Application for international protection

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Important: With the entry into force of the Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June 2026, and the Law of 11 June 2026 on the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, the rules that apply to the processing of applications for international protection that are filed in Luxembourg vary depending on the date of application.

In principle, the procedure for applications filed before 12 June 2026 is still governed by the provisions of the Law of 18 December 2015 (as amended) on international protection and temporary protection, which have been expressly maintained in force under Article 44 of the Law of 11 June 2026. Applications filed after that date are processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union, and with the Law of 11 June 2026 implementing the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

However, as of 12 June 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1347 on the conditions required to qualify for international protection applies to applications filed both before and after 12 June 2026.

All applicants, regardless of whether they filed their application before or after 12 June 2026, are subject to the new rules on asylum and migration management (Regulation (EU) 2024/1351).

Where persons seeking international protection are concerned, Luxembourg recognises 2 distinct statuses:

  • refugee status; and
  • subsidiary protection status.

If you are granted international protection, you will be issued with a residence permit that is valid for 5 years.

In addition to the two types of protection mentioned above – refugee status and subsidiary protection status – Luxembourg also recognises the status of temporary protection, but only in exceptional circumstances. Temporary protection status may be granted in the event of a major influx of people who have had to flee their country in an emergency and who can no longer return to their country. This form of protection is triggered by a decision of the Council of the European Union further to a major influx of displaced persons. Once that decision is made, Luxembourg will then implement it in its domestic legal framework.

Who is concerned

International protection applies only to nationals of third countries and stateless persons.

The following persons may be automatically excluded from international protection:

  • persons who have committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity;
  • persons who have committed a serious non-political crime outside Luxembourg prior to being admitted as a refugee;
  • persons who have committed a serious crime before arriving in Luxembourg, or who have been convicted of a serious crime after arriving in Luxembourg;
  • persons who have violated the United Nations Charter; and
  • persons who pose a threat to society or national security.

If you are an EU citizen, your application for international protection will not be admissible.

The term 'refugee' refers to any individual who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership of a specific social group, and who:

  • if they are a third-country national: finds themselves outside their country of nationality and who, owing to such fear, is unwilling to claim that country's protection; or
  • if they are a stateless person: finds themselves outside their home country (the country where they have their usual place of residence), and who, owing to such fear, is unable or unwilling to return to that country.

Subsidiary protection status can be granted to any individual who cannot be considered a refugee, but for whom there are serious and demonstrable grounds to believe that they face a real risk of suffering serious harm if they were sent back to:

  • their country of origin, if they are a third-country national; or
  • if they are a stateless person, the country where they had their usual place of residence.

Examples of serious harm:

  • the death sentence or execution;
  • torture, or inhuman or degrading treatment;
  • serious and individual threats to a civilian's life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.

How to proceed

Application for international protection

You must express your desire to apply for international protection, in person, to one of the following agencies:

  • the Ministry of Home Affairs (General Department of Immigration - Department for refugees);
  • the Grand Ducal Police;
  • the National Reception Office (ONA);
  • the National Office for Children (ONE);
  • the detention centre where you are being held; or
  • the prison where you are being detained.

If you are an unaccompanied minor, you can:

  • file an application for international protection yourself; or
  • have the application filed by an ad hoc administrator appointed by a family court judge. The ad hoc administrator must be appointed as quickly as possible, no later than 15 working days from the date on which you filed your application. The administrator's role is to assist and represent you during the international protection procedure, while seeking to serve your best interests and your general wellbeing. Pending the appointment of the ad hoc administrator, the competent authorities will promptly appoint a suitably qualified person to assist you temporarily. That person may be authorised to accompany you during the process of registering and filing your application or, if applicable, to file the application on your behalf.

Screening

Who is subject to screening?

If you did not undergo the mandatory checks on entering the Schengen Area, you will be subject to screening. You will undergo screening if you have crossed an external border of the European Union without fulfilling the entry conditions, or if you have been stopped in Luxembourg after having crossed an external border of the European Union illegally. The screening process allows the authorities to obtain the information that was not checked when you entered the Schengen Area.

What does screening entail?

During the screening process, the authorities will:

  • check your identity (name, date and place of birth, nationality and, if possible, your identity documents);
  • take a photograph of your face and record your fingerprints;
  • conduct an interview with you to ascertain your personal circumstances and details of your migratory journey.

These procedures are mandatory. The information you provide must be truthful and accurate.

Assessment of your personal circumstances

Your medical needs, if any, will be assessed by a healthcare professional. If you or the members of your family are in a vulnerable situation, or have any special needs, these will also be taken into consideration during the screening process.

