After having resided officially for an uninterrupted period of 5 years in Luxembourg, EU citizens (or nationals of a country treated as such) and members of their family who are also nationals of an EU Member State (or of a country treated as such) have the right of permanent residence and may submit an application for a permanent residence permit to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes).

Who is concerned

Those concerned are nationals of EU countries or countries treated as such and the members of their families who are also nationals of an EU country (or a country treated as such) and who have been lawfully resident for an uninterrupted period of at least 5 years in Luxembourg.

Prerequisites

EU citizens must be able to prove that they have been lawfully resident for an uninterrupted period of at least 5 years in Luxembourg.

The length of the stay is not deemed to be interrupted by:

• temporary absences that do not exceed 6 months per year in total;
• longer periods of absence in order to complete military service;
• uninterrupted absences of a maximum of 12 consecutive months for significant reasons, such as:
  • pregnancy and childbirth;
  • a serious illness;
  • studies or professional training;
  • a posting to another Member State of the European Union or a non-EU country.

However, certain EU citizens may be granted the right of permanent residence in Luxembourg before the uninterrupted residence period of 5 years has elapsed. These include:

• workers (employees or self-employed persons) who cease their activities either at retirement age or to take early retirement and who:
  • have carried out a professional activity in Luxembourg or another EU Member State for at least the past 12 months;
  • and have been living in Luxembourg for an uninterrupted period of more than 3 years;
• workers (employees or self-employed persons) who cease their activities (in Luxembourg or in another EU Member State) due to permanent incapacity for work and who have been living in Luxembourg for an uninterrupted period of more than 2 years;
• workers (employees or self-employed persons) who receive an accident pension from the Luxembourg authorities because of a permanent incapacity for work due to a work-related accident or an occupational illness - no requirements regarding duration of residence apply in this case;
• workers (employees or self-employed persons) who, after 3 years of uninterrupted activity and residence in Luxembourg, change for a salaried or self-employed cross-border activity in another EU Member State, all the while remaining resident in Luxembourg to where they return, in principle, each day or at least once a week.

How to proceed

Application for a permanent residence permit

EU citizens have to request a permanent residence permit for EU citizens from the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and join a copy of their valid identity document or passport.

The permanent residence permit will be delivered by post to the applicant's address within one month of submission of the application.

Permit validity

The permanent residence permit has unlimited validity.

Loss, theft or damage to the residence permit

In the event of loss or theft of the permanent residence permit, the EU citizen must submit an application for replacement and join a copy of an ID card/passport and the declaration of theft/loss established by the police.

In the event of damage to the permanent residence permit, the EU citizen must submit an application for replacement and join a copy of an ID card/passport and the damaged residence permit.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact