Luxembourg
Luxembourg visa guide: all visa and residence permit types
- 16 visa types
- checked 25 October 2026
How visas for Luxembourg work
Luxembourg is a Schengen state, so visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period are covered by the uniform Schengen visa (type C) for nationals of countries on the EU visa list. You apply at the Luxembourg embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the external service provider it uses, where fingerprints are taken; where Luxembourg has no post, another Schengen state may represent it. The standard fee is EUR 90, and the file should be lodged at least 15 days and no more than six months before travel.
For stays over 90 days the procedure changed on 1 October 2026. Third-country nationals no longer apply first to the General Department of Immigration (DGIM) for a temporary authorisation to stay; they file a single long-stay visa (visa D) application, for the residence category they need, at the Luxembourg or Belgian embassy for their country of residence or its service provider. The DGIM, part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, still takes the decision. The visa D costs EUR 50 at Luxembourg missions and is valid for six months.
After arrival every newcomer declares their address at the commune within three days, passes a medical check and applies to the DGIM for the biometric residence permit, which costs EUR 80. Categories include salaried worker, EU Blue Card (EUR 65,652 a year), self-employed worker, intra-corporate transferee, seasonal worker, researcher, student, trainee, au pair, family member and private reasons. Long-term resident status follows after five years of legal residence, and asylum claims are made in person inside Luxembourg.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday, family visit or business trip up to 90 days: Schengen visa (EUR 90) from the Luxembourg mission for your place of residence or its service provider; paid work of any length needs a separate work permit.
Job offer paying at least the social minimum wage (EUR 2,771.33 a month since 1 June 2026) after an ADEM labour-market check: visa D for salaried workers.
Highly qualified job of at least six months paying EUR 65,652 a year or more: visa D for the EU Blue Card, no ADEM certificate listed.
Running your own business in Luxembourg: visa D for self-employed workers, with the Ministry of the Economy's agreement in principle where a business permit is needed.
University, BTS or PhD place: visa D for students, with means of at least 80% of the social inclusion income (REVIS).
Joining a spouse, registered partner or parent who lives in Luxembourg: family reunification visa D; living on a pension or EU income: private reasons permit.
Visa types for Luxembourg
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Schengen visa (type C) for tourism
Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a Schengen visa for a holiday in Luxembourg.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. - Family and friends visit visa Schengen visa for visiting family or friends
To visit relatives or friends in Luxembourg, nationals of countries on the EU visa list apply for a Schengen visa at the Luxembourg mission for their place of residence or its service provider.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area.
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Schengen visa (type C) for business, conferences, culture and sport
Business meetings, trade fairs, conferences and cultural or sports events in Luxembourg are covered by a Schengen visa from the Luxembourg mission for your place of residence or its service provider.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. - Self-employed and freelancer visa Visa D for a residence permit for self-employed workers (travailleur indépendant)
Third-country nationals who want to run their own business or practise independently in Luxembourg apply for a visa D in the "self-employed worker" category.
Validity: Visa D: 6 months; the residence permit is then issued and renewed in Luxembourg.
Study and training
- Student visa Visa D for a residence permit for students (post-secondary education)
Students admitted to full-time higher education in Luxembourg apply for a visa D for the "student" category at the Luxembourg embassy or consulate for their country of residence, or its service provider.
Maximum stay: For the length of the study programme, through renewable residence permits. - Researcher visa Visa D for a residence permit for researchers
Researchers who hold a degree giving access to doctoral studies and have signed a hosting agreement with an accredited Luxembourg research institute apply for a visa D in the "researcher" category.
Maximum stay: For the research project, through renewable residence permits. - Internship and trainee visa Visa D for a residence permit for trainees (stagiaire)
Third-country nationals who want to do a traineeship of more than three months in Luxembourg, as part of higher education studies or within two years of graduating, apply for a visa D for the "trainee" category.
