Before you start

A job offer and employment contract with a Luxembourg employer
An ADEM certificate showing the vacancy was declared and could not be filled locally or from the EU
The temporary authorisation to stay, obtained before entering
A type D visa where your nationality requires one

Step-by-step

1
Apply for the temporary authorisation to stay from abroad
Submitted to the General Department of Immigration at the Ministry of Home Affairs on plain paper with a passport copy, employment contract, ADEM certificate and qualifications. Do not travel before it is granted.
OnlineWho: YouWeeks to a few months
2
Get a type D visa if your nationality requires one
Obtained after the authorisation, from a Luxembourg diplomatic mission or the Belgian embassy where Belgium represents Luxembourg.
In personWho: You
3
Enter within the 90-day validity
The authorisation to stay is valid for 90 days. That is the window in which you must arrive.
In personWho: You90 days from grant
4
Declare your arrival at the commune within 3 days
Take your passport, the authorisation to stay and proof of address to the commune where you are living. The declaration plus the authorisation is your right of residence until the permit is issued.
In personWho: YouWithin 3 days of arrival
5
Undergo the medical check
A medical examination including tuberculosis screening. The Health Inspectorate issues a certificate directly to the immigration authorities.
In personWho: You
6
Apply for the residence permit within 3 months of entry
Filed online or by post with the Ministry of Home Affairs, with an €80 payment. The first permit lasts a maximum of one year and is restricted to a single profession and sector.
OnlineWho: YouWithin 3 months of entry€80

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Employment contract
ADEM certificate from your employer
Copies of qualifications the role requires
Temporary authorisation to stay
Proof of address for the declaration of arrival

Things most newcomers don’t know

The authorisation to stay comes before the flight, not after it.

Third-country nationals must obtain the temporary authorisation to stay from the Immigration Directorate before entering Luxembourg, and must hold it on arrival. This is the reverse of the pattern in several neighbouring countries, where you arrive on a visa and regularise afterwards. Arriving without it does not slow the process down — it restarts it, from abroad.

Source: Guichet.lu — conditions of residence for third-country salaried workers

The first permit is locked to one profession and one sector, and the code is on the card.

The permitted work is written into the observations field using ISCO occupational codes, and the first permit is valid for a maximum of one year in one sector only. From the first renewal onward it opens to any sector and any profession. Changing employer in year one is a new application, not an administrative transfer — which matters if you are considering an offer with a probation period.

Source: Guichet.lu — salaried worker residence conditions

Three days means three days.

The declaration of arrival at your commune is due within three days of arriving in Luxembourg. Given that most people arrive at a weekend and spend the first week looking for somewhere to live, this deadline is missed constantly. The copy of the declaration together with the authorisation is what makes your residence lawful before the card exists, so it is not a formality.

Source: Guichet.lu — declaring a move to a commune of residence

The ADEM certificate is your employer's obligation and the usual bottleneck.

Before the post can be offered to a third-country national, the employer must declare the vacancy to ADEM and obtain a certificate that it could not be filled from the local or EU labour market. Employers under-communicate this step. Ask when the ADEM declaration was made, not whether it will be — the answer sets your realistic start date.

Source: Guichet.lu — salaried worker residence conditions

Common mistakes to avoid

Travelling to Luxembourg before the temporary authorisation to stay is granted.
Missing the three-day declaration of arrival at the commune.
Missing the three-month deadline to apply for the residence permit after entry.
Accepting a job change in the first year without realising it needs a new application.
Assuming the ADEM certificate is already done — ask for the date.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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