Obtaining official approval of a foreign higher education law degree
Last update
Approval of higher education law degrees obtained abroad is only required to participate in complementary courses on Luxembourg law and to access certain legal professions.
Applications must be sent to the Ministry for Research and Higher Education (MESR).
Who is concerned
Approval of law degrees is required to access complementary courses on Luxembourg law.
Lawyers from another EU Member State do not need to have their diplomas approved. They can contact the Ministry of Justice directly to request authorisation to practise law in Luxembourg.
Prerequisites
The interested party must have obtained a final law diploma abroad which must grant a higher legal education degree recognized by the country of origin.
The final diploma must provide proof of the successful completion of a full-time legal study cycle of a minimum duration of:
- 4 years; or
- 8 semesters; or
- 12 trimesters.
Part-time study cycles are accepted provided that the total duration, the level and quality of these studies are not inferior to full-time studies.
The legal education programme must at least have included the following subjects:
- civil law;
- commercial law;
- criminal law or criminal procedure;
- private or public international law;
- constitutional or administrative law.
Note that civil law must have been taught at least for:
- 2 years; or
- 4 semesters; or
- 6 trimesters.
Other subjects must have been taught for at least one year, 2 semesters or 3 trimesters.
The legal courses must have similar fundamental conceptions to those of the Luxembourg legal system.
Preliminary steps
Concerned parties must submit a copy of their secondary school graduation diploma together with their application for approval of the higher education law degree.
If the secondary school graduation diploma was obtained abroad (A-Level, Abitur, Baccalauréat, Bachillerato, Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur, High School diploma, Maturità, Selectividad, etc.), the applicant must first request the recognition of equivalence of said diploma compared to the Luxembourg secondary school graduation diploma.
Costs
Applicants must pay a fee of EUR 125 per diploma as a contribution to the cost of processing their application for official approval.
The tax must be paid by bank transfer to the bank account at the Banque et Caisse d’Épargne de l’État:
IBAN LU36 0019 5955 4436 2000
BIC/SWIFT BCEELULL
Communication: Taxe reconnaissance des diplômes, MENJE, Name of the applicant, Date of the application
A duplicate copy costs EUR 10.
The fee is not refunded if the application is rejected.
How to proceed
Filing an application
In order to have their higher education law certificate or diploma certified, concerned parties must submit an application:
- by post; or
- in person by filing it with the Ministry for Research and Higher Education (MESR).
Supporting documents
Applicants must attach the following documents to their file:
- the duly completed and signed application form;
- a curriculum vitae;
- a copy of the birth certificate or of an identity card (for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland) / passport (for third country nationals);
- a copy of the secondary school graduation diploma, i.e.:
- either a Luxembourg secondary or secondary technical school graduation diploma;
- or a foreign secondary school graduation diploma recognised as equivalent to the Luxembourg diploma by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth;
- a copy of the higher education diploma to be approved;
- a copy of the intermediate academic diplomas obtained if the foreign country issues them;
- a copy of the official curriculum for each completed academic year;
- proof of payment of the accreditation fee of EUR 125 per diploma (debit notice).
The documents must be written either in one of the 3 official languages of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (French, Luxembourgish or German), or in English, or translated and certified in one of these languages by a sworn translator.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Ministry for Research and Higher Education
- Address:
-
18-20, montée de la Pétrusse
L-2327
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
B.P. L-2915
- Phone:
- (+352) 247-86619
Open Closes at 16.30
- Thursday:
- 7.45 to 16.30
- Friday:
- 7.45 to 16.30
- Saturday:
- Closed
- Sunday:
- Closed
- Monday:
- 7.45 to 16.30
- Tuesday:
- 7.45 to 16.30
- Wednesday:
- 7.45 to 16.30
Reception: Monday to Friday from 7.45 to 16.30
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
Homologation de diplômes de droit (accès aux CCDL)
sur le site du ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche
-
Voies de recours
sur le site du ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche
- Website of the Luxembourg Association of Translators and Interpreters (ALTI)
-
Listes des experts, traducteurs et interprètes assermentés
sur le site du ministère de la Justice
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 10 septembre 2004
fixant les critères d'homologation des titres et grades étrangers
