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REQUIREMENTS FOR US CITIZENS

Tourists and Business Travelers

United States citizens in the possession of a valid US passport are not required to obtain a visa to enter the countries of the Schengen Agreement (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden) for a stay of no longer than 90 days. If you intend to stay more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit at the Embassy or Consulate of the country of your main destination. The residence permit will be delivered according to the provisions of the respective state.

Residence Permits and employment

To take up paid employment in Luxembourg, a foreign national must satisfy conditions entitling him or her to enter and reside in Luxembourg and must hold a work permit. United States citizens intending to take up residence as well as employment in Luxembourg must obtain:

1. a work permit

Any person who wants to take up employment in Luxembourg has to apply for a work permit before starting work in Luxembourg. The application for a work permit is filed by the Luxembourg employer with the Ministry of Labor. Because this procedure is lengthy, it is highly recommended that the employer apply for the work permit at least several months before an applicant is due to start working in Luxembourg. Work permits are issued at the discretion of the appropriate Luxembourg authorities.

2. a residence permit (permis de séjour)

A US citizen coming to work in Luxembourg and taking up residence for more than three months must apply to the Ministry of Justice for a residence permit. To obtain a residence permit, the applicant must file with the Ministry a copy of his or her work permit. He or she must also file an application for a foreigner's identity card. The foreigner's identity card is issued by the Ministry of Justice and given to the applicant by the communal administration where the applicant will reside. For this purpose, a foreign national must notify the communal administration within three days after his or her arrival to register and provide appropriate documentation.

An application for a foreigner's identity card is not required if the applicant takes up residence in Luxembourg for more than 3, but less than 12 months. In this case, it is sufficient for the foreigner to make an arrival declaration at the communal administration where he or she will reside. The applicant must however, submit the same documents as for the foreigner's identity card.

Self-Employment

Work permit rules do not apply to self-employed persons. Self-employed persons are subject to the provisions of the law dated 28 December 1988 on the right to set up a business. This law requires an establishment permit for every industrial or trade activity. The permit is issued by the Ministry of Small Businesses (Ministère des Classes Moyennes) after receiving the opinion of a committee, which considers an applicant's qualifications and professional standing (provided in the form of a certificate of solvency). Professional qualifications must be shown only for a firm's head or the individual responsible for its management. A new permit must be obtained if any change occurs in the activity of a business for which a permit is granted. This also applies to a permit issued on the strength of the personal qualifications of a member of the firm's management or executive staff if that person is replaced.

Persons practicing a professional activity in Luxembourg are not required to obtain residence permits if the stay in Luxembourg is three months or less. However, in these cases, a person must provide notice of his or her arrival to the local communal administration within three days after arrival. If a person changes residence to another commune, he or she must notify the local administration of the new commune within three days after arrival.

Students

Students must obtain a residence permit from the Ministry of Justice in Luxembourg or the Luxembourg Embassy or Consulate in the U.S. The application has to be submitted together with the admission certificate (inscription scolaire) from the University in Luxembourg; along with proof that the applicant is financially in a position to support himself/herself (or a déclaration de prise en charge by a host family for high school students).

Family Members

An expatriate worker may be accompanied to Luxembourg by his or her spouse and children. The application for the residence permit for each family member is submitted to the Ministry of Justice in Luxembourg jointly with the expatriate worker's request.

Foreigner's identity cards are required for spouses and any children older than 15 years of age. An expatriate's work permit is not valid for the spouse and for his or her children. For any family member wanting to work in Luxembourg, an individual work permit is required.

REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-US CITIZENS

A "Schengen" visa is a uniform visa for transit or a short stay (1-90 days) valid for AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, ITALY, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, ICELAND AND SWEDEN.

There is no legal right to a visa. The issuance of a Schengen visa can be denied, or the validity of a visa may be limited to one or several of the above-mentioned countries.

Where should you apply?

1. If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Embassy or Consulate of that particular country.
2. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your main destination.
3. If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, but do not have a main destination, you should apply for a visa at the Embassy or Consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.
4. If you do not need a visa for the Schengen country which is your main destination or first point of entry, please note that you may require a visa for other Schengen countries. You should then apply at the Embassy or Consulate of the first Schengen country, which does require you to have a visa.
Please check with the Embassy or Consulate in the jurisdiction in which you reside if you need a visa. If yes, applications should be made in person at the Embassy or Consulate in whose jurisdiction you reside. If the applicant cannot apply in person, he/she should contact the Schengen Embassy or Consulate for further instructions.

What should you submit?

1. A passport or official travel document with a validity that exceeds the intended stay of the applicant by at least three months. Please make sure your passport has a blank page to affix the visa.
2. One visa application form and one recent passport-size photographs. Please fill out the application form completely and legibly in black ink.
3. A valid US resident alien card or a valid US visa. Students should present a valid I-20; Exchange Visitors should present a valid I-66.
4. Proof establishing the purpose of your trip, such as a letter of invitation, proof of participation in group travel, etc. If the purpose of your trip is business, please present business references.
5. Proof of sufficient funds to cover the cost of your intended stay (e.g. traveler checks, credit cards, bank statements, letter of employment, etc.).
6. Proof of lodging, i.e. hotel reservations, rental of vacation home, stay with a family member or friend. In the latter case, a Déclaration de Prise en Charge notarized by the local authorities has to be joined.
7. Complete itinerary with flight information as well as roundtrip airline tickets. In case of transit visa, proof of transport to the final destination. Proof that you can continue your trip after your visit to the Schengen countries, i.e. onward or return non-endorsable airline ticket.
8. If the applicant is a minor, please present written consent of a parent or guardian having the care and custody of the child. The signatures on this document have to be notarized.
9. Proof of travel health/accident insurance is required.
10. If the applicant wishes that the above documents be returned by mail, postage-paid return (e.g. Express Mail stamp, FedEx/UPS airbill) must be included at the time of application. The Consulate General of Luxembourg is not responsible for documents lost in the mail, so we highly suggest using an overnight form of courrier service.

Cost of Visa: $80.00

Please contact the appropriate Schengen Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date visa fees. The visa fee depends upon the type of visa, the duration of stay, etc. Visa fees are payable in cash (exact change) or money order to the Consulate General of Luxembourg.

General Information

This list is non-exhaustive. In individual cases, more documents may be required by the Embassies or the Consulates of the Schengen States.

The processing of visas may take minimum 2 weeks

it is strongly advised that the applicant contacts the Consulate General of Luxembourg for any possible changes in the visa requirements.