Luxembourg

Last Updated: 2026-03-31

Official Portal: Ministry of Justice — Nationality

Embassy Finder: Luxembourg Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	5 years continuous residence, with the last year immediately preceding the application spent in Luxembourg
Language requirement	Luxembourgish language — oral expression test (Sproochentest Letzebuergisch, Level B1 speaking / A2 listening)
Civics test	Yes — “Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duche de Luxembourg” course (24 hours) or equivalent civic knowledge examination
Processing time	8—12 months
Naturalization fee	None (free of charge, though administrative costs for document procurement apply)
Dual citizenship	Fully permitted since 1 January 2009
Citizenship by birth in Luxembourg	Conditional jus soli — applies if one parent was also born in Luxembourg
Citizenship by descent	Automatic for children of Luxembourgish citizens
Governing law	Loi du 8 mars 2017 sur la nationalite luxembourgeoise (Nationality Law of 2017, as amended)

Dual Citizenship

Luxembourg has fully permitted dual and multiple citizenship since 1 January 2009, when the Law of 23 October 2008 entered into force. Prior to this date, Luxembourg required renunciation of prior citizenship upon naturalization, and Luxembourgish citizens lost their nationality upon voluntarily acquiring another.

The 2008/2009 reform was transformative. It was driven in part by the recognition that Luxembourg’s population is extraordinarily international — nearly 50% of the country’s residents are foreign nationals, the highest proportion in the EU.

Current rules:

No renunciation of prior citizenship is required for naturalization.
Luxembourgish citizens who acquire a foreign nationality do not lose their Luxembourgish citizenship.
There is no limit on the number of citizenships a person may hold.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Luxembourg applies a double jus soli rule (Article 1 of the 2017 Law):

A child born in Luxembourg acquires Luxembourgish nationality at birth if:

At least one parent was also born in Luxembourg, regardless of the parents’ nationality.

This means that the second generation born in Luxembourg acquires citizenship automatically, even if the parents are foreign nationals. The first generation born in Luxembourg to parents born abroad does not benefit from jus soli alone.

Additional provision (Article 6): A person born in Luxembourg who has been resident there since birth and whose parent has been lawfully resident in Luxembourg for at least 12 consecutive months before the birth may acquire Luxembourgish nationality by a simple declaration (option) before age 18.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

A child acquires Luxembourgish nationality at birth if at least one parent is a Luxembourgish citizen (Article 1), regardless of the place of birth.

Key provisions:

Both married and unmarried parents transmit citizenship equally.
If the parents are not married and only the father is Luxembourgish, paternity must be legally established.
Children born abroad to Luxembourgish parents should have their birth registered with a Luxembourgish diplomatic mission, though citizenship is acquired automatically.

By Adoption

A child under 18 adopted by a Luxembourgish citizen acquires Luxembourgish nationality upon the adoption becoming final under Luxembourgish law (Article 2).

The adoption must be a full (plenary) adoption.
Simple adoption does not automatically confer nationality, but the adopted child may naturalize under simplified conditions.

By Marriage

Luxembourg does not grant automatic citizenship through marriage. However, a foreign spouse of a Luxembourgish citizen may acquire nationality by declaration (option) under facilitated conditions:

Requirements (Article 7):

The applicant and the Luxembourgish spouse must have been married or in a registered partnership for at least 3 years.
The couple must be living together.
The applicant must have been lawfully resident in Luxembourg at the time of the declaration.
The applicant must have completed the “Vivre ensemble” civics course or passed the civics examination.
The applicant must pass the Sproochentest (Luxembourgish language test).

Note: This is technically an “option” (declaration) rather than naturalization, which makes it procedurally faster and simpler.

By Naturalization (Residency)

Standard pathway (Article 8, Nationality Law of 2017):

Requirement	Details
Residence	5 years continuous lawful residence in Luxembourg, with the 12 months immediately preceding the application spent in Luxembourg
Luxembourgish language	Sproochentest Letzebuergisch — oral expression at B1 level and listening comprehension at A2 level
Civics course	”Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duche de Luxembourg” course (24 hours of instruction) or pass the civics examination
Good character	No convictions resulting in a prison sentence of 12 months or more, or a suspended sentence of 24 months or more
No threat to public order	Must not constitute a threat to public order, safety, or health
Fee	Free (no naturalization fee)

Language exemptions:

Persons aged 75 or older are exempt from the language test.
Persons who completed at least 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg are exempt.
Persons with certain disabilities may be exempt.

