How can I acquire Luxembourgish nationality?

2017 Law on Luxembourg Naturalization

Since April 1, 2017, a new law has allowed residents who have lived in Luxembourg for at least five years to acquire Luxembourgish citizenship through naturalization, subject to certain conditions. Applicants are not required to renounce their original citizenship due to the principle of dual citizenship.

In fact, applications for naturalization often occur during the adjustment phase, or even as the expatriation process is being mastered.

Who can apply for Luxembourgish citizenship?

Luxembourgish citizenship by option

Any person born in Luxembourg, aged 18 or older, automatically obtains Luxembourgish citizenship under the following conditions:

• they have resided and lived in Luxembourg on a regular basis for at least five consecutive years prior to reaching the age of majority
• one of their parents lived in Luxembourg for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding their birth.

This option is available to all residents, regardless of their original status, whether they are EU nationals or not.

If both of these conditions are met, a child born in Luxembourg may acquire citizenship starting at age 12.

Acquisition of Luxembourgish nationality by option is possible in 10 specific cases:

• an adult with a Luxembourgish parent or grandparent
• a parent whose minor child is a Luxembourg national
• a person married to a Luxembourg national
• a person born in Luxembourg who is over 12 years of age
• an adult who has completed at least 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg
• an adult who has resided legally in Luxembourg for more than 20 years
• an adult who has fulfilled the obligations of the reception and integration contract
• an adult who settled in Luxembourg before the age of 18
• an adult with stateless, refugee, or subsidiary protection status
• volunteer soldier.

The jus soli principle for the second generation remains in effect in Luxembourg. A child born in Luxembourg whose parent or adoptive parent was also born in the Grand Duchy will automatically acquire Luxembourgish nationality.

Luxembourgish Nationality by Naturalization

In addition to the cases of acquiring Luxembourgish nationality described above, any person who meets the requirements for naturalization may apply for Luxembourgish nationality under the following conditions:

• be of legal age (over 18 years old) at the time of application
• have resided legally in Luxembourg for more than 5 years and for at least 1 year continuously at the time of filing the application for naturalization
• meet the requirements of good character. This means that the applicant must not have made false statements, concealed important facts, or committed fraud in any way in the naturalization application. The applicant must also not have been convicted of any criminal offense or sentenced to a prison term of 12 months or more, or to a suspended sentence of 24 months or more.

Find our administrative guide for Luxembourg here

How do I become a naturalized citizen of Luxembourg?

Have resided in Luxembourg for at least 5 years

To obtain Luxembourg citizenship, you must:

• a minimum of 5 years of residence in Luxembourg
• passing two major tests:
  • a language test
  • and a test of knowledge of Luxembourgish culture and customs.

Passing the Luxembourgish language test

To qualify for Luxembourgish citizenship, applicants for naturalization must pass the Luxembourgish language assessment.

This Luxembourgish language exam is administered by the National Institute of Languages of Luxembourg. The exam consists of two separate sections: speaking and listening comprehension. These sections take place over two days. The applicant must take both sections.

Oral Expression Exam in Luxembourgish

For the oral expression portion, the required level for the exam is A2 ofthe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This level corresponds to the ability to hold a basic conversation in Luxembourgish.

The candidate must be able to introduce themselves, ask for directions, shop in a store, ask about someone’s well-being, etc.
The exam lasts approximately 15 minutes, during which the candidate must speak in Luxembourgish in front of two examiners, one acting as the moderator and the other as an observer. The exam consists of two distinct parts.
For the first part, the candidate chooses one topic from the two proposed. They must answer the questions asked by one of the examiners. For the second part, the candidate chooses one image from the three proposed. They must describe this image.

Luxembourgish Listening Comprehension Exam

For the Luxembourgish listening comprehension test, the candidate must demonstrate a B1 level. To do so, the candidate must be able to understand topics related to daily life, work, socializing with friends, the radio, etc. During this exam, which lasts approximately 25 minutes, the candidate listens to three different texts. After each text, they must answer multiple-choice questions. The exam is graded by two examiners.

Candidates must achieve a passing grade on the speaking test to pass the language proficiency exam. If they do not achieve a passing grade on the speaking test, their score may be offset by the score obtained on the listening comprehension test.

The candidate receives the test results by mail approximately two weeks after the final exam.

The registration fees for the exam and for Luxembourgish language courses may be reimbursed by the government. However, if the candidate does not take one or both exams, they must retake the exam and pay the registration fees again.

Passing the “Living Together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg” Test

To obtain citizenship or naturalization, the candidate must also obtain a “Living Together in Luxembourg” certification in addition to passing the language test

This certification is obtained by participating in the civic education courses “Living Together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,” organized by the Adult Education Service of the Ministry of National Education, Children, and Youth. The courses are mandatory. A certificate confirming participation in the course is issued to participants at the end of the session.

The “Living Together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg” course consists of 3 modules totaling 24 hours of instruction:

1. Citizens’ Fundamental Rights (6-hour module)
2. Luxembourg’s national and local institutions (12-hour module)
3. The history of Luxembourg and European integration (6-hour module).

You may also take the “Living Together in Luxembourg” exam after studying the various topics on your own.

You can find more information on the official website of the Ministry of National Education, Children, and Youth.

People who have completed part of their schooling in Luxembourg

Individuals who have completed at least 7 years of schooling withinthe Luxembourg public education system, or who hold a residence permit and have resided in Luxembourg since December 31, 1984 , are exempt from the assessment requirements for spoken Luxembourgish and from civic education courses,

Access to forms for enrolling in the course Access to forms for enrolling in the course Living Together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

How to apply for Luxembourg citizenship?

Before submitting the naturalization application form, applicants must have passed the language tests and completed the civic education courses (see above).

Applicants must send a dated and signed application for naturalization to the Minister of Justice.

Please note that all documents must be submitted to the municipality of your place of residence. All documents must be provided in one of Luxembourg's official languages (French, German, Luxembourgish) or translated by a certified translation agency.

Find out more about acquiring Luxembourgish nationality

For any inquiries regarding the right to Luxembourg nationality, please contact the Ministry of Justice's Nationality Infoline:

• from Luxembourg, call 8002 1000 (toll-free), and
• from abroad, call +352 247-885 88.

The infoline is available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Under certain conditions, the costs incurred (up to a maximum amount) for acquiring Luxembourg nationality may be reimbursed. The request must be made to the Ministry of Justice, Indigénat Service.

For other topics related to integration, visit our "Integration" pages.

Luxembourg nationality confers the right and obligation to vote in Luxembourg elections.

The principle of dual nationality

Since January 1, 2009, it has been possible to acquire Luxembourg nationality while retaining one's original nationality. This is the principle of dual nationality.

However, it should be noted that while Luxembourg accepts this principle of dual nationality, this is not the case in all countries. It is possible that the country of origin of the applicant for Luxembourg nationality does not apply this principle. It is up to the applicant to check with the authorities of the country of which they are already a national.

What impact will this have on Luxembourg's demographic trends? Our analysis.