Carrying out an ancillary activity as a third-country national family member of a third-country national
Third-country nationals holding a residence permit for family members, who wish to carry out a salaried activity on an ancillary basis must apply for a work permit before starting work.
Who is concerned
A work permit is required for third-country nationals (i.e. a national from a country which is not an EU Member State or a country treated as such - Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) who have a residence permit for family members in Luxembourg and wish to carry out a salaried activity on an ancillary basis.
The application for a work permit must be submitted by the third-country national. However, he may appoint a third party, such as the employer, to carry out the necessary procedures.
This applies to family members of a third-country national, who themselves are nationals of a third country (i.e. a country which is not an EU Member State or a country treated as such) and wish to carry out a salaried activity on an ancillary basis.
Holders of a "family member" residence permit who wish to carry out paid employment as their main activity must apply for a salaried worker residence permit.
Prerequisites
Third-country nationals must have a valid "family member" residence permit in Luxembourg.
Nonetheless, they must apply for a work permit before beginning an ancillary activity.
Preliminary steps
Third-country nationals resident in Luxembourg for less than one year
Family members who have been resident in Luxembourg for less than one year when the application is submitted will be subject to the labour market test: the employer declares the vacant position with the National Employment Agency (Agence pour le développement de l'emploi - ADEM), so that it can check whether the vacant position could be filled by an individual available on the national or European labour market.
If ADEM is unable to offer a candidate with the desired profile within 3 weeks, the employer may ask ADEM to provide a certificate allowing them to recruit the individual of their choice.
The employer must sign a contract with the third-country national. The contract may include a let-out clause specifying that the employment contract will not take effect until the work permit has been obtained.
The employer must provide proof of the vacant position declaration to the third-country national, who must attach it to their work permit application.
Third-country nationals resident in Luxembourg for more than one year
Third-country nationals who have been resident in Luxembourg for more than one year when the application is submitted will not be subject to the labour market test.
However, the employer must declare the vacant position to ADEM before recruiting a third-country national residing in Luxembourg who is a family member of a third-country national legally established in Luxembourg, and be able to provide proof that they have done so.
The employer must sign a contract with the third-country national. The contract may include a let-out clause specifying that the employment contract will not take effect until the work permit has been obtained.
Procedures to be followed by the employer
An employer hiring a third-country worker must:
- request to see the worker's authorisation to stay / residence permit before beginning the working relationship;
- request a copy of the worker's authorisation to stay / residence permit and keep said copy for the whole duration of the contract;
- notify the beginning of the working relationship to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs within 3 working days from the first day of work.
The employer must notify the beginning of the working relationship to the Immigration Directorate in writing (mail, email or fax) and state:
- the identity of the worker and their national identification number (13-digit social security number);
- the start date of employment;
- the identity of the employer.
Employers who illegally employ one or more posted workers from third countries with no valid authorisation to stay may face administrative and criminal sanctions.
How to proceed
Work permit application
The applicant must submit an application to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs;
They must state their identity (surname(s) and first name(s)), as well as the exact address in their country of residence, and add the following documents to their application:
- a copy of their valid passport, in its entirety;
- a curriculum vitae;
- a copy of their diplomas or professional qualifications;
- a copy of the employment contract compliant with Luxembourg labour law, dated and signed by both the applicant and the employer;
- evidence that a vacant position declaration has been submitted to ADEM;
- a recent certificate of affiliation with the Joint Social Security Centre (Centre Commun de la Sécurité Sociale - CCSS) which must include all the affiliations with the Luxembourg social security or a recent certificate certifying that the person is a co-insured party for social security;
- proof of payment of a fee of EUR 80 on the CCPL bank account IBAN LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000 (beneficiary: Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes, Direction de l'Immigration; communication: autorisation de travail dans le chef de [insert name here]);
- where necessary, a power of attorney.
Power of attorney:
third-country nationals may mandate a third party (e.g. the future employer) to submit the application on their behalf. In this case, the mandate holder, with the exception of attorneys, must provide proof of their mandate in the form of a written power of attorney, duly dated and signed by the principal. The signature must be preceded by the handwritten note 'bon pour procuration' ('good for proxy').
The documents enclosed must be originals or certified true copies (except for the passport where a plain copy will suffice). Should the authenticity of a document be in doubt, the Minister of Immigration can request that the document be authenticated by the appropriate local authority and legalised by the Embassy (or notarised with an apostille of The Hague).
