How to Apply for the Luxembourg Work Visa

Working in Luxembourg, a multilingual and beautiful country situated in the heart of Europe with a resilient economy and strong GDP per Capita, is one of the most desirable things in the world. Whether you are a professional or a non-professional, Luxembourg is the ideal country for you. It offers a stable environment for career growth and financial development, an inclusive and diverse workplace, extensive opportunities, and a relatively low tax rate.

      Are you planning to work in this desirable and appealing destination? Then having a solid understanding of the Luxembourg work visa is fundamental. 

Below are the categories of work visas available in Luxembourg, including their requirements and procedures, each determined by your employment type, length of stay, and qualification. They include:

• The salaried workers 
• The highly qualified workers (EU Blue Card)
• Transferred salaried workers
• Posted Salaried workers
• Seasonal workers
• Self-employed persons

The salaried workers

1. As a salaried worker, the first step in the visa application process is to secure a job with an employer whose business is registered in Luxembourg. This is very important because your employer will be vital in ensuring your work visa.

2. The next step is for your employer to submit an application on plain paper to ADEM’s (Agence pour le développement de l’emploi) director and request a certificate granting him the right to hire you as a third-country national. This must be done because you need to attach the original certificate from your employer to your application for the authorization to stay.

3. Once you’ve gotten the certificate, you can then proceed to submit a temporary authorization to stay to the General Department of Immigration of the Ministry of Home Affairs with the following original or certified accurate documents:

• A copy of your valid passport
• A criminal record or an affidavit established in your country of residence
• A curriculum vitae
• A copy of your diplomas or professional qualifications
• A copy of the employment contract (compliant with Luxembourg law), dated and signed by you (the applicant) and your future employer in Luxembourg
• The original copy of the certificate from the National Employment Agency granting your employer the right to hire you as a third-country national.

4. After obtaining your temporary authorization to stay, valid for 90 days, you can apply for a type D visa from your country of origin, submitting your application and authorization to stay to the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular body in your country of origin.

5. On arriving in Luxembourg, you need to declare your arrival in the new commune of residence to the census office (Bureau de la population) of the communal administration of your new place of residence in Luxembourg. You would also need to undergo a medical check by a doctor established in Luxembourg and authorized to work as a general practitioner specializing in internal medicine or pediatrics, which includes a tuberculosis screening. Once done, you can apply for a residence permit as a third-country national salaried worker. 

Note that residence permits will not be granted to you if you refuse to undergo the required medical check-up because your medical certificate will be sent to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade to allow the residence permit application to be processed.

The highly qualified workers (EU Blue Card)

1. To work in this ideal location with extensive opportunities for career advancement as a highly skilled worker, you need a job offer from a Luxembourg employer.

2. The second step is to apply for a temporary authorization to stay (on plain paper) in the country in which you legally reside to the General Department of Immigration with the following original or certified documents:

• A copy of your  valid passport, in its entirety
• An extract from the criminal records or an affidavit established in your country of residence
• Your CV
• A copy of your diplomas or professional qualifications;
• A copy of the employment contract (compliant with Luxembourg law), dated and signed by you (the applicant) and your future employer in Luxembourg. The contract must be for at least 6 months and provide a gross annual salary equal to the average gross annual salary (currently EUR 58,968) and, where necessary, a power of attorney.

3. Once you’ve received a temporary authorization to stay sent by post, you can apply for a type D visa if you are subject to visa requirements at the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular mission in your country of residence. Note that a visa is not required as a third-country national with a valid residence permit for family members of an EU citizen or a valid residence permit issued by another EU Member State. Still, you must have temporary authorization to stay.

4. As soon as you arrive in Luxembourg, you must file a declaration of arrival with your new commune of residence within three working days of arriving in Luxembourg, presenting your valid travel document (passport and, where applicable, a visa or a residence permit or authorization to stay issued by another EU Member State) and a valid proof of address where appropriate. Once this has been done, you will receive a copy of your declaration of arrival as a receipt. A copy of your declaration of arrival and the authorization to stay serve as both a work permit and authorization to remain until your residence permit is issued.

