Luxembourg work permit and immigration guide for non-EU workers

Overview

Luxembourg uses a salaried-worker authorisation and EU Blue Card. Numeric caps were not verified from current official sources in this pass.

Quotas, caps and ratios

• Quota / cap: Not verified in this pass.
• Employer quota/cap rules were not verified from current official sources in this pass. Treat any specific figure as requiring official confirmation before filing.

Employer eligibility and restrictions

• Employer-side quota, fiscal-debt, social-security-debt and company-activity conditions were not verified from official sources in this pass.
• No fabricated thresholds are published here — confirm requirements with the official authority before relying on them.

Main work-permit routes

• Salaried worker permit
• EU Blue Card

Application process

• Job vacancy declaration — Employer via Agence pour le développement de l'emploi (ADEM): The employer declares the vacant position to ADEM, which runs a labour-market test to check whether a suitable candidate is available on the local or EU/EEA market. (Job offer stays open at least 3 weeks for the availability check)
• Recruitment certificate — Authority via Agence pour le développement de l'emploi (ADEM): If no registered jobseeker can be placed, the ADEM director issues the employer a certificate authorising recruitment of the chosen third-country national. (Certificate issued within 5 working days for acute-shortage occupations; otherwise ADEM checks availability for 7 working days then issues within 5 working days)
• Employment contract — Employer via Agence pour le développement de l'emploi (ADEM): Employer and worker sign an employment contract consistent with the certified vacant post.
• Temporary authorisation to stay — Worker via Direction de l'immigration - Service des étrangers, Ministère des Affaires intérieures (General Department of immigration): From the country of origin, the worker submits an application for a temporary authorisation to stay (on plain paper, with the ADEM certificate and contract) to the General Department of immigration. (Response normally within a maximum of 4 months)
• Type D visa — Worker via Luxembourg diplomatic or consular representation: If subject to visa requirements, the worker uses the approved temporary authorisation to stay to apply for a type D visa to enter Luxembourg. (Temporary authorisation to stay is valid for 90 days for entry)
• Declaration of arrival — Worker via Commune of residence: After entering Luxembourg, the worker makes a declaration of arrival at their local commune. (Within 3 days of arrival)
• Residence permit — Worker via Direction de l'immigration - Service des étrangers, Ministère des Affaires intérieures (General Department of immigration): The worker undergoes the medical check and applies to the General Department of immigration for the salaried-worker residence permit. (Must apply within 3 months of arrival; first permit valid up to 1 year, renewable · EUR 80)

Processing time and government fees

• Overall processing time: Temporary authorisation to stay normally decided within a maximum of 4 months by the General Department of immigration (an EU single-permit reform transposed by May 2026 lowers the legal limit toward 90 days - verify current limit with the Direction de l'immigration); ADEM certificate issued within roughly 5-12 working days after the 3-week labour-market check.
• Government fees: Residence permit issuance: EUR 80 (paid to the Direction de l'immigration, IBAN LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000). No separate fee published for the temporary authorisation to stay or for the ADEM vacant-post declaration.
• Authority names, the 3-week ADEM labour-market test, ADEM certificate timelines, the ~4-month authorisation response time, the 90-day visa validity, the 3-day commune declaration and the EUR 80 residence-permit fee were verified on guichet.public.lu and the EU Immigration Portal; the post-May-2026 single-permit 90-day limit and any fee for the temporary authorisation still need confirmation with the Direction de l'immigration. Operational guidance only, not legal advice.

Core documents

• Valid passport meeting the destination validity rule
• Signed work contract or binding job offer
• Proof of qualifications / professional experience
• Criminal-record certificate (apostille/legalisation where required)
• Certified translations of foreign documents where required
• Proof of health insurance and accommodation where required

Common questions