How to get Luxembourg citizenship and passport in 2026
The procedure costs nothing; the expensive part is learning Luxembourgish. The passport comes after 5 years of legal residence, a language test and a civics course, with shorter routes for spouses of citizens, descendants and people who grew up in the country.
Luxembourg hands out citizenship for free and twice as fast as Switzerland: 5 years of legal residence against 10. In 2025, 8,223 people became Luxembourgers, but only 1,298 of them went through classic naturalization. The rest used shortcuts for people who already have a tie to the country: marriage, children, schooling, ancestors. Below are all the routes to the passport, the language rules, the real numbers and an honest look at who this country does not suit.
How to get Luxembourg citizenship: which routes are open in 2026
A Luxembourg passport is not for sale, but you do not have to wait decades for one either. The baseline is 5 years of legal residence, and applying costs nothing: both naturalization and the simplified procedure are free by law. You pay only for documents, translations and the time it takes to learn the language.
The rules sit in the Law of 8 March 2017 on Luxembourg nationality (loi du 8 mars 2017 sur la nationalité luxembourgeoise). It took effect on 1 April 2017 and cut the required residence from 7 to 5 years. The law knows four ways to become a Luxembourger, and one of them has already closed.
| Route | Who it is for | Language and course | Decision time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naturalisation - the standard route for a foreigner | any adult after 5 years of legal residence, the last year without interruption | Luxembourgish test and civics course required | up to 8 months |
| Option - a simplified declaration for people with a special tie to the country | 10 cases: spouses of citizens, parents of Luxembourg children, people raised or schooled in the country, descendants of citizens, 20-year residents and others | depends on the case, from the full set to no tests at all | 4 months, after which citizenship arrives automatically unless the minister objects |
| Attribution par effet de la loi - citizenship automatically, by operation of law | children of Luxembourg citizens, children born in the country to a parent who was also born there, some children of foreigners at 18 | not required | no application, only paperwork |
| Recouvrement - recovery through an ancestor who was a citizen on 1 January 1900 | descendants of Luxembourgers, including those who never lived there or spoke the language | not required | closed: the final deadline passed on 31 December 2025 |
The Ministry of Justice figures for 2025 show which route works in practice. Of 8,223 new citizens, 6,544 came through the option procedure, 1,298 through naturalization and 381 through ancestral recovery. In other words, only about one in six chose classic naturalization. For someone who arrives with no family ties to the country, that is the route left.
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What are the requirements for Luxembourg naturalization
Five years in the country is only the entry ticket. The Minister of Justice grants citizenship when five conditions are met at the same time, and failing any one of them means a refusal, whatever the others look like.
- Age. Naturalization is open to adults only, from 18. Children become citizens through their own routes, covered below.
- 5 years of legal residence. What counts is residence with a right to stay: a residence permit, European Union citizen registration or another lawful basis. The final year before applying must be uninterrupted, so a six-month work stint abroad right before filing pushes the application back.
- Language. A pass certificate from the Sproochentest, the Luxembourgish language test. French and German are official languages too, but neither replaces it.
- Civics course. Attendance of the Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg course (Living together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) or a passed test on its topics.
- Good character. The application is refused if the applicant lied or concealed facts, or received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more or a suspended sentence of 24 months or more. Sentences served less than 15 years before the application count, and the act must also be a crime under Luxembourg law.
Where to apply and what documents you need
You file in person with the officier de l'état civil - the civil registrar - of the commune, meaning the municipality, where you live. Sending documents by post or through a representative is not possible.
The core set, according to the government portal guichet.lu:
- a full copy of your birth certificate;
- a valid passport;
- criminal record certificates from every country whose citizen you are or were, and from every country where you lived as an adult in the 15 years before applying;
- the Sproochentest certificate and proof of the Vivre ensemble course or test;
- a biographical questionnaire, completed and signed by you.
Documents that are not in French, German, English or Luxembourgish need a sworn translation. For a Russian applicant that means at least a police certificate from the Russian Interior Ministry with a translation, and one more from any third country you lived in.
How long the decision takes
The law gives the Minister of Justice 8 months from the filing date. The decision takes the form of a ministerial order (arrêté ministériel) sent by post. You become a citizen on the day the order is signed, not the day the letter reaches your mailbox.
What level of Luxembourgish do you need for citizenship
The main filter on the road to the passport is not money or residence time but the Sproochentest, the Luxembourgish language test (Lëtzebuergesch). The language is spoken at home, at school and in parliament, yet textbooks and courses are far scarcer than for French or German. Start preparing in your first year in the country, not your fifth.
