Schengen Short-Stay Visit

Nationals from certain countries must have a visa to enter or pass through a country in the Schengen area. Depending on the reason for the visit, they will need: either an airport transit visa (Type A visa) to pass through the international zone in airports, but which does not allow travellers to enter the Schengen area;

If the third country national has a residence permit for family members of an EU citizen or a valid residence permit issued by another EU Member State, a visa is not required.

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 as amended, nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia (excluding holders of passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate) holding biometric passports are exempt from the visa obligation.

or a short stay visa (type C visa) to transit through or stay in the Schengen area for a continued or interrupted period of 90 days at the most during each period of 180 days for the purpose of: tourist or family visits; business trips (visiting professional partners, negotiating and concluding contracts, etc.); participating in conferences (conference speakers and university lecturers) exhibitions, fairs or shows; participating in board meetings and general meetings; providing services within the same business group, etc.

It does not give the holder the right to carry out a paid activity in Luxembourg.

Third-country nationals subject to a visa obligation who wish to work in Luxembourg during a stay of less than 90 days must apply for a short stay visa (C). Before submitting their application for a type C visa, third-country nationals must apply for a work permit to the General Department of immigration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, from their country of origin, unless they are expressly exempted by law.

or a short stay visa (type C visa) to transit through or stay in the Schengen area for a continued or interrupted period of 90 days at the most during each period of 180 days for the purpose of:

The type C visa allows for stays for a duration not exceeding 90 days over any 180-day period. The visa can be issued for one or several entries, depending on the reasons of stay.

In any case, the third country national must, before applying for a visa, have a valid passport which is valid for at least another 3 months after the expiration date of the visa applied for.

Possession of a visa does not confer an irrevocable right of entry. The holder of a visa is required to show evidence, at external borders, that they fulfil the conditions of entry in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code (article 6).

The application must be accompanied by the following documents: 2 recent and identical identity photos; a valid passport or a travel document accepted in the Schengen area, which is valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the requested visa; supporting documents associated with the purpose of the journey, such as: a legalised statement of financial support (French, Pdf, 332 Kb) from the reference person in Luxembourg. It should be noted that the statement of financial support is not mandatory. But it is strongly recommended to submit this document in order to prove that the applicant is financially supported by a Luxembourg resident; official letter of invitation for a business visit; a hotel reservation; a return airline ticket; proof of sufficient means of subsistence (bank account statements, cash, credit cards, etc.). In certain cases, this proof can be replaced by a legalised statement of financial support from a reference person in Luxembourg; proof of legal residence in the usual country of residence; health insurance covering the travel period.

Other supporting documentation, in relation to the purpose of the visit, may be requested.

Possession of a visa does not confer an irrevocable right of entry. The holder of a visa is required to show evidence, at external borders, that they fulfil the conditions of entry in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code (article 6).

Visa applications should in principle be lodged at least 15 calendar days before the intended visit and cannot be lodged earlier than 6 months before the start of the intended visit.

The applicant must submit a completed and signed Schengen visa application (see 'Online services and forms') in person at: the Luxembourg diplomatic mission or consulate in their country of residence; or or, failing that, the embassy or consulate of the country in the Schengen area which represents Luxembourg for the issuance of visas.

Short stay visa (C) EUR 90

Some exemptions apply to certain categories of short-stay visas (C):

No visa fee will be charged for:

Decisions on applications will be taken within 15 calendar days of the date of submission. In particular cases, namely when further scrutiny of the application is needed or if the application is submitted to a consulate of a State representing Luxembourg, this period may be extended up to a maximum of 30 calendar days. As an exception, when additional documentation is needed in specific cases, the period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days.

Applicants may lodge an appeal against this decision with the administrative tribunal. The appeal must be filed by a court lawyer within 3 months from the notification of the decision.

When applying for a visa extension, the applicant must show that for reasons of force majeure or for humanitarian reasons they cannot leave Luxembourg before the expiry of their visa or the authorised period of stay. As a rule, the visa can only be extended if the applicant has stayed less than 90 days in the Schengen area, in the course of the past 180 days, and if their current visa is not expired.

The application has to be sent to the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office. Note that the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office is competent for visa applications regarding stays not exceeding 90 days over any 180-day period. For applications concerning a stay of more than 3 months, the competent authority is the Department for foreigners at the General Department of immigration.