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Luxembourg City’s fortified old town above the Alzette valley
LuxembourgPhoto: Nikilux / CC BY-SA 3.0 LU · Wikimedia Commons ↗
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Visa field guide · LU

Plan your Luxembourg application

A two-step authorisation comes before many long-stay visasSee the common routes, understand the hand-offs, then confirm every requirement on the official website.

01 / ROUTES

Choose the route that matches your trip

These are starting points—not an eligibility decision. Open the official route before you apply.
  • ↗
    Schengen short-stay visa (C)

    Tourism, business or family visits up to 90 days, handled by the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office.

  • ↗
    Temporary residence authorisation + national visa (D)

    For work, study or family reasons over 90 days, approval from the immigration directorate must come before the Type D visa.

02 / JOURNEY

What the application journey usually looks like

The exact order can vary by visa, nationality and application location. “If asked” steps are conditional.
  1. 01
    Identify whether you need a short or long stay route

    Guichet.lu and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs separate short Schengen stays from Luxembourg's own long-stay process.

  2. 02
    For long stays, request the temporary residence authorisation

    Most long-stay purposes (employment, highly skilled work, family reasons) require a temporary residence authorisation before any visa is issued.

    GUIDELENS HELPS HERE
  3. 03
    Wait for approval from the Directorate of Immigration

    This authorisation request is filed on plain paper with a Luxembourg diplomatic or consular representation and assessed by the Directorate of Immigration at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

  4. 04
    Apply for the Type D visa at a Luxembourg mission

    Once approved and notified by post, the applicant who needs a visa applies for the Type D visa to actually enter Luxembourg.

    IF ASKED
  5. 05
    Travel within the authorisation's validity window

    The temporary residence authorisation is valid for 90 days, so travel and the visa step must happen inside that window.

  6. 06
    Complete registration and residence formalities after arrival

    After entering Luxembourg, further registration with the commune and, where applicable, a residence permit application follow.

03 / BEFORE YOU START

Four things to know before you start

Two ministries involved
Short Schengen visas go through the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs' Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office; long-stay authorisation is decided by the Directorate of Immigration at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Approval before travel
For most long-stay purposes, approval must be obtained before entering Luxembourg, except in stated exceptional cases.
Short validity window
The temporary residence authorisation is only valid for 90 days, so the visa step and travel need to be timed carefully.
Short-stay processing
The Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office generally decides short-stay applications within 15 calendar days, extendable to 45 days in specific cases.

04 / PRACTICAL GUIDE

Luxembourg's pre-approval step for long stays

Luxembourg keeps the common Schengen short-stay process, but most long-stay purposes require a separate pre-approval before any Type D visa is issued.
  1. 01

    Request approval before applying for the visa

    For employment, highly skilled work or private reasons, first request a temporary residence authorisation from the Directorate of Immigration; a Type D visa follows only once this is granted.

    Guichet.lu · Third-country employee, more than 3 months ↗
  2. 02

    Short stays stay with the Foreign Affairs ministry

    Applications for stays up to 90 days are filed with the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office under the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, not the immigration directorate.

    Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs · Visa ↗
  3. 03

    Mind the 90-day validity of the authorisation

    The temporary residence authorisation is only valid for 90 days from approval, so plan the visa application and travel dates to fall inside that window.

    Guichet.lu · Entry visa for third-country nationals ↗
  4. 04

    Keep the Schengen rule in view

    For a multi-country trip, apply to the country that is the main purpose or longest stay. Use the first country only when stays are equal. The 90 days in any 180-day period are counted across the whole Schengen area.

    European Commission · Applying for a Schengen visa ↗

05 / PREPARE

Information worth gathering before you open the form

Not every item applies to every route. Use the official checklist generated for your application.

  • Passport and previous travel-document details

  • Travel dates, itinerary and accommodation

  • Travel medical insurance for the Schengen stay

  • Evidence of funds and the purpose of the trip

  • Employment, study or sponsor information where relevant

  • Translations and route-specific documents requested locally

06 / OFFICIAL

Continue with the official authority

View current requirementsMinistry of Foreign and European Affairs

You remain responsible for reviewing and submitting your application.