How long does the screening process last?

The screening process must be undertaken within 3 days at most. In practice, the various checks generally take no more than one day.

What happens after the screening process is completed?

Once the screening process is completed, you will be given a copy of the form on which the information you provided was recorded. The authorities will then direct you to the appropriate procedure, and notably to the international protection application procedure, if applicable.

Persons who are legally authorised to stay in Luxembourg

If you are in possession of a legal authorisation to stay in Luxembourg when you file your application for international protection, you will not be subject to screening. In that case, you will only be subject to:

  • an identity check;
  • a security check;
  • a check concerning your migratory journey.

Your obligations during the screening process

You must cooperate with the authorities and provide truthful and accurate information about your identity, your personal circumstances, and your migratory journey.

Registration of applications

To register and file your application for international protection, you must go to the Ministry of Home Affairs' General Department of Immigration in person; this requirement also applies to minors, whether accompanied or not.

If you cannot go to the General Department of Immigration in person, because you are being held in the Luxembourg Detention Centre, the Luxembourg Prison, or the Uerschterhaff Prison, you can fill in a special form, which will be sent to the General Department of Immigration. An officer from the General Department of Immigration will then come to the Detention Centre or the prison to register and file your application.

During the registration of your application, you will be provided with information on:

  • the international protection application procedure;
  • your rights and obligations, in a language that you may reasonably be expected to understand;
  • your right to be assisted by an interpreter, free of charge; and
  • your right to legal aid or, at your own expense, to retain the services of a lawyer who is registered with one of the bar associations in Luxembourg.

During the registration process, you will be given a form to fill in, and an appointment will be arranged for the actual filing of your application.

You will also need to hand over your identity documents, as well as any other documents that you consider relevant for the processing of your application for international protection. On handing over your documents, you will be given a receipt.

Issuance of the certificate

In principle, after registering your application for international protection, you will be given a document that will allow you to remain in Luxembourg. This is an official document that confirms your status as an applicant for international protection.

It is important that you always have this document on you.

Important: You will not be permitted to leave the country. The only exception to this rule applies to young international protection applicants who are in school and take part in a school trip abroad. This document does not replace your passport and is only valid in Luxembourg. If you leave Luxembourg while your application is still being examined, your application file may be closed.

The document is issued for an indefinite period. On the back of your certificate, you will find a date and time. You must report to the authorities at that date and time to have your certificate renewed. The validity of your certificate will be extended as long as you are an international protection applicant in Luxembourg. You must apply in person to have the validity of your certificate prolonged. This must be done at the reception desk of the General Department of Immigration - Department for refugees on the day your certificate expires.

If Luxembourg is handling the processing of your application, the next stage in the procedure will be an individual interview. Based on the outcome of that interview, a decision will be taken regarding your application for international protection.

Social welfare monitoring and educational support for international protection applicants

Once you have filed your application for international protection, you can contact the National Reception Office (ONA) to apply for social welfare oversight and educational support, and for material support pending the outcome of your application. If you are an unaccompanied minor, your support will be handled by the National Office for Children (ONE).

Declaration of arrival or choice of domicile

Within 8 days of filing your application for international protection, you must file a declaration of arrival with the commune where you decide to establish your usual place of residence.

Any change of residence within the same commune must be declared to the authorities of that commune. If you change your usual place of residence to another commune, you must inform the commune in question.

Unless an exception is granted by the minister, you must remain in Luxembourg, where you will have unrestricted freedom of movement as long as you are an international protection applicant.

Individual interview

Once you have filed your application for international protection, you will receive a letter – delivered by hand or another means – inviting you to attend an individual interview at the General Department of Immigration.

If you are being held in the Detention Centre, or detained in the Luxembourg or Uerschterhaff prison, an officer from the General Department of Immigration will come in to conduct the individual interview there.

The individual interview will be audio recorded. You will be informed in advance that the interview will be audio recorded, and of the purpose for doing so.

It is essential that you attend your individual interview in person on the scheduled date and time. For the interview, you must bring your invitation letter and the official document attesting to your status as an international protection applicant.

If you do not attend the interview without providing a valid excuse, or if you refuse to answer the questions asked during the interview without justifying your refusal, and your refusal to answer is such that the outcome of the interview does not enable a decision to be taken as to the legitimacy of your application, your application will be considered to be implicitly withdrawn.

Only medical reasons will be accepted as justification for failing to attend a scheduled individual interview. In that case, you should promptly notify the officer from the General Department of Immigration who is conducting the interview by calling the telephone number in your invitation letter.