Maximum stay: For the length of the traineeship stated in the training agreement. - Au pair visa Visa D for a residence permit for young au pairs
Young people aged 18 to 30 who will live with a Luxembourg host family as au pairs apply for a visa D in the "au pair" category.
Validity: Visa D: 6 months; the au pair residence permit is then issued in Luxembourg.
Work
- Work visa Visa D for a residence permit for salaried workers (travailleur salarié)
A job offer in Luxembourg leads to the salaried worker permit only after the employer has declared the vacancy to the employment agency ADEM and obtained a certificate allowing it to hire you.
Validity: First residence permit up to 2 years; renewals up to 4 years. Visa D: 6 months. - EU Blue Card EU Blue Card (carte bleue européenne) for highly qualified workers
Luxembourg issues the EU Blue Card to highly qualified workers with a contract of at least six months paying a gross annual salary of at least EUR 65,652, the amount set by Grand-Ducal regulation.
Validity: Renewals for 4 years, or for the contract length plus 3 months if shorter. Visa D: 6 months. - Intra-company transfer visa Residence permit for intra-corporate transferees (ICT)
Managers, specialists and trainee employees sent by a group company outside the EU to a Luxembourg entity of the same group use the ICT permit.
Maximum stay: Up to 3 years in total for managers and specialists, 1 year for trainee employees. - Seasonal work visa Visa D for a residence permit for seasonal workers
Seasonal workers in harvesting, tourism, hotels, restaurants and peak-season transport can obtain a residence permit valid for five months in any twelve.
Maximum stay: 5 months within a 12-month period.
Family
- Family reunification visa Visa D for a residence permit for family members of a third-country national (family reunification)
Spouses, registered partners and minor children of a non-EU national living legally in Luxembourg apply for a visa D in the "family member" category.
Validity: Visa D: 6 months; the family member residence permit is then issued and renewed in Luxembourg.
Residence
- Residence permit Visa D for a residence permit for private reasons (vie privée)
The "private reasons" permit is for people who can live on their own resources, such as a pension or income from work in another EU or Schengen state, and for people whose close personal or family ties to someone in Luxembourg do not fit family reunification.
Validity: Visa D: 6 months; the private reasons permit is then issued and renewed in Luxembourg. - Permanent residence Long-term resident status (résident de longue durée – UE)
After five years of legal, uninterrupted residence in Luxembourg, a third-country national can apply to the DGIM for EU long-term resident status.
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection International protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection)
Luxembourg grants refugee status and subsidiary protection under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, applicable since 12 June 2026.
Maximum stay: Applicants may stay while the claim and any suspensive appeal are pending; protection holders receive a 5-year residence permit.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a visa for Luxembourg?
Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a Schengen visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days; every third-country national planning to stay longer files a visa D application for a residence category. Applications go to the Luxembourg mission responsible for your place of residence or its service provider.
What does a Luxembourg visa cost in 2026?
A Schengen visa costs EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12) and a visa D EUR 50; some missions charge less for children applying for a visa D. Fees are not refunded after a refusal, service providers add their own charge, and the residence permit issued in Luxembourg costs a further EUR 80.
Do I still need a temporary authorisation to stay before the visa D?
No, not for applications lodged from 1 October 2026. You file the visa D directly at the embassy or its service provider for the residence category you need. Authorisations already issued remain valid, and files lodged by 30 September 2026 are finished under the old rules.
Who decides on long-stay applications?
The General Department of Immigration (DGIM) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, 26 route d'Arlon in Luxembourg City. The embassy collects the file and affixes the visa once the DGIM approves.
What must I do in the first days after arriving on a visa D?
Declare your arrival at the commune within three days, book the medical check (doctor plus tuberculosis screening) and file the residence permit application with the DGIM, at the latest three months before the six-month visa expires.
Can I appeal a Luxembourg visa refusal?
Yes. The embassy states that a refusal can be challenged before the administrative court under the law of 21 June 1999; the appeal must be filed by a lawyer within three months of notification. The refusal letter states the reasons and the remedies.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 25 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.