You can achievedual citizenship with Luxembourgthroughseveraldifferent pathways.
An individual can automatically gain Luxembourg citizenshipin certain situations. This could be through heritage, adoption, or birth in Luxembourg.
There’s also a special scenario calledpossessiond’etat(de facto enjoyment of a certain civil status), which can lead to citizenship.
Each of thosehas its ownspecificrequirements, buthere we’re going to focus ongettingLuxembourg citizenshipvoluntarily,by naturalizationorbyoption.
Naturalization is the mainpathway for people who have no existing ties toLuxembourg.
Luxembourg citizenship is straightforward to get, provided you meet the requirements.
We’ve spoken torecently naturalizedexpats in Luxembourg, whotell usthatthe Luxembourggovernment follows the exact process laid out on the official websiteand reviews applications within a reasonable timeframe.
Why Luxembourg?
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world. Located between Germany, France, and Belgium, it’s well placed for accessing the whole EU.
Luxembourg scores highly on safety and political stability.
It’s a uniquely multicultural and multilingual society, with three official languages(German, French and Luxembourgish).Luxembourg is also ranked one of the world’s happiest countries, as well as one of the freest.
Luxembourg is also Europe’s most powerful investment management center and hosts several important EU institutions.
It’sahighly business friendlycountryand has an advanced economywith excellent infrastructure.Public services are efficient and easy to deal with.
What’s more, Luxembourg alsobenefits fromthe world’s 5th fastest internet– perfect for digital nomads and online business owners.
Benefits of Luxembourg Citizenship
As a member of theEuropean Union,Luxembourg citizenship has several key benefits.
EU citizenshipgivesyou full EU rights, includingfreedom of movement, which includes the right to settle, work, study, and retire anywhere in theEU.
EU citizens can vote and run for office in national elections of the state in which they live. They can also vote in European elections and participate in other EU-wide decisions.
If you decide to stay in Luxembourg, having citizenship allows you a greater say in the politics of the country, while also opening the door to additional job opportunities.
The Luxembourg passportis extremely well-regarded,according tothe HenleyPassportIndex. Ranked fourth (behind Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Germany), a Luxembourg passport gives you visa-free access to 190 countries.
What’s more, as Luxembourg is a neutraland uncontroversial country, you’re unlikely to encounter problems crossing borders with your Luxembourg passport.
Luxembourg also allows dual citizenship, so you don’t have to give up your existing citizenship (and you can still acquire additional new ones in future).
How to Get Luxembourg Citizenship
There are twomain pathways to get Luxembourg citizenship voluntarily: citizenship by naturalizationandcitizenship by option.
Luxembourg citizenship by naturalization
Getting Luxembourg citizenship by naturalization is open to any third country national who can fulfil the key requirements.These are as follows:
- You’re aged over18
- Youhavelegally resided in Luxembourg for at least fiveyears (The year immediately before applying for citizenship must be uninterrupted)
- You have a basic command of the Luxembourgish language(A2 level spoken, B1 comprehension)
- You have knowledge of Luxembourgish civics,having takenthe“Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duchéde Luxembourg”course, or passed theexam
- You haven’t made any false statements, concealed important information, or acted fraudulently during the naturalizationprocess
- You don’t have a criminal record with a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, or a suspended sentence of 24 months or more.
Once you meet all those requirements, the next step is to gatheryourapplicationdocuments, consisting of the following:
- Copy of your birthcertificate
- Copy of yourpassport
- Completedbiographical questionnaire, signed anddated
- Criminal record certificates, fromyour country of citizenship, and any other countries where you have lived from the age of 18 in the 15 years before submitting your Luxembourg citizenshipapplication
- Certificate of passing the Luxembourgish languageexam
- Certificate confirming that you attendedVivre ensemble au Grand-Duchéde Luxembourg”course, or passed theexam
Then, you submit these documents to the civil registrar in Luxembourg.The Nationality Office of the Ministry of Justice will review the application.
Theymayask for additional documents if they decide theonesyou’ve provided are insufficient or unsuitable in some way.
