Working in Luxembourg from Morocco, Tunisia, or Algeria
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The steps, from your home country to Luxembourg
Practical guide · trigger.lu
Working in Luxembourg from Morocco, Tunisia, or Algeria
- Who
- your future employer
- Deadline
- at least 5 to 12 working days
Details
The employer requests a certificate from ADEM, the employment agency, to recruit outside the European Union. No certificate is required if you obtain an EU Blue Card: it requires a highly qualified job (higher education degree or required qualifications), a contract of at least 6 months, and a salary of at least €65,652 gross per year.
- Translation
- mandatory if the document is in Arabic
- What you need
- criminal record check less than 3 months old
- diplomas
- CV
- marriage certificate if your family is coming
Details
A document in Arabic must be translated by a sworn translator. Order your criminal record check after signing the contract: it expires quickly.
- Where
- TLScontact (Belgian embassy), in person
- What you need
- full passport
- signed contract
- ADEM certificate
- CV
- diplomas
- criminal record check
- Schengen travel insurance
Details
Visa fees are €250 since 1 July 2026, plus TLScontact service fees. You book an appointment on the TLScontact website. Your Type D visa is valid for 6 months.
- Deadline
- 3 days after your arrival
- What you need
- passport with Type D visa
- lease agreement if you have one
Details
Without an address in Luxembourg, no residence permit.
- Where
- a doctor in Luxembourg, followed by a tuberculosis test
- When
- as soon as possible
- Deadline
- no later than 3 months before your Type D visa expires
- Cost
- €80 per person
Details
It is issued by the General Directorate of Immigration (DGIM) and also serves as a work permit.
This is for you if
- You are Moroccan, Tunisian, or Algerian, living in your home country, and a Luxembourg employer wants to hire you.
- You want to know what happens to your pension, healthcare, and driving licence.
- A "recruiter" offers you a contract in exchange for money and you want to verify it.
This is not for you if you also hold French, Belgian, Spanish, or another European Union (EU) nationality. This is the case for many people of Maghrebi origin: no Type D visa, no ADEM certificate needed. Follow our guide to settling in Luxembourg. The general framework can be found in our guide to residence permits and work permits for non-EU citizens.
Key figures to remember
| Item | Value | Year or date |
|---|---|---|
| Residents in Luxembourg | Morocco 2,358 (+46% in 4 years), Tunisia 1,983 (+80%), Algeria 867 (+54%) | 1 January 2026 (STATEC) |
| First "salaried worker" residence permits | 2,153, including 174 for Moroccan nationals (3rd nationality) | 2024 |
| Minimum salary in contract | €2,771.33 gross per month (social minimum wage) | Since 1 June 2026 |
| EU Blue Card threshold | €65,652 gross per year | Since 3 March 2026 |
| Type D visa validity | 6 months | Since 1 October 2026 |
| Residence permit | €80 per person | 2026 |
| Driving licence exchange | €30, within the year following your move | 2026 |
| Minimum duration for a pension in Luxembourg | 120 months of coverage (10 years) | 2026 |
Sources: STATEC, Ministry of Home Affairs 2024 activity report, Guichet.lu, CNAP, accessed on 9 October 2026.
Morocco
- Visa D: Belgian embassy in Rabat.
- Social security: agreement signed on October 2, 2006, in force since February 1, 2013. It applies to Moroccans and EU citizens.
- Apostille: in force in Morocco since August 14, 2016, recognized by Luxembourg.
Tunisia
- Visa D: Belgian embassy in Tunis.
- Social security: agreement signed on November 30, 2010, in force since February 18, 2013. It replaces the 1980 agreement and applies to Tunisians and EU citizens.
- Apostille: in force in Tunisia since March 30, 2018, recognized by Luxembourg.
Algeria
- Visa D: Belgian embassy in Algiers.
- Social security: no agreement with Luxembourg. Your working years in Algeria do not count towards your Luxembourg pension, and nothing covers healthcare for your family back in Algeria.
- Apostille: brand new, since July 9, 2026. Luxembourg raised no objections.