The test is run by INLL - Institut national des langues Luxembourg, the National Institute of Languages. Only spoken skills are tested, so there is no essay writing. Levels follow CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for languages, where A1 is a beginner and C2 is near-native:
| Part of the test | Level | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | A2 - elementary | a conversation with the examiner and a picture description: talking about yourself, family, work and housing in simple sentences |
| Listening | B1 - intermediate, threshold | three recordings: radio news, an everyday conversation and a discussion or talk; you need to catch the main points |
Registration costs about $85. If you pass and then apply for citizenship, the state refunds it. Luxembourgish courses at INLL or approved providers are refundable too: the overall cap is $843 (750 euros) per person, or $1,690 (1,500 euros) for people who need special test arrangements for health reasons. You can claim only after filing your citizenship application at the commune.
How to learn the language without quitting your job
Employees can use congé linguistique, a paid language leave. It gives up to 200 hours over a whole career, split into two blocks of 80-120 hours. It is open to employees with at least 6 months at a Luxembourg employer and to self-employed people active in the country for 6 months. The employer pays the average hourly wage for the study hours, and the state reimburses half.
Who is exempt from the test
- People with 20 or more years of legal residence: instead of the test, a 24-hour introductory Luxembourgish course is enough.
- People who completed at least 7 years of school in Luxembourg, and people born in the country who lived there 5 years in a row: they apply through the option procedure with no language test.
- People who cannot take the test for health reasons: the exemption requires a certificate from a medical specialist.
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What is the Vivre ensemble course and can you take a test instead
The second mandatory step is the civics course Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, or Living together in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It lasts 24 hours and is free, and the Ministry of Education runs it with partner organisations.
The course has three blocks:
- fundamental rights of citizens - 6 hours;
- state and municipal institutions: how parliament, government, courts and communes work - 12 hours;
- Luxembourg history and European integration - 6 hours.
If you have no time for classes, you can take a computer-based test instead. It has 40 multiple-choice questions: 10 on rights, 20 on institutions and 10 on history and the European Union. The course and test are held in several towns, including the capital (Hollerich district), Belval and Diekirch, and the ministry plans extra groups in the north of the country from late 2026.
The history module is credited automatically to people who already took civics classes under the reception and integration contract (contrat d'accueil et d'intégration, CAI - a programme for newcomers) or the six-hour overview module on Luxembourg. A medical certificate exempts you from the whole course.
Luxembourg citizenship by marriage: how long a spouse waits
Marriage to a Luxembourger is the fastest route for a foreigner living in the country: in that case the law sets no minimum length of marriage or residence. It does not waive the language, though. The spouse applies through the option procedure with the same Sproochentest certificate and Vivre ensemble proof as everyone else.
| Situation | Waiting period | Language and course |
|---|---|---|
| The couple lives in Luxembourg | no minimum length of marriage | test and course required |
| The couple lives abroad | at least 3 years of marriage before applying | test and course required |
| The Luxembourg spouse works abroad for the Luxembourg state or an international organisation | the 3-year rule does not apply | test and course required |
Applicants living abroad file with the civil registrar of the City of Luxembourg. Option cases move faster than naturalization: the minister has 4 months, and if no objection is raised in that time, citizenship follows automatically.
If your child is a Luxembourg citizen
A separate option case exists for parents of minor Luxembourgers. The residence rule matches naturalization - 5 years of legal residence with an uninterrupted final year - and the language test and course are required too. The gain is procedural only: 4 months instead of 8, and citizenship by default if the minister stays silent.
A sham marriage for a passport is a bad idea: the law allows a refusal, or a later withdrawal, of citizenship obtained through false statements or fraud.
Luxembourg citizenship by descent: what is left after 2025
On 31 December 2025, Luxembourg's most generous programme closed. Article 89 of the 2017 law let any descendant of a person who was a Luxembourger on 1 January 1900 recover citizenship, with no residence and no language test. By public counts, more than 31,000 people had used this route by 2022.
The process had two steps. First, by 31 December 2018, you had to ask the Ministry of Justice for a certificate of descent; then, by 31 December 2025, you had to sign a declaration of recovery at a civil registry. Anyone who missed the first step in 2018 dropped out long ago. Declarations filed before the end of 2025 are being processed in 2026.