If the documents are not drawn up in German, French or English, an official translation by a 'sworn translator' must be attached.
Only complete applications will be processed. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant.
The time required for a response from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is generally a maximum of 3 months. If no response is received within this time, the application has been rejected.
Issuance of a residence permit including a work permit
Since July 2013, work permits have no longer been issued as a separate document; instead, work permit information is now included in the residence permit. As a result, the issuance of a work permit leads to the issuance of a new residence permit for "private reasons", even if the existing residence permit is still valid.
When the application is approved, the applicant will receive a letter inviting them to make an appointment with the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in order to have their photograph and fingerprints taken, which will be incorporated into the residence permit. The applicant may also bring a recent photograph compliant with OACI/ICAO standards ('biometric passport standards').
A few days after the biometric data have been collected, the applicant can pick up the residence permit in person at the Immigration Directorate, by appointment.
The residence permit takes the form of a chip card containing the biometric data. It also contains the work permit.
The residence permit includes information about its holder (name(s), first name(s), nationality, date and place of birth), as well as specific information about the residence permit (permit category, period of validity of permit).
Certain residence permit categories include additional information in the 'observations' field.
Work permits are issued for performing one profession in one sector with any employer. This restriction applies for the first year. A change in sector or profession is only possible with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Validity and renewal of work permits
A work permit is valid from the date on which the application was approved. The permit may be renewed on request provided that all the eligibility requirements are still met and the beneficiary can prove that they actually worked while their work permit was valid.
Note that the period of validity of the "family member" residence permit is not affected by the issuance of a work permit.
Foreigners who intend to leave the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg for more than 6 months must return their residence permit to the Minister and make a declaration of departure at the administration of the commune where they resided.
Work permit validity period
The initial work permit is valid:
- for a maximum of one year (without extending beyond the validity period of the residence permit);
- for a specific profession regardless of employer;
- for a specific sector.
The sector and profession for which the third-country national is authorised to work are indicated on the residence permit under the field "observations" in the form of an "ISCO" code.
This is a three-digit code representing the profession for which the access to the job market is granted, defined according to the ISCO classification (International Standard Classification of Occupations). The ISCO classification is an international classification of professions developed by the International Labour Organisation.
The complete list of ISCO codes is available online. For more information on this classification, please refer to the website of the International Labour Organization.
A change of sector and/or profession is only possible if authorised by the Minister of Immigration and Asylum.
Work permit renewal
From the first renewal, a work permit can be renewed for a maximum of 3 years (without exceeding the period of validity of the residence permit) and gives access to any sector and any profession.
However, if the holder of the residence permit cannot prove that he has actually worked for the duration of validity of the residence permit, or if the renewal of the residence permit occurs during a period where he receives unemployment benefits, the residence permit will only be renewed for a maximum duration of one year.
Renewal procedure
Third-country nationals must apply to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for the renewal of their residence permit within the 2 months prior to the expiry date of the work permit.
The old "work permits" (issued before July 2013 as a separate document) are replaced, at the time of their renewal, by a residence permit which includes the work permit.
The renewal of a work permit may involve one of the 2 following scenarios:
- either the work permit expires at the same time as the residence permit;
- or the work permit expires while the residence permit remains valid.
The following documents must be sent together with the renewal application form, in accordance with the applicable scenario.
Documents to be attached if the work permit and the residence permit expire at the same time
- a copy of their valid passport, in its entirety;
- a copy of the valid work contract (compliant with Luxembourg labour law), duly dated and signed;
- a recent certificate of affiliation with the Joint Social Security Centre (Centre Commun de la Sécurité Sociale - CCSS) which must include all the third-country national's affiliations with the Luxembourg social security or a recent certificate certifying that the third-country national is a co-insured party for social security;
- a recent extract from the criminal record in Luxembourg (if the applicant is aged 18 or over);
- proof of payment of a fee of EUR 80 to account IBAN LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000 (BIC: CCPLLULL, beneficiary: Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européennes, Direction de l'Immigration; message: titre de séjour dans le chef de 'insert your name here').
After 5 years of a lawful and uninterrupted stay in Luxembourg, third-country nationals may apply for long-term resident status.
