Becoming Luxembourgish: requirements, test and documents
Skimming?
We've prepared the shortcut for you.
This is for you if
- You have lived in Luxembourg for 5 years or more and want to vote in legislative elections.
- You are married to a Luxembourg national, or you are the parent of a minor Luxembourgish child.
- You arrived in Luxembourg as a child, or completed at least 7 years of schooling here.
- You have lived here for over 20 years and the language test is holding you back.
Not for you if you are a cross-border worker: naturalisation requires legal residence in Luxembourg. Routes without residence (Luxembourgish ancestor, marriage) go through the option procedure, explained lower down.
Key figures to remember
| Item | Value | Year or date |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age (naturalisation) | 18 years old | Law of 8 March 2017, in force in 2026 |
| Legal residence | 5 years minimum, including the last 12 months uninterrupted | 2026 |
| Sproochentest (language level) | Oral expression A2, listening comprehension B1 | 2026 |
| Price of the Sproochentest | €75, fully reimbursed if you pass | 2026 |
| 'Vivre ensemble' course | 24 hours in 3 modules, or exam alone, free | 2026 |
| Cost of the procedure | Free (excluding fees for your foreign documents) | 2026 |
| Missing documents | 3 months to complete the file | 2026 |
| Decision (naturalisation) | Ministerial decree from the Minister of Justice within 8 months | 2026 |
| Decision (option) | Nationality acquired 4 months after receipt of the file by the ministry, unless opposed | 2026 |
| Dual nationality | Allowed by Luxembourg | Since 1 January 2009 |
Levels A2 and B1 come from the CEFR, the European scale for languages: A2 means holding a simple everyday conversation; B1 means understanding the main points of a radio broadcast or discussion.
Conditions for naturalisation
Naturalisation is the default path, open to any adult foreigner. Guichet.lu, the official portal for administrative procedures, sets out four conditions.
1. Residence. At least 5 years of legal residence in Luxembourg, meaning declared to your municipality and under legal stay. The last year before your application must be uninterrupted: no moving abroad during those 12 months.
2. Language. You present the certificate of passing the Sproochentest, organized by the Institut national des langues Luxembourg (INLL). Two tests: an interview with an image description (A2), then three listening exercises with a multiple-choice questionnaire (B1). You pass with half the points on the speaking section. Otherwise, the average of both tests can compensate.
3. The 'Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg' course. 24 hours: fundamental rights (6 h), state and municipal institutions (12 h), history and European integration (6 h). You can also take the exam directly, which consists of multiple-choice questions. Online registration is free and final.
4. Good repute. Your application will be rejected if you lied or concealed important facts. It is also rejected if you have been sentenced to 12 months or more of non-suspended imprisonment, or 24 months suspended, served less than 15 years ago.
Does a health condition prevent you from learning the language or taking the course? You can request an exemption from the Minister of Justice, accompanied by a certificate from a specialist doctor.
Option: A shorter route for some
Option is a declaration, not an application: if the Ministry does not object, you become a Luxembourg citizen 4 months after your file is received. Guichet.lu lists 10 cases. The most frequent ones:
| Your situation | Main condition | Language test and "Vivre ensemble" |
|---|---|---|
| Luxembourgish parent or grandparent | Luxembourgish ancestor who did not pass on citizenship to you | Not required |
| Married to a Luxembourg national | If you live abroad, 3 years of marriage | Yes, both |
| Parent of a minor Luxembourgish child | 5 years of legal residence | Yes, both |
| Arrived in Luxembourg before age 18 | 5 years of legal residence | Yes, both |
| Born in Luxembourg | From age 12, 5 years of residence right before the declaration; born since July 1, 2013: one legal resident parent 12 months before your birth | Not required |
| 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg | 12 months of residence right before the declaration | Not required |
| 20 years of legal residence | Last year uninterrupted | 24-hour Luxembourgish course instead of the test |
The 20-year route is the least known: no Sproochentest, no "Vivre ensemble", only a 24-hour introductory course with an approved provider. The cost of this course varies depending on the organizer.
Are you a refugee, stateless or under subsidiary protection? The option has the same conditions as naturalisation (5 years, Sproochentest, "Vivre ensemble"), but the time between your application (for asylum or stateless status) and the granting of the status counts as legal residence.
Marriage and PACS do not have the same effects: only marriage opens up this option case.
If you have lost Luxembourgish citizenship, there is a third procedure, reclaiming citizenship (recouvrement), which has its own page on Guichet.lu.
Your checklist in 6 steps
Practical guide · trigger.lu
Becoming Luxembourgish: requirements, test and documents
- Cost
- €75, refunded if you pass
- Where
- online registration on MyINL, the INLL portal
Details
Keep your payment receipt: you will need it for your refund.