Which descent routes still work
- A parent was a citizen when you were born. The child is a Luxembourger automatically, wherever born. No acquisition application is needed, only documents confirming the citizenship you already hold.
- A parent, adoptive parent or grandparent was a Luxembourger but did not pass citizenship on. An adult can apply through the option procedure, with no language test, no course and no residence requirement. The grandparent case is stricter: the applicant's parent must never have held Luxembourg citizenship.
If your family has Luxembourg roots, check documents rather than family legends: birth and marriage certificates along the chain of generations, and the date when the ancestor lost citizenship.
Does Luxembourg grant citizenship by birth
Being born in Luxembourg is not enough to become a Luxembourger straight away. The country does not hand passports to every newborn the way Uruguay or the United States do. It applies double jus soli instead: a child is a citizen from birth if at least one parent or adoptive parent was also born in Luxembourg, whatever the parents' nationality.
For children of recently arrived foreigners, the law offers a delayed version:
- Automatically at 18. A child born in the country becomes a citizen on turning 18 if they lived in Luxembourg legally for 5 consecutive years right before that birthday. For children born after 1 July 2013 there is a second condition: one parent must have lived legally in the country for 12 consecutive months before the birth.
- Through the option from age 12. Under the same residence conditions, a teenager born in the country can apply earlier, with no language test and no course.
- Stateless children. A child born in Luxembourg to stateless parents, or to parents who cannot pass on their nationality, becomes a Luxembourger automatically.
Parents gain nothing from a birth in the country: their route to the passport is ordinary naturalization or the option for parents of a minor citizen, with the same 5 years of residence.
Can you get Luxembourg citizenship by investment
No. Luxembourg has never had a citizenship by investment programme, and any ad promising a passport for an investment is either a mistake or a scam. Money here buys only a residence permit, and the government has proposed abolishing that too.
The investor residence permit (autorisation de séjour pour investisseur) appeared in 2017. According to the Ministry of Finance, it offers four options:
| Option | Amount | Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Investment in an existing Luxembourg company | from $562,000 (500,000 euros) | keep the investment for at least 5 years |
| Setting up a new company in Luxembourg | from $562,000 (500,000 euros) | a business with jobs, 3-year commitment |
| Investment or management structure in Luxembourg | from $3.37 million (3 million euros) | the structure must have real substance in the country |
| Deposit with a Luxembourg financial institution | from $22.5 million (20 million euros) | keep the money there for at least 5 years |
Buying property is not on the list. Fewer than ten such permits have been issued since 2017, and in 2025 the government proposed a bill to scrap the investor category, citing its low value and heavy administrative burden. Until the law passes, applications are formally accepted, but check the status right before you file.
The key point: even an investor gets the passport on general terms - after 5 years of residence, the language test and the course. If you want a second passport specifically for money, look at other countries; we compare them in our guide on how to choose a country for a second passport.
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How to get a Luxembourg residence permit and start the 5-year clock
The clock toward the passport starts only once you have a legal right to live in the country. For nationals from outside the European Union, including Russians and Ukrainians, almost every permit is arranged before arrival: first an authorisation from the Directorate of Immigration, then a national type D visa at a consulate, and only then the move. Switching from tourist to resident status inside the country is generally not possible.
| Basis | Key condition | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Salaried worker | a contract with a Luxembourg employer; the company shows through the ADEM employment agency (Agence pour le développement de l'emploi) that it found no candidate in the European Union | specialists with a job offer |
| EU Blue Card - a permit for highly qualified workers | a university degree, a contract and a salary of at least $73,800 (65,652 euros) a year for applications filed from 3 March 2026; the lower threshold for shortage occupations no longer exists | IT, finance and engineering professionals |
| Self-employed and entrepreneurs | a business licence and a business plan that benefits the economy | business owners and consultants |
| Private reasons | sufficient income not tied to work in Luxembourg, housing and health insurance; no right to work | retirees and people with passive income |
| Family reunification | the sponsor already lives in the country legally | spouses and children of residents |
| Studies | admission to a university or an accredited programme | students |
We cover each basis, the documents and the timelines on our page on the Luxembourg residence permit. For citizenship one thing matters: renew the permit on time and avoid gaps in legal status, especially in the final year before applying.