You will also need to justify your absence by promptly sending in a medical certificate issued by a doctor. Once you have completed these formalities, the individual interview will be rescheduled.

Each adult will be interviewed separately so they can explain to the authorities why they left their home country and what they fear will happen to them if they return. The individual interview is confidential and conducted at the Department for Refugees. You can attend the interview with your lawyer and, if need be, the General Department of Immigration will provide an interpreter to facilitate clear communication.

The interview provides an opportunity for you to explain in detail why you left your home country and why you are applying for international protection. Your answers to all questions must be clear, sincere, and truthful.

If you have them, you will need to hand over original documents, or any other documents that can prove your identity, nationality, civil status, the reasons for your application, etc.

During the individual interview, the officer from the General Department of Immigration will write down everything that you, and they, say. As such, there will be a detailed and factual written report of the interview that will be translated verbally for you at the end of the interview. You will be allowed to rectify details or add further details, which will be appended to the report.

After the individual interview report has been read out to you, you will be asked to sign it to confirm its content. The report will also be signed by the officer who conducted the interview, the interpreter, and your lawyer, if present.

If the individual interview report cannot be drawn up at the time of the interview, a transcript of your audio recorded statements will be produced and included in a report, which will be forwarded to you as soon as possible. Once you have received the report, you will have eight days to forward, in writing, any observations or clarifications you wish to make.

Interviews are confidential.

If there are any doubts as to your origin, you may be asked to take a language test. Similarly, if you claim to have been a victim of persecution or to have sustained serious bodily harm in your home country, a medical examination may be carried out to search for signs supporting your claim.

Competence of Luxembourg and admissibility of the application

Under European Union law, only one Member State is responsible for examining your application for international protection. As such, a Member State other than Luxembourg may be responsible:

  • if a member of your family resides in that Member State;
  • if you have been issued a residence permit, a visa, or a diploma in that Member State;
  • if you entered the European Union through that Member State; or
  • if you have already filed an application for international protection in that Member State.

If the General Department of Immigration discovers that another Member State is responsible, it will declare itself incompetent to process your application for international protection, and you will be transferred to that Member State so that your application can be examined there.

If Luxembourg is competent to examine your application, the General Department of Immigration will also check whether it is admissible.

Your application will be declared inadmissible:

  • if a first country of asylum exists – i.e. if you have been granted refugee status in another country that is not a European Union Member State – and if you can still avail yourself of that country's protection;
  • if there exists a safe third country where you could have settled, without fear for your life or freedom due to your race, religion, nationality, membership of a specific social group, or political opinions, and where you face no risk of serious harm;
  • if you have been granted international protection by another EU Member State;
  • if an international criminal court has safely relocated you to another EU Member State or to a third country, or is clearly undertaking such a process;
  • if you have received a return decision and have failed to file your application for international protection within seven working days after the date on which you received the return decision;
  • if your application is a subsequent application that contains no new details that could be used to determine whether you fulfil the conditions to be granted international protection.

If your application has been ruled inadmissible, the inadmissibility decision will be sent to your lawyer by registered letter, and you will be sent a copy. If you do not have a lawyer, the decision will be sent to you by registered letter at your usual place of residence. If you have not declared a usual place of residence, you will be deemed to have elected domicile at the ministry. Notice of the decision is given by way of a public notice. Notice of the decision will be deemed to have been validly given 3 days after publication of the public notice. You will be informed of the outcome of the decision in a language that you understand. You will also be informed of why your application was ruled inadmissible.

The inadmissibility decision will specify what avenues of appeal are available to you, and how much time you will have to refer the matter to the administrative courts.

Processing the application

If your application is ruled admissible and Luxembourg is competent to process the application, the General Department of Immigration will examine it on its merits.

Further to the examination of your application, a decision will be taken either to grant you international protection (with refugee or subsidiary protection status), or to refuse your application.

Positive response

If you are granted international protection, you will gain either:

  • refugee status; or
  • subsidiary protection status.

As a rule, notice of the decision to grant international protection is sent to your lawyer by registered letter.

If you do not have a lawyer, notice of the decision will be sent to you by registered letter to your usual place of residence, or delivered by hand.

If you have not declared a usual place of residence, you will be deemed to have elected domicile at the ministry. Notice of the decision is given by way of a public notice. Notice of the decision will be deemed to have been validly given 3 days after publication of the public notice. You will be informed of the outcome of the decision in a language that you understand.

You will then be able to enjoy the rights granted to beneficiaries of international protection.