What a social security agreement changes
For a Moroccan or Tunisian, it impacts three key areas:
- Pension: you need 120 months of coverage for a Luxembourg pension, and your working years back home count towards reaching this threshold. Each country pays its share. Your Luxembourg pension can be paid in your home country without any reduction.
- Family staying back home: they can receive healthcare locally, covered by Luxembourg health insurance. Ask the CNS (Caisse nationale de santé) for the certificate of entitlement (form L/M 7 for Morocco, TUN-LUX 08 for Tunisia). Your family presents it to the local fund to register: the CNSS in Morocco, the CNAM in Tunisia.
- Family allowance: it depends on where your children live. Children remaining in your home country: no Luxembourg family allowance, only your country's fund can pay according to its own rules. Children in Luxembourg: the CAE (Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants) pays.
For an Algerian, none of this applies: your years in Algeria do not count towards reaching the 120 months, and your family remaining in Algeria cannot in principle be co-insured with the CNS, which requires them to reside in Luxembourg (unless an exceptional exemption is granted). On the other hand, your working years in another EU country do count thanks to European rules, as long as you legally reside in Luxembourg.
Your driving licence and diplomas
Driving licence. Driving licences from all three countries can be transferred. You can drive with yours during your first year. Before the year ends, have it transferred at the SNCA (Société nationale de circulation automobile): €30, no test required for cars if you had lived in the country for at least 6 months when it was issued. After one year, you will have to retake the test.
Diplomas. A copy is enough for the visa. Getting a bachelor's or master's degree recognized costs €75 per diploma once you obtain your residence permit. For a regulated profession (nurse, doctor), see our guide get your diploma recognized.
An example: Youssef, technician in Casablanca
Youssef, 34, is an industrial maintenance technician in Casablanca. A Luxembourg company offers him a permanent contract at €48,000 gross per year. His wife Salma is coming with him.
- Per month: 48,000 ÷ 12 = €4,000 gross.
- Blue Card? No: €65,652 − €48,000 = €17,652 short. So it's the "salaried worker" residence permit, with the ADEM certificate.
- Minimum wage: €4,000 exceeds the required €2,771.33.
- Salma applies for her "family member" D visa at the same time, with the translated marriage certificate.
- In Luxembourg: 2 residence permits × €80 = €160. Driving licence transcription: €30. Recognition of his diploma: €75.
D visas: 2 × €250 = €500, plus TLScontact fees. Total known official costs: €765, plus translations and travel insurance. No intermediary: his employer handles the ADEM procedure. His 8 years of contributions in Morocco will help him reach the 120 months required for a Luxembourg pension; each country will then pay its share. To find out what he will have left per month, he reads our guide on net salary.
Beware of scams
- A real employer never makes you pay for your contract. In Morocco, the press has reported networks selling fake employment contracts for abroad.
- Nobody "guarantees" a visa. Only the Belgian Embassy and the DGIM decide. An agency promising a visa in exchange for money is lying to you.
- Check that the company exists in the official business register: Luxembourg Business Registers (ouvre dans un nouvel onglet). A contract sent only via WhatsApp is suspicious.
- A tourist visa never becomes a work visa.
Common mistakes
- Resigning before getting your visa: no timeframe is guaranteed. Wait until it is in your passport.
- Sending documents in Arabic without a sworn translation: the application is incomplete and will not be forwarded to the DGIM.
- Changing employers without checking the rules: Bill 8586 on the single permit, which has not yet been voted on, would prohibit changing employers during the first 6 months (except in cases of serious misconduct by the employer) and would then require notifying the DGIM beforehand. Find out more before making a move.
Frequently asked questions
No visa service: the Belgian Embassy in Rabat, Tunis, or Algiers handles it.
No official timeframe is published. Keep your job as long as the visa has not been granted.
Yes for Morocco and Tunisia, thanks to the social security agreement. No for Algeria: there is no agreement.
The European path, using your French passport. You need neither a D visa nor an ADEM certificate.