Sample calculation for an IT specialist with a job offer
This is a sample calculation, not a forecast for any specific case. A specialist gets an offer in 2026 and moves on a Blue Card in early 2027. Five years of legal residence are complete in early 2032, by which time the Sproochentest is passed and the Vivre ensemble course done. The minister has up to 8 months, so a passport is realistic by late 2032 - roughly 6 years after the offer. There is no naturalization fee, the test costs $84 (75 euros) with a refund, and the passport $56 (50 euros). The main costs are certificate translations and any language courses beyond the $843 (750 euros) refund.
Luxembourg citizenship: rules by country of origin
Luxembourg's nationality law does not sort applicants by passport: a Russian or a Ukrainian faces the same requirements as an American or an Indian. The differences appear at two other stages - getting the residence permit and deciding what happens to the first citizenship.
Police certificates and notifying your home country
- Residence permit. There is no outright ban on permits for Russian citizens, and the grounds are the same: work, Blue Card, business, family, studies. But entry and visa checks across the European Union have tightened since 2022, so leave extra time for paperwork.
- Police certificate. You will need a certificate from the Russian Interior Ministry with a sworn translation, plus certificates from every country where you lived as an adult in the last 15 years.
- Notifying the Interior Ministry. Luxembourg lets you keep your Russian passport, but Russia's 2023 citizenship law requires you to report a second citizenship to the Interior Ministry within 60 days. Failing to do so is a criminal offence under Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code.
Temporary protection and switching to a regular permit
- Temporary protection is not a residence permit. Temporary protection in Luxembourg has been extended until 4 March 2027. But the government portal guichet.lu states plainly that the temporary protection document lets you stay in the country without granting a right of residence under immigration law. Counting those years toward the 5 years for naturalization is therefore risky. Will these years count in your case? Ask an expert.
- How to switch to a regular permit. Working beneficiaries can change status from inside the country: to a salaried worker permit with pay at least at the minimum wage for unskilled work, to an EU Blue Card or to a family permit. You need housing outside reception facilities, a biometric passport, health insurance and police certificates from Luxembourg and Ukraine. The fee is about $95 per person, the decision takes up to 3 months, and the first permit runs for one year with renewals of up to 3 years. Temporary protection ends once the permit is issued.
- Second citizenship. Since 16 January 2026, Ukraine's Law 4502-IX on multiple citizenship lets a Ukrainian take a second passport without giving up the Ukrainian one if the country is on the Cabinet of Ministers' list. The first list of five countries (the US, Canada, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic) was expanded by Cabinet Resolution No. 589 of 8 May 2026 to 33 countries, and Luxembourg is now on it. The list changes by Cabinet resolution, so check the current version before applying.
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Dual citizenship in Luxembourg: what happens to your first passport
Since 1 January 2009, Luxembourg has allowed dual and multiple citizenship. The Law of 23 October 2008 settled this, and naturalization has not required giving up a previous passport ever since. Here Luxembourg is more relaxed than the neighbouring Netherlands, where a new citizen generally has to renounce the old nationality.
Whether you keep your first passport depends on your own country's law, not Luxembourg's. Russia accepts a second citizenship on condition that you notify the Interior Ministry; Ukraine has new rules with a country list, described above. If your nationality forbids a second passport, the choice is yours, not the Luxembourg minister's.
Losing Luxembourg citizenship against your will happens only in rare cases, for example when it was obtained through lies or fraud. Voluntary renunciation is allowed, but only if it does not leave the person stateless. For more on which countries allow a second passport, see our overview of dual citizenship in 2026.
What a Luxembourg passport gives you and how to get one
The Luxembourg passport ranks among the world's strongest: in 2026 it opens 186 destinations without a prior visa.
The real value, though, is European Union citizenship rather than visas. A Luxembourger can live, work, study and run a business in any of the 27 European Union countries without residence or work permits, votes in European Parliament elections and gets consular protection from any European Union country where Luxembourg has no embassy. These rights pass to children born after naturalization.
How much the passport costs and how long it takes
Since 11 May 2026, Luxembourg issues a new passport model, and the validity of an adult passport has grown from 5 to 10 years with no price increase.
| For | Validity | Standard procedure | Urgent procedure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 18+ | 10 years | ~$57, 7 working days | ~$170, 3 working days |
| Children aged 4-17 | 5 years | ~$57 | ~$170 |
| Children under 4 | 2 years | ~$34 | ~$110 |
You can apply at your commune's population office or at the BPVL (Bureau des passeports, visas et légalisations), the passport and visa office of Luxembourg's Foreign Ministry. To see how the Luxembourg passport stacks up against others, check our passport ranking for 2026.