Rejection of international protection

If your application for international protection is examined through the normal procedure, a decision is generally taken within 6 months of the date on which your application was filed.

That interval may be prolonged by a further 6 months if the procedure cannot be completed within the initial 6-month timeframe due to i) a disproportionate number of applications being filed within the same period of time, ii) complex factual or legal issues, or iii) a delay that can be clearly and solely attributed to your failure to fulfil your obligations. In that case, you will be informed of the delay.

Applications may also be examined through a fast-track procedure in the following cases:

  • if the allegations you have made are not relevant to your claim for international protection;
  • if your statements are manifestly inconsistent, contradictory, obviously false or hardly plausible, or contradict relevant available information about your home country;
  • if you have deliberately misled the authorities by submitting or providing false information or documents, or by concealing relevant information or documents regarding your identity or nationality, with a view to influencing the decision; or if there are reasons to believe that you have destroyed your identity or travel documents, which would have helped to establish your identity or nationality;
  • if you have filed your application for the sole purpose of delaying, preventing or avoiding the enforcement of an earlier or imminent decision that would result in your removal from Luxembourg;
  • if your home country is considered to be a safe country;
  • if you pose a threat to national security or public order;
  • if you have filed a subsequent application for international protection that has been ruled admissible;
  • if you have entered or extended your stay in Luxembourg without valid reasons for doing so, and without reporting to the authorities or filing your application as quickly as possible, given the circumstances of your entry;
  • if you have entered Luxembourg legally, but failed to file an application for international protection as quickly as possible;
  • if you are a national of a third country where the international protection acceptance rate in the European Union is 20 % or less.

For the fast-track procedure, applicants generally receive a response from the ministry within 3 months of filing their application.

If your application for international protection is rejected, a copy of the written decision will be sent to your lawyer by registered letter, and you will also be sent a copy. If you do not have a lawyer, the decision will be sent to you by registered letter at your usual place of residence. If you have not declared a usual place of residence, you will be deemed to have elected domicile at the ministry. Notice of the decision is given by way of a public notice. Notice of the decision will be deemed to have been validly given 3 days after publication of the public notice. You will be informed of the outcome of the decision in a language that you understand. The reasons why your application for international protection was refused will be explained in the decision, and you will receive a decision ordering your return to your home country. The options for appealing against these decisions are indicated in the notification.

Implicit or explicit withdrawal of the application

Applications for international protection may be implicitly or explicitly withdrawn.

Your application will be deemed to have been implicitly withdrawn if:

  • you failed to file your application correctly;
  • you refused to cooperate with the authorities by failing to provide requested information, or your biometric data;
  • you refused to give your address;
  • you failed to attend an individual interview without providing a valid excuse, or you refused to answer questions asked during the interview without justifying your refusal, with the result that the officers tasked with examining your file could not do so properly;
  • you repeatedly failed to comply with your obligation to report to the authorities on a specific date or at reasonable intervals, or failed to remain at the authorities' disposal;
  • you filed your application in Luxembourg, but failed to remain in Luxembourg while the authorities were seeking to determine the responsible Member State or, if applicable, implementing a transfer procedure.

'Explicit withdrawal' is when you have informed the competent authorities of your wish to abandon your application for international protection. In that case, the authorities will close your application file.

The decision to close your application file further to your explicit withdrawal is final and definitive. You may not appeal against that decision.

If your application is withdrawn, you will lose your international protection applicant status.

Appeals

An appeal may be brought before the administrative courts against the ministerial decision to refuse to grant international protection, and against the removal order, handed down within the framework of the normal procedure.

The appeal must be brought within 20 days of the date on which notice of decision was given. This type of appeal is suspensory. As such, you will be permitted to stay in Luxembourg pending a ruling on your appeal.

If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Administrative Tribunal, you can appeal that decision before the Administrative Court within 15 days of being notified of the ruling. In this case, the appeal is not suspensory, which means that you may be forced to leave Luxembourg.

Non-contentious appeals against a ministerial decision to refuse to grant international protection do not suspend the time you have to bring the appeal.

Appeals before the Administrative Tribunal and the Administrative Court must be brought through a bar-registered lawyer.

In the fast-track procedure, the appeal must be brought before the Administrative Tribunal within 10 days of the notice of decision.

The Administrative Tribunal's decision is final and definitive and may not be appealed.

The appeal is not suspensory, which means that you will not be permitted to remain in Luxembourg: you will have to leave Luxembourg within the timeframe specified in the ministerial decision. However, you may petition the competent court for permission to remain in Luxembourg pending the Administrative Tribunal's decision on your appeal. Non-contentious appeals against a ministerial decision handed down as part of the fast-track procedure do not suspend the deadline for bringing the appeal.

