Luxembourg family reunification visa

A beneficiary of international protection who applies for family reunification within six months of being granted protection does not have to meet the housing and resources conditions; the file then mainly contains passports, civil status documents and the consent form. For a child born in Luxembourg to legally resident third-country parents there is a simplified procedure with a special form, a full passport copy and the birth certificate.

The core family covers the sponsor's spouse or registered partner, who must be over 18 when the application is filed, and unmarried children under 18 over whom the sponsor or the spouse or partner has parental authority; with shared custody the other parent must consent. Parents of an unaccompanied minor who has international protection are also covered.

Once the sponsor has lived legally in Luxembourg for at least 12 months, the minister may extend reunification to the parents of the sponsor or partner who depend on the sponsor and lack family support at home, to unmarried adult children who cannot support themselves because of their health, and to the legal guardian or another relative of an unaccompanied refugee minor without parents.

Every applicant provides the full passport, a criminal record extract under three months old if adult, travel health insurance and a consent form completed by the sponsor. The sponsor's side includes payslips or other proof of stable income and proof of suitable housing: a lease or notarial deed of a Luxembourg property stating its surface area, plus the landlord's written consent if the lease is limited to the original tenant. Housing proof is not needed when the family member applies at the same time as the sponsor.

For a spouse add the marriage certificate or other proof of civil status; for a child the birth certificate and, if only one parent lives in Luxembourg, the custody ruling or a notarial authorisation from the other parent; for a dependent parent proof of the relationship, of their own income, of the absence of family support at home and of regular bank transfers from the sponsor during at least one year.

Since 1 October 2026 Luxembourg no longer asks first-time applicants to obtain a temporary authorisation to stay from Luxembourg before the visa. You file one visa D application for a residence permit "family member" with the Luxembourg (or, where Luxembourg has no post, Belgian) embassy responsible for your country of residence, or with its external service provider. Files lodged on or before 30 September 2026 continue under the old procedure.

The embassy only forwards complete files; the decision is taken by the General Department of Immigration (DGIM) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Receipt of the file does not mean it is complete. The national visa form is completed in English or French, with one ICAO photo under three months old and a passport issued within the last ten years and valid at least six months beyond the planned stay. Documents in other languages than English, French or German need a sworn translation.

The response time is in principle no more than nine months and may be extended in exceptional, complex cases. Without an answer within that time, the application can be considered refused.

The visa D is valid for six months and only opens the door; the residence permit is issued in Luxembourg. Within three days of arrival you declare your arrival at the commune where you live, showing your passport with the valid visa and, if you have it, your lease. The date of that declaration normally becomes the start date of the residence permit, and no permit is issued without a valid legal address.

As soon as possible you also complete the medical check for foreigners: an examination by a general practitioner, internist or paediatrician practising in Luxembourg plus a tuberculosis screening (at a laboratory on the doctor's prescription or at the Ligue médico-sociale; children between 2 months and 2 years have a tuberculin test at the Ligue). The Health Directorate sends the resulting certificate directly to the General Department of Immigration (DGIM).

The residence permit application must reach the DGIM, in the same category as your visa, no later than three months before the visa D expires. It can be filed on MyGuichet.lu (with or without LuxTrust or eID) or by post, with a full copy of the passport, the commune's arrival declaration and proof of suitable housing if it was not already in the visa file. When it is approved you pay the EUR 80 issuance fee, book an appointment for photo and fingerprints, and collect the biometric card about one week later.

Family members have access to education, vocational guidance, training and the labour market. To renew, apply at the DGIM at least two months before expiry with the passport, a social security affiliation certificate and a recent Luxembourg criminal record extract; the fee is EUR 80. If you leave Luxembourg for more than six months, inform the DGIM by e-mail and declare your departure at the commune.