How much Luxembourg citizenship costs in 2026
Naturalization in Luxembourg is free: there is no application fee for either naturalization or the option procedure. The state charges only for the language test and the passport, and even refunds part of the language costs.
| Payment | Amount in 2026 | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalization or option application | free | filed in person at the commune |
| Language test | ~$84 (75 euros) | refunded after you apply for citizenship |
| Luxembourgish courses at approved providers | refund of up to $843 (750 euros) | up to $1,690 (1,500 euros) for people who need special test conditions |
| Adult passport, 10 years | ~$56 (50 euros), 7 working days | urgent: ~$169 (150 euros) in 3 working days |
| Child passport, ages 4-17, 5 years | ~$56 (50 euros) | urgent: ~$169 (150 euros) |
| Child passport, under 4, 2 years | ~$34 (30 euros) | urgent: ~$102 (90 euros) |
| Certificate translations | at a sworn translator's rate | needed for documents not in French, German, English or Luxembourgish |
What else you pay for: criminal record certificates from every country over 15 years with an apostille, sworn translations and any language courses beyond the refund. Each family member gets their own passport, so the total depends on who is in the family: rates per family member are in the table below, and we calculate the amount including translations and our support in the chat.
Dollar amounts are converted at the market rate of 20 October 2026, 1.1229 dollars per euro, and rounded up. Conditions and rates follow the government portal guichet.lu.
The procedure is free; lost years are what cost you
There is no fee for Luxembourg citizenship, so the main losses are in time: years lived across the border while working in Luxembourg do not count, a break in the last year before filing delays the application, and criminal record certificates from every country over 15 years sometimes take longer to collect than the language does to learn. Murblz support removes these risks: we check whether the option procedure suits you instead of naturalization, count your residence from permit dates, collect certificates with apostilles and sworn translations and prepare the file for your commune appointment. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and we prepare the file for a result on the first filing.
The support fee depends on your route and how many countries you need certificates from; a manager calculates it in the chat.
How much Luxembourg citizenship costs per family member
The application is free, and every adult sits the language test: about $85, refunded once you apply. What you pay for are passports: about $60 per adult and per child aged 4 and over, about $35 per child under 4.
| Who | Application | Language test | Passport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult applicant | free | $85, refunded | $60 |
| Spouse | free | $85, refunded | $60 |
| Child aged 4-17 | - | - | $60 |
| Child under 4 | - | - | $35 |
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Luxembourg or its neighbours: where is European Union citizenship easier to get
On timing, Luxembourg is no record-holder: Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands all require 5 years too. Where it wins is the free procedure and the permitted second passport. Where it loses is the language: Luxembourgish is harder to learn than finding a French or German class.
| Country | Residence before applying | Language | Dual citizenship | Main hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 5 years, the last one uninterrupted | Luxembourgish: A2 speaking, B1 listening | allowed | a rare language; the procedure is free and the $84 (75 euros) test fee is refunded |
| Belgium | 5 years | one of the national languages at A2 | allowed | the fee rose from $169 (150 euros) to $1,130 (1,000 euros), indexed to $1,160 (1,030 euros) in 2026; proof of work and integration required |
| France | 5 years | French at B2 from 1 January 2026 plus a civics exam | allowed | the language bar went up from B1 to B2 |
| Germany | 5 years, the 3-year fast track was scrapped in 2025 | German B1 and a knowledge test | allowed since 27 June 2024 | a $287 (255 euros) fee per adult |
| Netherlands | 5 years | Dutch A2 and a civic integration exam | generally not | renouncing the old passport, a $1,280 (1,139 euros) fee |
| Switzerland | 10 years, including 3 of the last 5 | the cantonal language: B1 spoken, A2 written | allowed | the longest wait and checks at three levels: federal, cantonal and communal |
The takeaway for a typical mover: if the country is not chosen yet, Luxembourg pays off for those who value a second passport and a free procedure, while Germany and France suit people who already speak their languages. We cover other European Union countries, such as Austria or Ireland, separately, and the overall ranking is in our review of the best countries for citizenship in 2026.
Another small European state that rarely grants its passport to foreigners is Monaco: Monaco citizenship comes after 10 years of living there and giving up your previous citizenship.
Pitfalls: where applicants stumble
Most refusals and lost years come not from the test but from formalities that are easy to miss at the start.
