Working in Luxembourg from India: Blue Card and pitfalls
Skimming?
We've prepared the shortcut for you.
The steps, from Bangalore to Luxembourg
Practical guide · trigger.lu
Working in Luxembourg from India: Blue Card and pitfalls
- Threshold
- €65,652 gross per year
- Contract
- 6 months minimum
Details
The salary stated in your contract must reach the threshold. Otherwise, it is the standard employee permit: your employer must first obtain a certificate from ADEM, the employment agency.
- Where
- MEA, through its authorized agencies or eSanad
- Cost
- 50 rupees per apostille, plus 84 rupees in agency fees
- You need
- marriage certificate (required)
- birth certificates (recommended)
Details
An apostille is an official stamp that proves an Indian document is authentic. A document in English does not need a translation. In Hindi, Tamil, or another language, a translation by a sworn translator is required.
- Where
- Passport Seva
- Validity
- less than 3 months old when applying for the visa
Details
This is the criminal record extract required by Luxembourg. Order it after signing the contract.
- Where
- VFS Global center for Luxembourg, in person
- Cost
- €50 (5,500 rupees) per person, plus VFS service fees
- You need
- full passport
- signed contract
- CV
- diplomas
- police clearance certificate
- Schengen travel insurance
Details
Your spouse and children submit their Type D visa application on the same day. They include the apostilled marriage certificate, birth certificates, and the agreement form signed by you. The Type D visa is valid for 6 months.
- Deadline
- 3 days after your arrival
- You need
- passport with Type D visa
- lease agreement if you have one
Details
Without an address in Luxembourg, you cannot get a residence permit.
- Where
- a general practitioner in Luxembourg, then a tuberculosis test
- When
- as soon as possible after your arrival
Details
The Ministry of Health then sends the medical certificate to the Directorate General of Immigration (DGIM).
- Deadline
- at the latest 3 months before your Type D visa expires
- Cost
- €80 per person
Details
Once the application is approved, the DGIM gives you an appointment for your photo and fingerprints. Your card will be ready a week later. It also serves as a work permit.
This is for you if
- You are Indian, live in India, and a Luxembourg employer has made you an offer.
- Your proposed salary exceeds €65,652 gross per year, or is close to it.
- You want to come with your spouse and children.
This is not for you if you want to work in Luxembourg while continuing to live in another European Union (EU) country, or if you are a student: the procedure is different. The general framework is in our non-EU residence permit and work permit guide.
Key figures
| Item | Value | Year or date |
|---|---|---|
| Indian nationals residing in Luxembourg | 5,728, an increase of +52% in 4 years | 1 January 2026 (STATEC) |
| First-time residence permits issued to Indian nationals | 1,143, top non-EU nationality | 2024 |
| EU Blue Cards issued | 824, including 223 to Indian nationals | 2024 |
| "Family member" permits issued | 3,474, including 482 to Indian nationals | 2024 |
| Blue Card salary threshold | €65,652 gross per year (about €5,471 per month over 12 months) | Since 3 March 2026 |
| Minimum contract duration | 6 months | 2026 |
| Type D Visa | €50 (5,500 rupees), valid for 6 months | Since 1 October 2026 |
| Residence permit fee | €80 per person | 2026 |
| Declaration of arrival at the commune | Within 3 days | 2026 |
| Apostille in India | 50 rupees, plus 84 rupees agency fee per document | 2026 (MEA) |
Sources: STATEC, 2024 activity report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guichet.lu, and Embassy of Luxembourg in New Delhi, accessed on 9 October 2026.
What changed on October 1, 2026
Previously, you first needed a temporary authorization to stay (AST), requested from the DGIM, and then a visa. Since October 1, 2026, there is only one application: the visa D, submitted in India. Forums still talk about the AST. If you submitted an AST application up until September 30, 2026, it follows the old procedure.
An example: Arjun, engineer in Bangalore
Arjun, 31, a software engineer in Bangalore, signs a permanent contract with a company in Luxembourg City on November 2, 2026. Salary: €72,000 gross per year, or €6,000 per month. He is coming with his wife Priya and their 4-year-old daughter.
- €72,000 exceeds the €65,652 threshold by €6,348: it is a Blue Card, with no ADEM certificate needed.
- In November, he gets his marriage certificate and his daughter's birth certificate apostilled: 2 × (50 + 84) = 268 rupees, plus scanning.
- He orders his police clearance certificate, then submits 3 visa D applications on the same day at VFS: 3 × €50 = €150, plus VFS fees.
- Once in Luxembourg, he declares his arrival within 3 days. He then pays 3 × €80 = €240 for residence permits.
Total official cost: around €390 for the family, excluding VFS fees, travel insurance, medical check-ups, and plane tickets. No consultancy firm is needed.
No official timeline has been published yet for the new visa D. Arjun is therefore keeping his job in India until the visas are stamped in the passports.
Common mistakes
- Paying a consultancy for a "type D work visa" without a contract: without an employer in Luxembourg, there is no work visa. A real employer will never charge you for getting hired, as the Luxembourg Embassy in New Delhi reminds applicants.
- Resigning before getting the visa: no official processing time is published for the visa D. If your application gets delayed, you end up unemployed in both countries.
- Coming on a tourist visa and applying on site: an application submitted in Luxembourg is inadmissible.
- A contract just below the threshold, for example at €65,000: this is no longer a Blue Card. Your employer must go through ADEM and the procedure changes.
- Changing employers without notifying the DGIM: you must notify them beforehand. They have 30 days to object. Otherwise, you fail to meet your stay conditions.
Your family, housing, and the community
Your family. Your spouse and children under 18 receive a "family member" permit. It grants access to the labor market: Priya can look for a job as soon as she arrives. Parents, on the other hand, can only join after 12 months of residence, provided they are dependent on you and have no adult family member left in India; the minister decides. You must then prove one year of regular money transfers.
Housing and money. Rent is expensive in Luxembourg, even with a Blue Card salary: read our guide to finding housing before accepting an offer. To convert gross to net, see how your net salary is calculated.
The community. Over 5,700 Indians live in Luxembourg. The Indian Association Luxembourg, a cultural association created in 1991, organizes festivals and concerts. For the rest of your move (commune, bank, social security), follow our guide moving to Luxembourg.
Frequently asked questions
€65,652 gross per year for applications submitted since 3 March 2026. Before this date, the threshold was €63,408.
No official timeframe is published for the new procedure. Under the old procedure, the law gave the administration 90 days for a Blue Card. Do not resign before you have your visa.
For the Blue Card, you attach a copy of your diplomas/degrees. For a regulated profession (doctor, nurse, architect...), recognition is required: see our guide getting your degree recognized.
Yes, as long as the new position remains highly qualified. You must notify the DGIM beforehand. It has 30 days to object. For a position that no longer meets the conditions, a new authorization is required.