Recovery by option (Article 89 of the 2008 Law): A special recovery provision was introduced for persons (and their descendants) who were Luxembourgish citizens on 1 January 1900 and lost citizenship thereafter. This “ancestry recovery” option was open from 2009 to 2019 and resulted in over 30,000 new citizens. As of 2026, this specific window has closed, but descendants of Luxembourgish citizens may still qualify through descent if the chain of transmission was not broken.

Luxembourg is an EU and Schengen Area member state. Citizens enjoy full EU freedom of movement, including the right to live, work, and study in any EU/EEA country and Switzerland.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

A Luxembourgish citizen may renounce nationality by making a declaration to the Ministry of Justice (Article 30), provided:

The person holds the citizenship of at least one other state.
The renunciation will not render them stateless.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Fraud	Nationality acquired through fraud, false declarations, or concealment of material facts may be withdrawn within 2 years of discovery (Article 31).
No automatic loss	Since 2009, voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality does not cause loss of Luxembourgish citizenship.
Service in foreign armed forces	Not a specific ground for loss under current law.

Historical note: Before 2009, voluntary acquisition of another citizenship caused automatic loss. The 2009 reform eliminated this provision prospectively but did not apply retroactively. Persons who lost Luxembourgish citizenship before 2009 by acquiring another nationality would have needed to use the ancestry recovery option (2009—2019 window) or apply for re-naturalization.

Restoration of Nationality

Ancestry recovery (closed window): The 2008 law created a special right of recovery for descendants of Luxembourgish citizens as of 1 January 1900. This window was open from 2009 to 2019 and allowed over 30,000 people worldwide (especially in the United States, Brazil, France, and Belgium) to recover citizenship.

Current options for former citizens:

Former citizens who renounced or lost nationality may apply for re-naturalization through the standard process, though the Minister of Justice may exercise discretion favorably.
Persons who can demonstrate an unbroken chain of descent from a Luxembourgish citizen may still acquire citizenship by descent (Article 1) if the chain was never legally severed.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Foundlings (Article 1): A child found in Luxembourg whose parents are unknown is presumed to be a Luxembourgish citizen until the contrary is proven.

Stateless persons: Luxembourg is party to both the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Stateless persons born in Luxembourg who have not acquired any nationality by age 18 may acquire Luxembourgish nationality by declaration. Stateless persons who have resided lawfully in Luxembourg may naturalize under facilitated conditions.

Document Checklist

Completed application form (available from the Ministry of Justice)

Valid passport or travel document

Birth certificate (with apostille and certified French/German/Luxembourgish translation)

Marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable)

Proof of continuous residence in Luxembourg (certificat de residence from the commune)

Sproochentest certificate (Luxembourgish language proficiency)

“Vivre ensemble” civics course completion certificate (or civics exam results)

Criminal record certificate (bulletin no. 3 or equivalent from all countries of residence)

Proof of lawful residence status (titre de sejour)

Two recent passport-sized photographs

For spousal pathway: marriage certificate and proof of living together

Sources

Loi du 8 mars 2017 sur la nationalite luxembourgeoise — Nationality Law of 2017. https://legilux.public.lu/eli/etat/leg/loi/2017/03/08/a289/jo
Loi du 23 octobre 2008 sur la nationalite luxembourgeoise — the 2008 reform introducing dual citizenship and the ancestry recovery option. https://legilux.public.lu/
Ministry of Justice — Nationality. https://mj.gouvernement.lu/en/dossiers/nationalite.html
Guichet.lu — Acquiring Luxembourgish nationality. https://guichet.public.lu/en/citoyens/citoyennete/nationalite-luxembourgeoise.html
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs — Diplomatic Missions. https://maee.gouvernement.lu/en/missions-diplomatiques.html

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