- Working in Luxembourg is not living in Luxembourg. Many people work in the country but live across the border in France, Belgium or Germany, where housing is cheaper. Citizenship counts legal residence in Luxembourg, not your place of work, so years of commuting do not count.
- The final year must be uninterrupted. A long absence, a missed permit renewal or a gap between the old and new card right before applying delays the application.
- Certificates from every country for 15 years. If you lived as an adult in three countries, you need three police certificates, plus one from your country of citizenship. Getting them while living in Luxembourg sometimes takes longer than passing the test.
- French or German cannot replace Luxembourgish. Fluent French helps in daily life and at work, but the passport needs a certificate in Luxembourgish specifically.
- There is no paid shortcut. The investor permit, which the authorities plan to scrap, does not shorten the 5 years, and buying property gives neither a residence permit nor a passport.
- You cannot arrive as a tourist and stay. Almost every permit is arranged from your country of residence before arrival, so allow several months for preparation.
Taxes after you become a Luxembourg citizen
A passport does not change your taxes by itself: living in the country, not citizenship, makes you a Luxembourg tax resident. Once you leave, a citizen pays tax here only on Luxembourg-source income. Rates, tax classes for families and the reliefs for incoming specialists are covered on our Luxembourg taxes page.
What changed in 2025-2026
- 2025. 8,223 people became Luxembourg citizens. The government proposed abolishing the investor residence permit, which never shortened the five-year period anyway.
- 3 March 2026. The EU Blue Card threshold for new applications is $73,800 (65,652 euros) a year, and there is no longer a reduced threshold for shortage occupations.
- 11 May 2026. New-format passports: an adult passport is valid for 10 years instead of 5, at the same price.
What is in the pipeline. The 2017 citizenship law itself is not under review, but residence thresholds and the grounds for moving change almost every year, and they decide when the five-year count starts. Which conditions apply to your application? Ask an expert.
What changed
- The route for descendants of Luxembourgers has closed. Before: A passport with no residence or language for descendants of a Luxembourger as of 1900. Now: The deadline has passed; naturalisation and other routes remain. Official source
Who Luxembourg citizenship suits and who it does not
Luxembourg does not sell its passport; it gives it to people who have become part of the country. That is the right starting point.
It suits specialists with job offers in finance, IT, logistics or the European institutions who are ready to live in the country for 5 years and learn the language from year one. Spouses of Luxembourgers: if they live in the country, the length of the marriage does not matter, only the language and the course do. Families whose children will attend local schools: after 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg, a grown child can obtain citizenship through the option procedure without a language test. And people whose parent or grandparent was a Luxembourger should check the descent option.
It does not suit those who want a passport without moving: with ancestral recovery closed in 2025, that route no longer exists for most people. Those unwilling to spend years on a rare language hardly spoken outside the country. Ukrainians whose only status is temporary protection: they need a regular permit first. And people whose country bans dual citizenship, unless they are ready to give up their first passport.
If you are unsure which route is yours, start with a check: whether the option procedure applies, which permit you can realistically get and when you can apply. We work through such cases in consultations, and a short overview of the topic is in our article on Luxembourg citizenship in 2026.
What a Luxembourg passport gives you
186 visa-free destinations
In 2026, on a par with Germany, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
European Union citizenship
The right to live, work, study and do business in any of the 27 European Union countries without residence or work permits.
A second passport without giving up the first
Luxembourg has allowed dual citizenship since 1 January 2009. Whether you keep your old passport depends on your own country's law.
A free procedure
Naturalization and the option procedure carry no fee, and the state refunds the $84 (75 euros) language test and up to $843 (750 euros) of courses.
How to get Luxembourg citizenship: step by step
Choose your route
Check whether the option procedure fits you: marriage, citizen children, ancestors, schooling or birth in the country. If not, naturalization after 5 years is the route.
Get a residence permit before moving
Work, EU Blue Card, business, family or studies. The authorisation is arranged from your country of residence, followed by a type D visa and registration at the commune. The first permit costs about $90, with a decision within 3 months.
Live 5 years and learn the language
Renew the permit on time, keep the final year before applying uninterrupted, pass the Sproochentest and complete the Vivre ensemble course.
Gather the documents
Birth certificate, passport, police certificates from every country for 15 years, test and course certificates, sworn translations.
Apply at the commune
In person at the commune's civil registry. A naturalization decision takes up to 8 months, an option case 4 months. Then a passport for about $56 (50 euros) in 7 working days.
FAQ
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