Prerequisites for voluntary acquisition of nationality
Before acquiring Luxembourgish nationality by naturalisation, and in certain cases by option declaration, applicants must be able to demonstrate knowledge in the following areas:
- the Luxembourgish language, as evidenced by a Luxembourgish language test pass certificate or a certificate confirming participation in a Luxembourgish language course;
- the fundamental rights of citizens, the state and local institutions of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, as well as the history of Luxembourg and European integration, as documented by a "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" certificate.
Who is concerned
Any person applying to acquire Luxembourgish nationality:
- by way of naturalisation;
- by way of option declaration in the case:
- of a parent of a Luxembourgish minor;
- of marriage to a Luxembourger;
- of an adult having fulfilled the obligations arising from the Welcome and Integration Contract (contrat d'accueil et d'intégration);
- of an adult settled in Luxembourg before the age of 18;
- of an adult with stateless person status, refugee status or subsidiary protection status.
Costs
Registration for this course or for the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" test is free.
The registration fee for the Luxembourgish language test is set at EUR 75.
There is no fixed registration fee for the 24-hour Luxembourgish language course for persons residing in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for more than 20 years. Each organiser is free to set their own fee.
Upon request to the Ministry of Justice and subject to certain conditions, applicants for Luxembourgish nationality may be refunded the registration fees for:
- the Luxembourgish language test (Sproochentest Lëtzebuergesch);
- the Luxembourgish language course, organised by the National Institute for Languages Luxembourg (INLL) or another provider whose curriculum has been approved by the Ministry of Education.
How to proceed
"Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" certificate
Applicants for Luxembourgish nationality must submit the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" certificate when applying for Luxembourgish nationality.
This certificate confirms that the applicant:
- either attended the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" course (course length: 24 hours);
- or passed the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" test without attending the course.
The course and the test cover the following topics:
- fundamental rights of citizens (course length: 6 hours);
- state and local institutions in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (course length: 12 hours);
- the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European integration (course length: 6 hours).
The test papers may contain multiple- or dual-choice questions.
If the physical or psychological state of the person applying for Luxembourgish nationality prevents them from learning about the topics taught, a request for exemption from attending the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" course and test may be sent to the Minister of Justice, accompanied by a medical certificate from a medical specialist.
Holders of a certificate of participation to the citizenship courses to be taken as part of the conclusion of a Welcome and Integration Contract are exempted from taking the module "History of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European integration" (L’histoire du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg et l’intégration européenne). The exemption is recognized automatically, there is no procedure to carried out.
If the applicant does not attend the necessary courses and just wants to take the exam, they will not be exempted from taking the module "History of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European integration".
In this case, special exam sessions will be organised.
Registration to the course
The course "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" is open to all adults.
The registration can be made online.
The registration is definitive and cannot be modified. In the event of being unable to attend, a new registration is only possible when the dates of the course or the exam already passed.
Luxembourgish language test
The National Institute for Languages Luxembourg (INLL) organises the Luxembourgish oral exam taken as part of the process to acquire Luxembourgish nationality.
The exam consists of:
- a spoken test (A2 level);
- a listening test (B1 level).
In order to pass the Luxembourgish language test, candidates must get a score of at least 50 % on the spoken test.
A score of less than 50 % on the spoken test may be offset by the score received on the listening test.
In this case, applicants can still pass the exam if the arithmetic average, rounded up to the next whole number if applicable, of the scores received in the 2 tests is equal to or higher than 50 % of the full score.
The registration form (see the section "Forms / Online services" below) must be submitted to the INL together with the supporting documents, before the registration deadline.
If the physical or psychological state of the person applying for Luxembourgish nationality prevents them from learning Luxembourgish, a request for exemption from taking the Luxembourgish language test may be sent to the Minister of Justice, accompanied by a medical certificate from a medical specialist.
Spoken test
The level required to pass the spoken test is A2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
- ability to introduce oneself and use simple language to talk about one's family and other people, one's living conditions and training or occupation;
- ability to use simple language to describe and compare people, objects and activities.
The spoken test consists of two parts:
- an interview between the examiner and the applicant;
- description of a visual aid.
Listening test
The level required to pass the listening comprehension test is B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
- understanding of the main points of clear standard speech on familiar topics;
- understanding of the main points of radio or TV programmes on current affairs or matters of personal or professional interest.
The listing test consists of 3 tracks:
- a radio news item;
- an everyday conversation between 2 people;
- a discussion or presentation on a specific topic.
After each track, candidates will answer the multiple-choice test paper by ticking their answer on the answer sheet.
24-hour Luxembourgish language course
People who have resided in Luxembourg for at least 20 years, and for a period of 12 consecutive months immediately prior to their application, may acquire Luxembourgish nationality by way of option declaration.
However, they must prove that they have attended a Luxembourgish language course.
This course, which lasts 24 hours, aims to offer an introduction to speaking and listening skills.
The course is organised by the National Institute for Languages Luxembourg (INLL) and by other providers whose curricula have been approved by the Ministry of Education (schools, communes or approved non-profit organisations).
Once the applicant has completed the course, they must send the certificate of participation and a stamped envelope mentioning their address to:
- the National Institute for Languages if he/she attended courses there;
- the Department of Adult Education (Service de la formation des adultes) if the course attended was offered by another provider approved by the Ministry of Education.
The organiser will document course attendance on the attendance certificate sent by the applicant.
Forms / Online services
Acquisition nationalité - fiche d'inscription au test en vue de l'admission à la naturalisation
Erwerb der Staatsangehörigkeit - Anmeldeformular zum Sproochentest Lëtzebuergesch
Aschréifformulaire dir de Sproochentest Lëtzebuergesch
Demande de remboursement des frais d'inscription à l'examen de langue luxembourgeoise et aux cours de langue luxembourgeoise
Antrag auf Erstattung der Anmeldegebühr für die Luxemburgischprüfung und die Luxemburgischkurse
Formulaire d'inscription au cours "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg"
Démarche en ligne
Who to contact
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Ministry of Justice
Nationality Office13, rue Erasme
L-1468 Luxembourg
Postal address :
L-2934 Luxembourg
Fax : (+352) 26 20 27 59Monday to Friday (except on public holidays) from 8.30 to 11.30 and 14.30 to 16.00 / Special opening hours during Christmas and the summer holidays.
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National Institute for Languages Luxembourg
National Institute for Languages Luxembourg - Belval - Maison du savoir2, avenue de l'Université
L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette
Luxembourg
Phone : (+352) 46 66 44 - 9491Fax : (+352) 26 44 30 - 330From Monday to Thursday from 8.00 to 18.00 / Friday from 8.00 to 12.30 and from 13.30 to 16.00. Opening hours may vary during school holidays. You can contact the INLL via the following link: http://www.inll.lu/en/contact/formulaire-de-contact/
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Ministry of Education, Children and Youth
Department of Adult Education15, rue Léon Hengen
L-1745 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Postal address :
L-2926 Luxembourg
Phone : (+352) 8002-4488Monday from 13.30 to 16.30 and Tuesday-Friday from 08.30 to 12.30 and from 13.30 to 16.30