5. You also need to undergo a medical examination, including a tuberculosis screening conducted by a doctor established in Luxembourg and authorized to work as a general practitioner specializing in internal medicine or pediatrics. The results of these examinations (medical certificates) will then be sent to the General Department of Immigration to allow the residence permit application to be processed.

6. The next step is to apply for a residence permit, also called an EU Blue Card for third-country nationals, online or via post to the General Department of Immigration within 3 months of arrival in Luxembourg. When submitting by post, you need to send your application alongside some documents like:

• A copy of your valid passport
• A copy of the temporary authorization to stay
• A copy of the declaration of arrival established by the communal administration
• Proof of suitable housing 
• Proof of payment of a fee

7. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a letter inviting you to make an appointment with the General Department of Immigration to take your photograph and biometrics, which will be incorporated into the residence permit. After a few days, you can then proceed to pick up the residence permit, which takes the form of a chip card containing the biometric data and the work permit, valid for 4 years or the duration of the contract plus 3 months, in person at the General Department of immigration, by appointment.

The beautiful thing is, after 5 years of regular and uninterrupted residence on EU territory as an EU Blue Card holder who spent the last 2 years preceding the application in Luxembourg, you are qualified to apply for long-term resident status.

Transferred salaried workers

As an intra-corporate transferee, the following requirements need to be met to apply for your work visa:

1. Your hosting employer must submit a detailed application for a temporary authorization to stay to the General Department of Immigration or a Luxembourg diplomatic with original or certified copies of your documents like:

• A copy of your valid passport
• A recent extract of the criminal record or an affidavit (sworn declaration) established in your country of residence;
• A certificate of affiliation with the social security in the country of origin / Luxembourg or the proof that an application for affiliation has been submitted.

2. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a temporary authorization to stay sent by post. This temporary authorization to stay is valid for 90 days.

3. The next step is to apply for a type D visa if you require one to enter Luxembourg. Your visa application, alongside your approved temporary authorization to stay, should be submitted to the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular body in your country of origin.

4. On arriving in Luxembourg, you must file a declaration of arrival with the authorities of your commune of residence within 3 days, producing your valid travel documents (passport) and the residence or work permit issued by the EU Member State where the transferring company is established.

5. You must also undergo a medical check for foreigners as soon as you arrive in Luxembourg; this will determine the approval of your residence permit.

6. The next step is to apply for a residence permit for intra-corporate transferees (ICT) with the General Department of Immigration within 90 days of your arrival in Luxembourg. As a worker under the intra-corporate transfer scheme, your residence permit is valid for a minimum of 1 year for transferred managers or specialists or only for the stay if the transfer is shorter (renewable for 3 years). If you are a trainee, your residence permit is valid for the duration of the transfer (renewable for 1 year).

Posted Salaried workers 

In this category, the procedure is quite different:

1. Before you can go to Luxembourg as a posted worker, the employer must apply for authorization to post workers (authorization for collective posting + individual temporary authorization to stay) to the General Department of Immigration at the Ministry of Home Affairs, indicating the following with some original and certified document:

• Your identity
• The nature and duration of work to be carried out
• The exceptional circumstances keep the national employment market unaffected.

Documents about the business:

• The contract concluded between the service provider and the recipient of the services
• The business permit

Documents about you as a posted worker:

• A copy of your valid passport
• A recent extract from the criminal record or an affidavit established in your country of residence
• Your CV
• Proof of health and accident insurance valid for the duration of the posting
• A copy of the permanent employment contract, dated and signed by the posted worker and the posting company (the contract must have taken effect at least 6 months before the beginning of the posting)
• A copy of the posting agreement/mission order signed by the posting company and you (the posted worker).

2. The business posting you will receive the authorization for your posting or collective posting as well as the individual temporary authorization to stay for you and other posted workers.

3. As soon as this is granted, you must provide temporary authorization to stay and complete the visa type D application at the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular mission in your country of residence.