TheMinister ofJustice will grant(or reject)naturalization within eight months from the submission date.This timeline is typically followed closely. In many cases it may be quicker than eight months.
Luxembourg citizenship by option
There are 10 specific cases where a non-Luxembourgish national can get citizenship by option. Citizenship by option can be granted to the followingsituations:
- Adults with a parent, adoptive parent or grandparent who is or wasLuxembourgish
- Parents of a Luxembourgish minor
- Marriage to a Luxembourgish national
- Persons born in Luxembourg, over the age of12
- Adults having completed 7 years of schooling inLuxembourg
- Adults residing legally in Luxembourg for at least 20years
- Adults having fulfilled the obligations arising from the Welcome and Integration Contract (Contratd’accueiletd’intégration)
- Adults who settled in Luxembourg before the age of 18
- Adults with stateless person, refugee or subsidiary protection status
- Volunteer soldiers
If none of these situations apply to you,it’s highly likely thatgoing for the naturalization routewill bea better fit. It’s also a lot faster than the similar option 6, which asks for 20 years of legal residency in Luxembourg.
Here’s the official Luxembourg government website for detailed information ongettingLuxembourg citizenship by option.
Application Costs
Unlike many other countries, Luxembourg’s naturalization process is free of charge, although there may be some associated costs for producing the required paperwork.
Getting Residency in Luxembourg
To get Luxembourg citizenshipby naturalizationor investment, you’ll need to live in Luxembourg forat leastfive years.
To do so as a non-EU citizen, you’ll need a residence permitto stay longer than the typical 90 days offered to tourists.
Luxembourgoffersa wide range of ways to get residency,including via employment, self-employment,and family reunification.
If you have sufficient income to support yourself without working in Luxembourg (e.g.from remote work with a non-Luxembourg employer, or dividends from an online businessbasedoutside of Luxembourg),thenthere’s a specific residency route open to you.It’s calledresidency for private reasons.
We’ve identified this as the best pathway for remote workersand online business ownersinterested in starting their EU citizenship journey in Luxembourg. In the next section, we’ll explore this residency pathway in more detail.
Residency for Private Reasons
If you want to stay in Luxembourg for more than three monthsand have enough income to support yourself, this is the pathway to choose.
This residence permit can be renewed after three years,to cover theminimumoffive years necessary forgainingLuxembourg citizenship.
Getting the residency permit requires two separate stages.
StageOne:Before entering the country:
- Apply to the Immigration Directorate for temporary authorization to stay.
- If you’re from a countrythat needsavisa to enter Luxembourg,apply for a Type D visa after getting the temporary authorization to stay.
Stage Two: After entering thecountry:
- Let your new commune of residence know about yourarrival
- Pass a medicalcheck
- Apply for the residencepermit
To get residency for private reasons, the most important factor is having enough resources to support yourself, without needing to work within Luxembourg or claim social security.
When youapply,the Ministry will evaluate your resources based on their nature and regularity. They will also compare the amount to the monthly minimum wage for unskilled workers(which is currently set at EUR 2,570.93, as of September 2023).
You can prove your resources by showing a pension certificate, a bank certificate or similar documentation.
Residency by Investment
Luxembourg doesn’t have a citizenship by investment program, but it does offer a pathwayto residencyfor those who wish to invest in the country.
This can lead to citizenship after five years. Investment types include the following:
- New business – Investment ofEUR 500,000 plus creation of 5 jobs in Luxembourg
- Existing businesses–Investment ofEUR 500,000in an existing business based inLuxembourg
- Management and investment structure – EUR 3 million
- Holding a bank deposit– EUR 20 million, held for 5 years in a Luxembourgbank
Please note, these residency by investment pathways require the applicant to submit a detailed application to the government of Luxembourg.
The timeline to citizenship is still five years, just as with the passive income route.
What’s more, the resident investoris still required to spend at least six months a year physically present in Luxembourg, to maintain their residence status.
We don’t see any advantage in using the residence by investment route to get citizenship in Luxembourg.
For more details, here’s theofficialLuxembourg residency by investmentpage.
