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Dual citizenship of Luxembourg and Russia: can you keep both passports in 2026

9 min read ·

Luxembourg has allowed dual citizenship since 2009 and grants the passport free of charge. The main obstacle is not the law but the Luxembourgish language exam. We cover the requirements, timelines and obligations towards Russia.

In short

Yes: since 1 January 2009 Luxembourg has not required giving up a previous citizenship; the Russian passport is kept, you only need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry.

Previous passport on naturalisationKept
Country ruleDual citizenship has been allowed since 01.01.2009
Legal basisLuxembourg Nationality Act
What Russia requiresnotify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
CheckedOctober 2026

The Luxembourg Nationality Act of 8 March 2017, like the previous 2008 law, does not restrict dual citizenship. Russia does not end its own either. So the question is not which passport to choose, but how to complete 5 years of residence and pass an exam in a language few foreigners learn.

What Luxembourg requires on naturalisation

Naturalisation requires being over 18 and living in Luxembourg legally for at least 5 years, with the last year before applying uninterrupted. You need a Luxembourgish language certificate: speaking at A2 and listening at B1. French and German are not accepted instead. You also need the 24-hour civic course Living Together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or a test on its topics.

Naturalisation itself is free. Registering for the language exam costs 75 euros, about $85, and the state refunds it after you apply, as well as language courses up to 750 euros per person. The Minister of Justice decides within 8 months. The application is filed in person at the commune where you live.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

  • Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
  • Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.
  • Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
  • Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
  • A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

  1. Get a residence permit through work, an EU Blue Card, business or family, and renew it without gaps.
  2. Learn Luxembourgish from the first year: it is the main filter, and courses are later refunded up to 750 euros.
  3. Pass the exam and take the civic course or a test on its topics.
  4. Collect police certificates from Russia and every country where you lived as an adult in the last 15 years, with sworn translation.
  5. Apply at the commune, take the oath after 8 months and get the passport.
  6. Notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving the passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad.

Shorter routes through the option procedure exist for spouses of Luxembourg citizens, parents of Luxembourgish children, people who grew up and studied in the country and descendants of citizens. A decision on an option takes 4 months. Recovery of citizenship through an ancestor living in 1900 closed on 31 December 2025.

What happens to children

Birth in Luxembourg does not by itself confer citizenship: it goes to a child with at least one parent who was also born in the country. A child of foreigners born in Luxembourg becomes a citizen at 18 after living there 5 years in a row, or earlier, from 12, through the option. Russian citizenship for the child is arranged through the consulate; there is no need to choose between passports.

Taxes and military service

Taxes in Luxembourg depend on residence, not on the passport: a resident pays income tax on a 0-42% scale on worldwide income. The double tax treaty with Russia has been partly suspended since August 2023 by Decree No. 585, so income from Russia may be taxed in both countries.

Luxembourg has no conscription; its army is voluntary. Russian military service obligations remain for a Russian citizen.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving in the last year before applying. It must be uninterrupted, or the application has to be moved back.
  • Putting off the language until the fifth year. The Luxembourgish exam is the main reason applications are delayed.
  • Bringing a police certificate only from Russia if you also lived in other countries as an adult.
  • Missing the notification to the Russian Interior Ministry. The deadline is 60 days after obtaining Luxembourg citizenship, and failure carries criminal liability.

How to get Luxembourg citizenship

The route to the passport runs through a residence permit that starts the 5-year clock: an employment contract, an EU Blue Card with a salary from 65,652 euros a year, about $74,000, family reunion or business. For Russian citizens almost all permits are arranged before entry: approval from the immigration directorate, then a national visa.

Requirements, timelines and costs are on the page Luxembourg citizenship.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

Luxembourg's passport is free, but the language and timelines are not

The law does not stop you from applying for Luxembourg citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than fees: a break in the final year, an incomplete set of police certificates, a missed notification to the Russian Interior Ministry. We count the period, choose between naturalisation and the option, prepare translated documents and support the application at the commune.

Our consultant in the chat will calculate the cost of support.

Get a support quote

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

More on this country:

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

FAQ

Can you hold Luxembourg and Russian citizenship at the same time?
Yes: since 1 January 2009 Luxembourg has not required giving up a previous citizenship; the Russian passport is kept, you only need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry.
Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about Luxembourg citizenship?
Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.
Is dual citizenship allowed in Luxembourg?
Yes, since 1 January 2009. Luxembourg does not require giving up a previous citizenship; the Russian passport is kept.
How many years must you live in Luxembourg before citizenship?
5 years of legal residence, with the last year before applying uninterrupted. Spouses of citizens living in the country need no separate period, but the language and course are mandatory.
Which language is needed for Luxembourg citizenship?
Luxembourgish: speaking at A2 and listening at B1. French and German are not accepted instead.
How much does Luxembourg citizenship cost?
Naturalisation itself is free. The exam costs 75 euros, about $85, and is refunded after you apply, as are language courses up to 750 euros.
Can you get Luxembourg citizenship by ancestry in 2026?
Recovery through an ancestor who was a citizen on 1 January 1900 closed on 31 December 2025. An option remains for children and grandchildren of citizens who did not pass citizenship on.
Do you have to tell the Russian Interior Ministry about Luxembourg citizenship?
Yes, within 60 days of obtaining citizenship, through a consulate or the Interior Ministry at your place of residence in Russia.

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