- Cost
- free
- Format
- 24-hour course in 3 modules, or the exam alone
Details
Online registration is final: if you are unable to attend, you can only re-register after the missed date. If you took the civic instruction course as part of the Welcome and Integration Contract (CAI), you may be exempt from the history module.
- Translation
- sworn translation if the document is not in FR, DE, EN, or LB
- Foreign criminal records
- less than 6 months old in Luxembourg City
Details
- Apostille or legalisation: for your exact case, check Guichet.lu, naturalisation (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet) or with your municipality
- You will need: full copy of your birth certificate; copy of your valid passport; completed, dated, and signed biographical questionnaire; criminal record excerpt from each country of citizenship; excerpt from each country where you lived as an adult over the last 15 years; Sproochentest certificate; "Vivre ensemble" certificate Include the birth certificates and passports of your minor children. The Luxembourg criminal record is requested directly by the ministry.
- Where
- civil registrar (officier de l'état civil) of your municipality of residence
- Who
- you, in person, no power of attorney allowed
- Missing document
- 3 months to provide it
Details
Without the missing document within 3 months, your application will not be examined.
- Timeframe
- 8 months at most, issued by ministerial decree
- Answer
- generally by post
- Refusal
- 3 months to appeal to the administrative court, via a lawyer
Details
You become Luxembourgish on the date of the decree, and your minor children become Luxembourgish along with you.
- When
- after submitting your application to the municipality
- Who
- the Ministry of Justice
- You will need
- proof of payment
- certificate of success
Details
Your Luxembourgish courses taken prior to application submission are also reimbursed up to €750 if they are organized by INLL or approved by the Ministry of National Education.
A concrete example
Let's take Julia, 31, German. She moves to Bertrange on March 1, 2021, and registers with her municipality the same week, as required when moving to Luxembourg.
- Residence: her 5 years are reached on March 1, 2026. She did not leave the country in 2025-2026, so the final year is uninterrupted.
- Language: she takes evening classes, then passes the Sproochentest in November 2025. Cost: €75.
- Vivre ensemble: she chooses the free 24-hour course in January 2026.
- Documents: birth certificate, passport, biographical questionnaire, German criminal record excerpt. She has only lived in Germany and Luxembourg: a single foreign excerpt is enough.
- Submission: March 10, 2026, at the municipality of Bertrange.
- Decision: November 10, 2026 at the latest, i.e., 8 months later.
Total cost on the Luxembourg side: €75, which Julia gets reimbursed since she passed. Her evening classes can also be reimbursed, up to €750, if they are organized by INLL or approved. That leaves only her German expenses (criminal record excerpt, birth certificate).
And her German citizenship? Since June 27, 2024, Germany allows its citizens to acquire another nationality without losing their original one. Julia therefore becomes German-Luxembourgish. She will then be able to apply for a Luxembourgish ID card and passport, useful for traveling outside Europe.
What about your original citizenship?
Luxembourg has accepted dual citizenship since January 1, 2009: it does not ask you to give up yours. However, the law of your home country determines whether you can keep it. Some countries revoke citizenship from anyone who voluntarily acquires another.
Before submitting your application, check with your country's embassy or consulate.
Common mistakes
- Counting your 5 years from your actual arrival: legal residence is what counts, meaning your registration at the commune. A few undeclared months can delay your application.
- Moving abroad the year before applying: the last year must be uninterrupted, otherwise the timer resets.
- Forgetting a country in criminal record extracts: all countries of nationality and adult residence over the last 15 years. One omission, and your file remains incomplete.
- Failing to translate a document in Portuguese, Italian, or Spanish: it won't be accepted without a certified translation.
- Taking the Sproochentest when you've lived here for 20 years: the option with 24 hours of lessons is enough.
Frequently asked questions
5 years of legal residence for naturalisation, including the last year uninterrupted. Certain options require less, such as 12 months of residence after 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg.
The procedure itself is free. You pay for the Sproochentest (€75, reimbursed if you pass), your foreign documents, and their translations. The "Vivre ensemble" course is free.
Yes, since 1 January 2009. However, your country of origin may revoke your citizenship: check with its consulate before submitting your application.
For naturalisation, yes, unless you have a medical exemption. It is not required for the option after 20 years of residence, which is replaced by 24 hours of lessons.
Not through naturalisation, which requires residing in Luxembourg. Only the option route may be available without residence, for example if you have a Luxembourgish ancestor or after 3 years of marriage to a Luxembourg citizen.
Yes, your minor children become Luxembourgish when you acquire citizenship. Include their birth certificates and passports in your file.