Luxembourg researcher visa and residence permit

Only institutes accredited by the minister in charge of public research (for public bodies) or the Minister of the Economy (for private ones) may sign hosting agreements. Accreditation lasts up to five years, or three for recently created institutes. In the agreement the researcher commits to the project and the institute to hosting them.

The institute checks the purpose and length of the research and its funding, your qualifications, and that your monthly resources reach at least the social minimum wage for skilled workers (EUR 3,325.59 from 1 June 2026) to cover health insurance, living costs and the trip home. It issues an individual statement of financial support, keeps copies of your visa and permit, and notifies the DGIM within three working days of your first day.

You qualify if you hold a higher education diploma that gives access to doctoral programmes and will carry out a research project at an accredited public or private research institute in Luxembourg, or if you have signed a hosting agreement as a researcher in another EU country. People who want to do a doctorate apply as students, and posted workers are excluded.

Researchers already holding a researcher permit in another EU state can do part of their research in Luxembourg for up to three months under that state's hosting agreement without a Luxembourg permit; longer stays follow a separate mobility procedure.

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 "researcher" 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 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.

The researcher residence permit is valid for one year or for the length of the project and can be renewed as long as the conditions remain met. Renewal applications are filed with the DGIM before the card expires, and each new card costs EUR 80.

Spouses or registered partners over 18 and unmarried children under 18 can join under the family reunification rules, each with their own visa D application and the sponsor's consent form. They then have access to work and education in Luxembourg.