Staying in Luxembourg to find a job or start a business after completing your studies
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After completing their studies, third-country nationals may stay in Luxembourg to look for a job or start a business.
They must then apply for a residence permit for the purposes of finding a job or setting up a business, before the expiry of their student residence permit or the end of their mobility scheme in Luxembourg.
Please note that in the case where the student leaves Luxembourg at the end of their studies in the context of a mobility scheme, the student must apply for a residence permit in the first EU Member State where they started their studies.
Who is concerned
Students looking for work or starting a business
Students looking for work or starting a business must apply for a residence permit for the purposes of finding a job or setting up a business;
Such a residence permit may be requested by:
- students who already have a valid residence permit for students in Luxembourg;
- students who have a student residence permit valid in a first Member State and who are in Luxembourg on an educational mobility scheme.
Students who have found a job or have a concrete business start-up plan
Students who have already found a job or who already have a concrete business start-up plan may apply for a residence permit for employees or self-employed workers using a simplified procedure.
Only students staying in Luxembourg on a student residence permit may apply for residence permits for employees or self-employed workers: students on mobility schemes are not affected.
Prerequisites
Third-country students can stay on in Luxembourg to look for a job or set up a business only if:
- they have successfully passed their higher education diploma, leading to a Masters degree; or
- they have successfully defended their research PhD thesis in Luxembourg.
Deadlines
Applications for residence permits to look for a job or set up a business must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the expiry of student residence permits or the end of mobility schemes.
Applications for residence permits for employees or self-employed workers must also be made prior to the expiry of student residence permits.
Costs
Residence permits for the purposes of finding a job or setting up a business can only be issued to third-country nationals who have paid an EUR 80 issuance fee.
The fee must be paid into the CCPL account no. LU46 1111 2582 2814 0000 (beneficiary: Ministry of Home Affairs, General Department of immigration; communication: residence permit for... ).
Students who have already found a job or who have a concrete business start-up plan must also pay an EUR 80 issuance fee to obtain a residence permit for employees or self-employed workers.
How to proceed
Submitting the application
Third-country students must contact the General Department of immigration (Direction générale de l’immigration), in writing, to apply for a residence permit to find a job or set up a business or for a residence permit for employees or self-employed workers.
Applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the expiry of student residence permits or the end of mobility schemes.
Employed or self-employed work must relate to the students' academic education.
Supporting documents
For residence permits to find a job or set up a business
Third-country nationals must state their identity (surname(s) and first name(s)) and enclose the following documents with their applications:
- a copy of their full valid passport;
- a recent extract from the criminal record in Luxembourg;
- proof of comprehensive health insurance valid in Luxembourg (travel insurance);
- proof of successful completion of a higher education diploma leading to a Masters degree, or proof that a PhD research thesis has been successfully defended in Luxembourg;
- proof that they have sufficient resources to cover living expenses during their stay, and their return trip. Their monthly resources must amount to at least 80 % of the level of the social inclusion income in force in Luxembourg. The following may be used as proof:
- a certificate of scholarship or student loan stating the amount and its duration; or
- a bank certificate; or
- an undertaking to provide financial support (formal obligation) by a guarantor living in Luxembourg;
- a certificate of scholarship or student loan stating the amount and its duration; or
- proof of transfer of the EUR 80 issuance fee;
- where necessary, a power of attorney.
Power of attorney: third-country nationals may mandate a third party (e.g. the research institute) to submit the application in their place. In this case, the mandate holder, with the exception of legal counsels, 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 responsible for immigration can request that it be authenticated by the appropriate local authority and legalised by the Embassy (or that it bear a Hague Convention apostille).
If the documents are not written in English, French or German, an official translation by a sworn translator must be attached.
For residence permits for employees and self-employed workers
The various supporting documents to be submitted with applications for residence permits for employees or self-employed workers are listed in the residence permit information sheets:
Application processing time
For residence permits for finding a job or setting up a business
If proof that students have successfully completed their studies is not yet available when the application is submitted, applicants obtain a receipt showing that their applications have been submitted and authorising them to stay in Luxembourg for a period of 3 months, thereby enabling them to submit evidence that they have successfully completed their studies (Masters or PhD).
Once all the information is complete, the General Department of immigration makes its decision within 90 days.
If the information or supporting documents provided are insufficient or incomplete, applicants may be given a reasonable period of time in which to submit any further information required. The 90-day deadline will then be suspended until the required documents are received within the deadline set. Should the additional information or documentation fail to be supplied within the deadlines set, the application may be rejected.
If approved, applicants obtain a residence permit for personal reasons with the wording 'finding a job or setting up a business'.
For residence permits for employees and self-employed workers
The response time from the Ministry of Home Affairs is normally a maximum of 4 months.
If no response is received within this time limit, the applicant can consider that their application has been denied.
Validity period
For residence permits for personal reasons with the wording 'recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise' (job search or business creation)
Residence permits for personal reasons concerning a job search or business creation ('recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise') are valid for a period of 12 months.
Before their residence permit for the purposes of finding a job or setting up a business expires, applicants must apply for authorisation to stay:
- as an employee; or
- as a self-employed worker.
Employed or self-employed work must relate to the student's academic education.
Should applicants return to their country of origin without having applied for an authorisation to stay prior to their student residence permit or mobility scheme expiring, they will once again be subject to ordinary immigration rules when they return to Luxembourg to carry out employed or self-employed work.
Residence permits for employees (salaried workers) and self-employed workers
Periods of validity of residence permits for employees or self-employed workers, as well as the terms of their renewal, are listed in residence permit information sheets:
Employed or self-employed work must relate to the student's prior academic training.
Once a residence permit has been issued
In principle, third-country nationals are no longer obliged to appear before the administration of their commune of residence to make a declaration of arrival, as they are already resident in Luxembourg.
If, however, they move house during the course of the procedure, they will have to file a declaration of arrival in the new commune of residence.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Ministry of Home Affairs General Department of immigration - Department for foreigners
- Address:
-
26, route d'Arlon
L-1140
Luxembourg
Luxembourg
B.P. 752 L-2017 Luxembourg
- Phone:
-
(+352) 247 84040
from 9.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00
- Fax:
- (+352) 22 16 08
- Email address:
- immigration.public@mai.etat.lu
enrolment and issuing of biometric residence permits: only by appointment
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
sur le site du ministère de la Justice
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 29 août 2008
portant sur la libre circulation des personnes et l'immigration
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 5 septembre 2008
fixant les conditions et modalités relatives à la délivrance d'une autorisation de séjour en tant que travailleur salarié
