Residence in Luxembourg: eight days for the report, three months for the registration
As an EU citizen you may live in Luxembourg without a permit, but Luxembourg has two clocks most EU countries don't have. Within eight days of moving into your home you report to the population office of your commune, and within three months you make the registration declaration there. The registration certificate you then get is valid indefinitely — and the lease is the paper everything starts with.
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Yes, as a Dutch national you may live in Luxembourg without a permit. Your right of residence comes from EU law. It takes no application to the state, but it does take two visits to the town hall, each with its own deadline:
- within eight days you report your arrival;
- within three months you make the registration declaration.
You receive the registration certificate straight away with that declaration, without photo and without an end date. That is the find on guichet.lu, the Luxembourg government portal.
The trap lies with couples who are not married and have no registered partnership. For them the relationship must first be established by the ministry, and you do that before the registration, not after.
What do I have to do within eight days?
Within eight days of moving into your home you go to the population office, the bureau de la population, of your commune. That is the déclaration d'arrivée, and it applies to everyone who settles in Luxembourg, EU citizen or not.
You bring:
- your passport or identity card;
- your family record book or marriage or partnership certificate;
- the children's birth certificates;
- proof that you really live there: a lease, the consent of the owner or the occupant, or the deed of purchase.
Ask straight away for a certificat de résidence, proof that you are registered at your address. Every following counter asks for that paper, from the CNS (the health insurer) to the SNCA (the vehicle and licence authority).
If you later move within Luxembourg, you report to the new commune within eight days; it takes care of the deregistration at the old one.
What do I bring to the registration?
Within three months of arrival you make the déclaration d'enregistrement at the same commune. That is Luxembourg's implementation of the European rule that after three months you must have a ground of residence. Which papers you bring depends on your category:
| Category | What you bring besides your passport or ID card |
|---|---|
| Employee | an employment contract under Luxembourg law, or a signed promise from the employer |
| Self-employed | the business permit, or the letter saying you do not need one |
| Inactive, such as retired | proof of sufficient resources and health insurance covering all risks in Luxembourg |
| Student | enrolment at a recognised institution, resources and health insurance |
| Family member who is an EU citizen | the main person's registration certificate and the certificate proving the tie |
Two details are worth knowing:
- A side job of less than ten hours a week is not enough to be registered as an employee.
- For pensioners, proof of an old-age or invalidity pension or a bank statement counts as proof of resources. The proof of cover is the S1 from the CAK.
The insurance may also be a private policy, or one from another EU country, as long as it covers all risks in Luxembourg. Guichet.lu phrases the requirement as not becoming "a burden on the social assistance system". A Dutch pension is more than enough for that.
If your documents are not drawn up in French, German or English, a sworn translation must be attached.
What if we are not married?
An unmarried partner only registers once the relationship has been established. A partner you are not married to and have no registered partnership with can register as a family member if your relationship is durable. For example because you lived together legally and without interruption for at least a year, or have a child together. That durability must first be established by the Direction générale de l'immigration (the immigration directorate), with supporting documents; you attach the letter you then receive to the registration. Only complete applications are processed.
Children up to 21 register as family members with their birth certificate; for those who are older, you must show that the child depends on you.
What is the registration certificate worth?
You receive the attestation d'enregistrement, the registration certificate, straight away. It is a paper with your name, your address, the date of registration and a number, without photo and without nationality, and it is valid indefinitely. It is not a residence permit, but it is the proof that you have a right of residence. The bank and the tax authority ask for it.
That right lasts as long as you do not become an unreasonable burden on social assistance. If the immigration service finds that you do, you first receive notice and a month to respond. With a relevant response the procedure can be suspended for three to nine months.
Why does the home come before everything?
The order is compulsory here:
- no home, no proof of residence;
- no proof, no report within eight days;
- no report, no registration declaration, no registration with the CNS and no number plate.
And the Luxembourg housing market is tight and expensive. Start months before you leave, and know that a temporary address via a platform usually does not convince the commune.
What happens after five years?
After five years of legal and uninterrupted residence you are entitled as an EU citizen to permanent residence, as are the family members who lived with you all that time. You apply for the certificate of that not at the commune but at the Direction générale de l'immigration of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The registration certificate from the first years is then the proof of your years. Whoever has permanent residence does not lose it by relying on social assistance.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Luxembourg or go straight to step 1.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Guichet.lu — staying in Luxembourg for more than ninety days as an EU citizen — guichet.public.lu
- Guichet.lu — declaring a move to the commune — guichet.public.lu
- Legilux — law of 19 June 2013 on the identification of natural persons, article 21, the arrival report within eight days of moving into your home — legilux.public.lu
- Commune of Kayl — the registration certificate and the documents per category — kayl.lu
- Your Europe — residence rights of EU citizens — europa.eu
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