Appeals before the Administrative Tribunal must be brought through a bar-registered lawyer.

Inadmissible applications

If your application is ruled inadmissible, you may bring an appeal against the decision before the Administrative Tribunal, within 10 days of the notice of decision.

The Administrative Tribunal's decision is final and definitive and may not be appealed.

The appeal is not suspensory, which means that you will not be permitted to remain in Luxembourg: you will have to leave Luxembourg within the timeframe specified in the ministerial decision. However, you may petition the competent court for permission to remain in Luxembourg pending the Administrative Tribunal's decision on your appeal.

Appeals before the Administrative Tribunal must be brought through a bar-registered lawyer.

Decision to close your application definitively further to an implicit withdrawal

If your application is deemed to have been implicitly withdrawn and your file is closed, you may bring an appeal against the decision to close your file before the Administrative Tribunal, within 10 days of notice of the decision.

The Administrative Tribunal's decision is final and definitive and may not be appealed.

The appeal is not suspensory, which means that you will not be permitted to remain in Luxembourg: you will have to leave Luxembourg within the timeframe specified in the ministerial decision. However, you may petition the competent court for permission to remain in Luxembourg pending the Administrative Tribunal's decision on your appeal.

Appeals before the Administrative Tribunal must be brought through a bar-registered lawyer.

Return to the country of origin

If your application for international protection is refused, the procedure will end when the decision becomes definitive or enforceable, in accordance with the rules that apply to appeals and their suspensory effects (explained above). Depending on the type of decision, you may be permitted to remain in Luxembourg pending the examination of your appeal. In certain cases, however, you will have to file a specific petition seeking permission to remain in Luxembourg until a decision regarding your appeal is handed down.

If you lose the right of residence obtained further to your application for international protection, your international protection applicant certificate will be cancelled. An appointment may then be scheduled for you to meet a counsellor, who will explain the procedures to follow for your voluntary return.

You will be invited to leave Luxembourg and return to your home country voluntarily within 30 days of the date on which the decision to refuse your application becomes definitive or enforceable.

If you decide to leave Luxembourg voluntarily, you must inform the Ministry of Home Affairs within 30 days by sending an email to info@movingforward.public.lu.

In certain cases (children in schooling, other social and family ties, etc.), the deadline for a voluntary return may be extended.

If you decide to return to your home country voluntarily, you can obtain voluntary-return financial support for your travel arrangements and to facilitate your resettlement and reintegration either in your home country, or in a country where you are entitled to stay. If you are a third-country national with a passport without a visa, you will not be entitled to voluntary-return financial support.

The identity documents issued at the beginning of the application for international protection procedure will be returned to you when you leave Luxembourg.

If you do not leave Luxembourg within 30 days of the date on which the decision to refuse your application becomes definitive or enforceable, you may be forcibly removed from Luxembourg, escorted by law enforcement officers. Where applicable, you may be placed in a secure facility.

Voluntary-return financial support will be denied and an order will be issued prohibiting you from entering and staying in the Schengen Area. The prohibition may last for up to 5 years.

Online services and forms

Online services

Refugee status

Subsidiary protection

Travel document

Downloadable forms

Who to contact

Ministry of Home Affairs General Department of Immigration - Department for refugees

Address:
26, route d'Arlon L-1140 Luxembourg Luxembourg
B.P. 752 L-2017 Luxembourg
Phone:
(+352) 247 84565
from 9.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 16.00
Closed ⋅ Opens tomorrow at 8.30
Monday:
8.30 to 12.00
Tuesday:
8.30 to 12.00
Wednesday:
8.30 to 12.00
Thursday:
8.30 to 12.00
Friday:
8.30 to 12.00
Saturday:
Closed
Sunday:
Closed
Service for new arrivals: Monday to Friday from 8.30 - 12.00; Extension desk: only by appointment.
  • National Reception Office (ONA)

    Address:
    5, rue Carlo Hemmer L-1734 Luxembourg Luxembourg
    Email address:
    info@ona.public.lu
    Closed ⋅ Opens tomorrow at 8.00
    Monday:
    8.00 to 17.00
    Tuesday:
    8.00 to 17.00
    Wednesday:
    8.00 to 17.00
    Thursday:
    8.00 to 17.00
    Friday:
    8.00 to 17.00
    Saturday:
    Closed
    Sunday:
    Closed
  • 2 of 3 bodies shown

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