Luxembourg, one of the world’s safest and most developed nations, consistently ranks among Europe’s most desirable places to live. With its exceptional quality of life, robust economy, and unique position as a multilingual hub, Luxembourg attracts professionals from across the globe. The country’s job market mainly thrives in finance, technology, and international business, with many multinational companies choosing Luxembourg as their European base.
Understanding the visa sponsorship process is crucial for those dreaming of building a career in Luxembourg. Your path to working in Luxembourg depends on several factors, including your nationality and intended length of stay – short-term (under 90 days) or long-term (exceeding 90 days). This blog will walk you through the visa sponsorship process, exploring various visa types and providing detailed steps to secure employment sponsorship in Luxembourg.
The different types of visas in Luxembourg
- Short-stay visa (Type C):
The short-stay visa permits non-EU citizens to stay in Luxembourg for 90 days for business, tourism, or family visits.
This visa can be sponsored by family members, employers or business associates, educational institutions, cultural or sports organizations, or NGOs by providing an invitation letter, proof of financial support, and accommodation arrangements.
- Long-stay visa (Type D):
A long-stay visa permits you to stay in Luxembourg for work, study, investment, or family reunification. Your purpose for coming to Luxembourg for more than 90 days will determine the kind of long-stay visa you need.
You can secure a visa sponsorship through a work visa, a student visa, or even a family reunification visa.
- A work visa: As a foreigner planning to move to Luxembourg for sponsored work reasons, a work visa is a suitable option for you.
Requirements:
If you are a third-country national wishing to stay in Luxembourg through a sponsored work visa, then you need to take the following steps:
- Obtain a valid passport from your country’s official passport issuance authorities.
- Secure a job offer from an employer in Luxembourg willing to sponsor your work visa. This has been made easy through several professional job portals like:
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Github
You could also contact several agencies interested in securing visa sponsorship jobs for people.
- Your employer sponsoring your visa, who must be a registered business in Luxembourg, must apply for a work permit to the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs on your behalf.
In Luxembourg, this process can only be carried out by your employer and not by you directly, showing that they have a legitimate reason for sponsoring your work visa, which must be because you are a perfect fit for the role an EU citizen cannot fill.
You and your employer must ensure you meet all the requirements for sponsoring a work visa as a non-EU national, showing your qualifications, compliance with labor laws, and proof of employment. This process might take 2 to 3 months, depending on the level of complexity involved, so your employer must submit all requisite documents.
Aside from the type D visa, which allows you to work in Luxembourg, you can also get the EU blue card if you are a highly skilled worker. This visa type would also enable you to work and reside in Luxembourg. The other category of work visa we have is “The Seasonal” work visa, which covers industries like agriculture and tourism with shorter validity periods. This is the kind of visa you would obtain if you were employed on a seasonal basis.
You can also get a work visa if you are transferred to Luxembourg. This work visa type is known as an “Intra-Company Transfer Visa” and is applicable when you work in a multinational company and have a company in Luxembourg.
- As soon as your work permit is approved, you can proceed to apply for a long-stay visa at the Luxembourg Embassy or Consulate in your county of residence, providing them with documents such as Your valid passport, proof of accommodation in Luxembourg, two recent passport photographs that meet the Schengen visa photo requirements, copy of your employment contract, proof of health insurance, proof of financial means and your completed visa application.
- Once your visa application gets approved, retrieve it from the embassy, verify it, book a flight to travel, and begin working for your employer, who will assist you through your arrival and other processes.
Are you interested in academics? Do you know you can get a visa sponsorship through a scholarship? Of course, you can, which is what this blog is meant for. You can realize your dream of getting a visa sponsorship in Luxembourg through a scholarship, which grants you entry and residence throughout your studies. Does this interest you? Then the following steps are what you need:
- Source for scholarship opportunities in Luxembourg and apply to them massively
This is an excellent opportunity for you as most of these scholarships cover your tuition fees, living expenses, and travel costs, enabling you to have enough time to study and research in a diverse and inclusive academic environment with access to mentorship programs, research opportunities, and career development that would prepare you for a successful career.
You can explore a wide range of scholarship opportunities Luxembourg offers, such as the following:
- University of Luxembourg Scholarships for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees: Apply here
- University of Luxembourg Foreign Affairs Master’s Scholarship: Apply here
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters: Apply here
- Luxembourg School of Business: Apply here
- Lunex University Scholarships: Apply here
- Sacred Heart University Scholarships: Apply here.
While sourcing for scholarship opportunities in Luxembourg, you need to also work on yourself, work harder on getting good grades if you are still a student, engage in relevant internships and volunteering opportunities, get accustomed to the eligibility requirements and application deadline for their summer and winter intakes while working on tailoring your statements or SOPs to your desired program. You must also prepare your letters of recommendation, transcripts, and academic and professional CV stating your achievements. You should also prepare for interviews with the institution where applicable.
Once you have all the required documents, you can apply for your scholarship in any institution of your choice, choosing your desired study program that aligns with the scholarship requirements. You must also apply before the deadline to have time for the visa application. Apply to as many institutions as possible to increase your chances, ensuring you provide all the necessary documents during your application.
Follow up regularly with your application; as soon as you receive your scholarship confirmation, ensure it covers your travel and insurance support and tuition fees so you can proceed with your student visa application, presenting your proof of sponsorship funding, proof of enrollment, and other documents needed for the visa application.
Aside from getting a visa sponsorship to Luxembourg through work or a student visa, you can also get a visa sponsorship through your family. If you are a third-country national who has a family who is a citizen of Luxembourg, you are only eligible for family reunification if you are the spouse, parent, registered partner, or descendant (child) who is below 18 years of the EU citizen. You may also be eligible if you are a family member whose relation is not mentioned above through the minister’s agreement following some conditions.
In the process of the visa application, the family member must apply for temporal authorization to stay at the Directorate of Immigration of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Luxembourg, disclosing his/her identity and address in the country, alongside some required documents like: certified copy of the spouse, parent, child or partner’s passport, proof of family relation like birth certificate or marriage certificate. Other important documents include proof of financial resources sufficient to support the family member, evidence of suitable accommodation in Luxembourg, health insurance coverage, and a police clearance certificate from the home country.
After receiving the temporary authorization to stay, you can apply for a Type D visa at the Luxembourg embassy in your home country. Once your visa has been approved, you can travel to Luxembourg.
