From 1 October 2026, anyone from outside the EU who plans to live in Luxembourg for more than 90 days, whether to work, study or join family, applies in person for a long-stay visa (visa D). The application goes to a Luxembourg embassy, or to the competent Belgian embassy where Luxembourg has no mission. It replaces the old first step, a temporary residence authorisation requested from the Directorate-General for Immigration (DGIM), usually by post and often by the employer. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs announced the change on 23 September, eight days before it takes effect.
Background
Until now, a future employee, student or family member sent a written request for an autorisation de séjour temporaire (AST) to the DGIM. The ministry had up to four months to answer, and no answer within that period counted as a refusal. An approved AST arrived by post and was valid for 90 days. Nationals who need a visa for Schengen then applied for a D visa as well, valid for up to three months. Visa-exempt nationals, such as Americans or Canadians, flew in with the AST and their passport. The government says Luxembourg was the last EU member state to keep a separate national procedure of this kind. The Government Council approved the reform in July 2025.
What exactly changed
The applicant now lodges the application personally at an embassy, not with the DGIM. If it is approved, they receive a D visa valid for six months, which allows entry to Luxembourg and travel within the Schengen area until the residence permit is issued. After arriving, they have three days to make a declaration of arrival at the commune where they will live, and then apply to the DGIM for the residence permit itself. The communiqué gives three reasons: alignment with other EU states, security standards linked to the EU's smart-border systems, and the fact that a D visa is recognised across the EU, so new residents can travel in Schengen from day one instead of waiting for their residence card.
Before and after 1 October 2026
- Before: written request for a temporary residence authorisation (AST) to the DGIM, often filed by the employer; answer within four months at most; AST valid 90 days.
- Before: visa-exempt nationals entered with the AST and a passport; visa nationals also needed a separate D visa valid for up to three months.
- From 1 October: in-person application for a D visa at a Luxembourg embassy, or the competent Belgian embassy where Luxembourg is not represented.
- From 1 October: the D visa is valid six months and allows travel in the Schengen area until the residence permit is issued.
- Unchanged: declaration of arrival at the commune within three days, then the residence-permit application to the DGIM.
Who it affects and what to do
The new route covers every third-country national settling in Luxembourg for more than 90 days. It does not apply to EU citizens and their family members, to nationals of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, to British nationals covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, or to applicants for international protection. Renewals, replacements, changes of permit category and applications made from inside Luxembourg also stay outside it. The biggest change falls on visa-exempt nationals: an American software engineer or a Brazilian researcher whose employer used to file the paperwork now has to attend an embassy in person before travelling, which can mean a trip to another city or country. If your move is planned for October or later and you have not yet filed, find out which mission covers your country of residence and build the appointment into your timeline. Employers that file on behalf of new hires should expect their role to change, since the applicant now lodges the file personally. Guichet.lu will publish the new procedure from 1 October; until then its pages still describe the AST route, so check them again before you gather documents. Our <a href="/country-guides/luxembourg">Luxembourg country guide</a> covers the permit categories and the steps after you arrive.
When it takes effect
The new procedure applies from 1 October 2026, according to the joint communiqué of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs dated 23 September 2026. Updated guidance goes up on Guichet.lu the same day.
Details still to be published
The communiqué does not give the D visa fee, embassy processing times or the document list. It does not say, for example, whether the employer certificate from the employment agency ADEM that salaried workers needed for the AST moves into the embassy file. It also does not say what happens to AST requests filed before 1 October that are still pending, or to authorisations granted but not yet used. If you are in either position, ask the DGIM or check Guichet.lu once it is updated.
Key Takeaway
From 1 October 2026, a move to Luxembourg from outside the EU starts with an in-person D visa application at a Luxembourg or Belgian embassy, including for nationals who until now entered visa-free with a mailed authorisation.