Documents to be attached if the work permit expires but the residence permit remains valid
- a copy of their valid passport, in its entirety;
- a copy of the valid work contract (compliant with Luxembourg labour law), duly dated and signed;
- a recent certificate of affiliation which must include all the third-country national's affiliations with Luxembourg social security;
- proof of payment of a fee of EUR 80 to account IBAN LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000 (BIC: CCPLLULL, beneficiary: Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européennes, Direction de l'immigration; communication: titre de séjour dans le chef de [insert name here]).
After 5 years of a lawful and uninterrupted stay in Luxembourg, third-country nationals may apply for long-term resident status.
Loss, theft or damage to the residence permit
If the residence permit is lost, stolen or damaged, a special procedure needs to be followed.
Forms / Online services
Work permit for a third-country nationals, holder of a residence permit as a family member wishing to engage in part-time salaried activity - Explanatory note
To complete your application, the information about you collected from this form needs to be processed by the public administration concerned.
That information is kept by the administration in question for as long as it is required to achieve the purpose of the processing operation(s).
Your data will be shared with other public administrations that are necessary for the processing of your application. For details on which departments will have access to the data on this form, please contact the public administration you are filing your application with.
Under the terms of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, you have the right to access, rectify or, where applicable, remove any information relating to you. You are also entitled to withdraw your consent at any time.
Additionally, unless the processing of your personal data is compulsory, you may, with legitimate reasons, oppose the processing of such data.
If you wish to exercise these rights and/or obtain a record of the information held about you, please contact the administration in question using the contact details provided on the form. You are also entitled to file a claim with the National Commission for Data Protection (Commission nationale pour la protection des données), headquartered at 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.
By submitting your application, you agree that your personal data may be processed as part of the application process.
Autorisation de travail du ressortissant de pays tiers, détenteur d'un titre de séjour "membre de famille" désirant exercer une activité salariée à titre accessoire - note explicative
Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.
Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement
Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.
En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.
Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.
En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.
Power of attorney (Mandate convention)
To complete your application, the information about you collected from this form needs to be processed by the public administration concerned.
That information is kept by the administration in question for as long as it is required to achieve the purpose of the processing operation(s).
Your data will be shared with other public administrations that are necessary for the processing of your application. For details on which departments will have access to the data on this form, please contact the public administration you are filing your application with.
Under the terms of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, you have the right to access, rectify or, where applicable, remove any information relating to you. You are also entitled to withdraw your consent at any time.
Additionally, unless the processing of your personal data is compulsory, you may, with legitimate reasons, oppose the processing of such data.
If you wish to exercise these rights and/or obtain a record of the information held about you, please contact the administration in question using the contact details provided on the form. You are also entitled to file a claim with the National Commission for Data Protection (Commission nationale pour la protection des données), headquartered at 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.
By submitting your application, you agree that your personal data may be processed as part of the application process.
Procuration - convention de mandat
Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.
Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement
Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.
En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.
Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.
En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.
Liste des observations sur les titres de séjour pour ressortissants de pays tiers
Les informations qui vous concernent recueillies sur ce formulaire font l’objet d’un traitement par l’administration concernée afin de mener à bien votre demande.
Ces informations sont conservées pour la durée nécessaire par l’administration à la réalisation de la finalité du traitement
Les destinataires de vos données sont les administrations compétentes dans le cadre du traitement de votre demande. Veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée par votre demande pour connaître les destinataires des données figurant sur ce formulaire. Conformément au règlement (UE) 2016/679 relatif à la protection des personnes physiques à l'égard du traitement des données à caractère personnel et à la libre circulation de ces données, vous bénéficiez d’un droit d’accès, de rectification et le cas échéant d’effacement des informations vous concernant. Vous disposez également du droit de retirer votre consentement à tout moment.
En outre et excepté le cas où le traitement de vos données présente un caractère obligatoire, vous pouvez, pour des motifs légitimes, vous y opposer.
Si vous souhaitez exercer ces droits et/ou obtenir communication de vos informations, veuillez-vous adresser à l’administration concernée suivant les coordonnées indiquées dans le formulaire. Vous avez également la possibilité d’introduire une réclamation auprès de la Commission nationale pour la protection des données ayant son siège à 15, boulevard du Jazz L-4370 Belvaux.
En poursuivant votre démarche, vous acceptez que vos données personnelles soient traitées dans le cadre de votre demande.
Who to contact
-
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Immigration Directorate – Department for Foreigners26, route d'Arlon
L-1140 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Postal address :
B.P. 752 L-2017 Luxembourg
Fax : (+352) 22 16 08Application for and issuance of biometric residence permits: only by appointment
