Short Term Stay
Americans who travel to Luxembourg for a stay of less than 90 days have to be in possession of a US passport with a validity of six months at least.
Upon arrival in Luxembourg, you have to register your stay:
- Tourists staying in a hotel are required to complete an accommodation form at the hotel.
- All other visitors have to register by filing a ‘déclaration d’arrivée’ in person at the administration communale of the place of residence within three days of arrival and by presenting their passport.
Short term stays apply to:
- Business travelers (less than 90 days during one calendar year)
- Tourism or family visits (less than 90 days within a period of 6 months)
More information about short term stays is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg.
Americans who want to work (as an employee or independent) or study in Luxembourg must request an authorization from the ‘Direction de l’Immigration’, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this applies also to short term stays.
Long Term Stay
Americans who plan to stay longer than three months have to apply for a residence permit.
The application needs to be submitted and accepted before entering Luxembourg.
Conditions and detailed application procedures are published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg.
Detailed information is available in English on guichet.lu (The official portal of Luxembourg).
Applicaiton for Residence Permit for American Basketball Players
The procedure to apply for a sports residence permit (stay more than 3 months) consists of two parts:
STEP 1 (Request a residence permit (autorisation de séjour) BEFORE you come to Luxembourg, and wait for confirmation letter from the Ministry that your request was approved.):
If you want to live and play in Luxembourg, you need to send in following documents (it is possible to give a power of attorney to the club to send in the documents for you):
- a motivation letter explaining why you want to come and play basketball in Luxembourg
- a certified true copy of a contract with a club registered with the national basketball federation (the salary MUST be at least equivalent to minimum social salary for Luxembourg)
- a curriculum vitae
- a certified true copy of any diplomas or professional qualifications (only for those who want to be a coach in Luxembourg)
- a birth certificate
- a non-criminal record of the country where you legally resided just before coming to Luxembourg
- a complete address in Luxembourg.
If you want to live abroad (neighboring countries) and play in Luxembourg, you have to send in following documents:
- a motivation letter that explains why you want to come and play basketball in Luxembourg
- a certified true copy of a contract with a club registered with the national basketball federation (the salary MUST be at least equivalent to minimum social salary for Luxembourg)
- a curriculum vitae
- a certified true copy of any diplomas or professional qualifications (only for those who want to be a coach in Luxembourg)
- a complete address (in neighboring country).
STEP 2 (You have 90 days from the date of approval on the confirmation letter to come to Luxembourg and start completing paperwork necessary to issue the final residence permit.):
1. You have to register at the commune of residence within three days after your arrival, even if your housing is temporary. You have to bring the confirmation letter you received from the Ministry and you will get a copy of the déclaration d’arrivée which will be proof of your legal status in Luxembourg. It is important that you carry this copy with you especially when travelling.
2. You have to pass a medical check in Luxembourg (not reimbursed by social security) and a tuberculosis test (http://www.ligue.lu/ ). The certificates will be sent directly to the Immigration office where your application is on file.
3. You have to send in the application for a residence permit to the Immigration office, including supporting documents, within three months after having filed the déclaration d’arrivée:
- application form ‘Demande en délivrance d’un titre de séjour pour ressortissant de pays tiers’
- certified true copy of the passport
- copy of the confirmation letter
- copy of the déclaration d’arrivée
- proof of appropriate housing (e.g. lease contract, property)
- one recent photograph (ICAO standard size)
- proof of payment of administrative fee 30 Euros to the Immigration office
4. If your application is approved, you will receive a letter inviting you to appear in person at the Immigration office during opening hours with your valid passport. The residence permit will be affixed to your passport.
5. Once you have the residence permit in your passport, you have to present it to the commune of residence (where you live) in order to finalize your legal status. The commune issues a certificate of residence upon request.
NOTE: If you are already legally in Luxembourg (less than three months including other Schengen countries if you entered without a visa), and want to apply for a residence permit, you can submit an application (as explained in STEP 2)