigration lawyers in Luxembourg.
Immigration services offered by our lawyers in Luxembourg
Our law firm in Luxembourg can help foreign citizens who want to relocate to the Grand Duchy by providing them tailored and targeted support in various immigration matters. We can help those who want to obtain work and residence permits in Luxembourg, and we can also assist foreign investors who want to move here with the purpose of starting their own businesses.
Our assistance consists in preparing all the documents needed to be submitted with the Immigration Office. We can also revise any previously drafted documents and make sure they are complete, and they comply with the requirements of the Immigration office.
Those who have obtained a residence permit and are interested in applying for Luxembourg citizenship can also request the specialized services offered by our immigration lawyers.
We offer personalized legal services to foreign citizens from both EU and non-EU countries interested in relocating to Luxembourg through a residence visa.
If you are interested in investing in Luxembourg and want to know more about the policies for investments and legislation for foreign entrepreneurs, you can contact our law firm in Luxembourg.