4. Within 3 days of your arrival in Luxembourg, you must declare your arrival at the administration of the commune where you intend to reside, presenting a valid travel document, your temporary authorization to stay, and a valid proof of address. You will receive a copy of the declaration of arrival, valid as a work permit, and authorization to stay for a maximum of 90 days from the date of declaration of arrival.

5. Undergo a medical check.

6. Apply for a residence permit (subject to renewal) for posted workers to the General Department of Immigration within 3 months of your arrival in Luxembourg, which is only valid for the posting duration at the most and for the employer who applied for the authorization for posted work.

Seasonal workers 

As a seasonal worker, the following procedures have to be met:

1. As a third-country national, you or your employer must apply for a temporary authorization to stay (on plain paper) from your country of origin to the General Department of Immigration with the following documents:

• A copy of your valid passport
• An extract from criminal records or an affidavit (sworn declaration) established in the country of residence;
• A copy of your diplomas or professional qualifications;
• A copy of the seasonal employment contract, dated and signed by both the applicant and the future employer in Luxembourg;
• The original certificate issued by the National Employment Agency (ADEM) granting the employer the right to hire a third-country national;
• Proof of suitable housing for you as a third-country national, which is unnecessary if you have already been admitted to Luxembourg as a seasonal worker at least once in the last five years
• A power of attorney is needed if your employer makes the application for authorization to stay.

2. Once your application has been approved, you will be sent a temporary authorization to stay (valid for 90 days) by post, accompanied by written information on your rights and obligations, including appeal procedures. If you are subject to visa requirements, you can apply for a visa, which must be obtained before entering the territory of the Grand-Duchy, or, if you do not require a visa, you can enter Luxembourg and file a declaration of arrival with the administration of the commune where you reside.

3. Within 3 days of arrival in Luxembourg, you must declare arrival at the administration of the commune where you intend to reside, presenting a valid travel document, a visa, the original copy of the temporary authorization to stay, and valid proof of residence. Once you are done, you will receive a copy of your declaration of arrival as a receipt; this, together with the authorization to stay, serves as a seasonal work permit and authorization to stay until the residence permit is issued.

4. Then, you must undergo a medical check-up for foreigners as soon as possible; this will allow the residence permit application to be processed.

5. The next step is to apply for a residence permit (valid for no more than 5 months over 12 months) for third-country nationals within 3 months of your arrival in Luxembourg to the General Department of Immigration.

You may renew your residence permit several times if you renew your employment contract with the same employer, but if you change your employer, the residence permit may only be renewed once.

Self-employed persons

As a self-employed person planning to move to Luxembourg through a work visa, you need to take the following procedures:

1. Apply for a temporary authorization to stay (on plain paper) from your country of origin to the General Department of Immigration with the following documents:

• A copy of your valid passport
• An extract from the criminal records or an affidavit (sworn oath) established in your country of residence
• Your CV
• A business and a financing plan
• Proof that you have the necessary economic resources to carry out your business project
• The balance sheets and profit and loss accounts for the past three financial years, in the case of a takeover of a business
• The agreement, in principle, in the event of an activity subject to a business permit
• In the case of an activity subject to other authorizations, accreditations, or registrations, the agreement is, in principle, from the competent authority.

2. Suppose you are subject to a visa obligation. In that case, you must submit a type D visa application and present your temporary authorization to stay to the Luxembourg diplomatic or consular representation in your country of origin.

3. Within 3 days of your arrival in Luxembourg, you must declare arrival at the administration of the commune where you intend to reside, presenting a valid travel document, the original temporary authorization to stay, and a valid proof of address. After successful completion, you will receive a copy of the declaration of arrival as a receipt.

 The copy of the declaration of arrival and the temporary authorization to stay are valid as a right of residence until the residence permit is issued.

4. Then, you must undergo a mandatory medical check for foreigners.

5. The following procedure is to submit an application for a residence permit for third-country nationals  (which includes the work permit for the self-employed activity in question, provided you have a required business permit to carry out the activity) to the General Department of Immigration within 3 months of your entry into Luxembourg.

The residence permit for self-employed is valid for 3 years from the date of declaration of arrival in the commune. It is also renewable on request for a new maximum period of 3 years as long as the conditions for obtaining it are met.