Luxembourg citizenship requirements: naturalisation and option

The "Vivre ensemble" certificate is one document in a larger file. Understanding where it fits avoids two opposite mistakes: believing it is enough, or believing everything else must be settled before you take it.

Important notice. This article is an orientation guide, not a legal source. Conditions depend on your personal situation and change over time. For your application, rely on guichet.public.lu and the Ministry of Justice, which are the only authoritative sources.

Two broad families of procedure#

Luxembourg nationality law distinguishes several routes, with different conditions and different timescales.

Naturalisation is the general route, open to adults resident in Luxembourg for a set period.

Option covers ten cases open to people with a particular link to the country:

1. adult whose parent, adoptive parent or grandparent is or was Luxembourgish;
2. parent of a Luxembourg minor;
3. marriage to a Luxembourger;
4. person born in Luxembourg, from age 12;
5. adult who completed at least 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg;
6. adult legally resident in Luxembourg for at least 20 years;
7. adult who completed the welcome and integration contract or the introduction modules;
8. adult who settled in Luxembourg before 18;
9. adult who is stateless, a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection;
10. volunteer soldier.

Each case has its own conditions. The "Vivre ensemble" certificate and the Sproochentest are required in cases 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, not in cases 1, 4, 5 and 10; case 6 replaces the Sproochentest with 24 hours of Luxembourgish lessons, with no "Vivre ensemble" certificate.

Further mechanisms exist, notably recovery of nationality for certain descendants of former Luxembourg nationals.

Determining which route applies to your case is the first step, and the one where approximate information costs the most. An appointment with the competent service beats ten hours of forum reading.

The three requirements most candidates meet#

For naturalisation, which is open to any adult, guichet.public.lu sets three requirements.

1. Residence#

You must have lived legally in Luxembourg for at least 5 years, and the last year — the one immediately before the application — must be uninterrupted. Option cases have their own residence rules.

2. The Luxembourgish language — the Sproochentest#

This is an oral exam entirely separate from the "Vivre ensemble" test, run by the Institut national des langues Luxembourg, with two components: an A2 level in speaking and a B1 level in listening comprehension.

This is the most frequent confusion we encounter. Remember:

	Vivre ensemble	Sproochentest
Subject	Civic knowledge	Luxembourgish language
Format	Written, multiple choice	Oral
Content	Rights, institutions, history	Speaking and comprehension
Alternative	24-hour course	Language courses, exemptions possible

Passing one never exempts you from the other. Exemptions from the Sproochentest exist in certain situations: enquire about them.

3. The "Vivre ensemble" certificate#

This is what this site is about. The file must include either a certificate of participation in the 24-hour course or a certificate of success in the 40-question exam. The two routes are equivalent and alternative, and registration is free.

See: the complete guide to the "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" course and exam and course or exam: which route to choose.

To these requirements are added conditions linked to the applicant's personal situation, notably regarding criminal record, plus various civil status documents.

The naturalisation application in practice#

• Where: before the registrar (officier de l'état civil) of the commune where you usually live, in person.
• Cost: the naturalisation procedure is free. Some documents may cost money from the authority that issues them.
• Timing: the Minister of Justice grants or refuses naturalisation within 8 months of the application.
• Effect: naturalisation takes effect on the date of the ministerial order, normally notified by post.
• Appeal: a refusal can be challenged before the administrative court within 3 months, through a lawyer admitted to the Bar (avocat à la Cour).

What the "Vivre ensemble" certificate is not#

Three useful clarifications:

• It is not a guarantee of obtaining nationality. It is one document among others.
• It is not a language test. Your level of Luxembourgish is assessed by the Sproochentest.
• It is not a step to leave until last. Nothing requires you to wait until all other documents are gathered: it is often the easiest step to plan, because it depends only on you.

Certificate validity#

The official documents we consulted do not mention any period of validity for the "Vivre ensemble" certificate.

In practice, that means avoiding both extremes: do not assume it expires, and do not assume it is valid indefinitely. If you expect a significant gap between obtaining the certificate and filing your application, have this confirmed by the Service de la formation des adultes or the Ministry of Justice before assembling your file.

The benefits of Luxembourg citizenship#

Understanding what nationality concretely changes also helps with revision, since the exam syllabus deals precisely with the limits of fundamental rights linked to nationality.

Becoming Luxembourgish notably gives access to:

• the right to vote and stand in legislative elections;
• certain public sector posts reserved to nationals;
• the diplomatic protection of the Luxembourg State;
• the European citizenship attached to the nationality of a member state.

Note that several rights are already open to foreign residents: participation in municipal elections subject to conditions, and in European elections for EU citizens.

Luxembourg has also allowed dual nationality since the 2008 reform: acquiring Luxembourg nationality does not, from its point of view, require renouncing your original nationality. Be careful, though: your country of origin may have different rules. Check with its authorities.

Where to start in practice#

A sensible order of operations:

1. Identify your route. Naturalisation or one of the ten option cases? If in doubt, contact the competent service rather than guessing.
2. Start what takes time. Foreign civil status documents, their translations and legalisations can take months.
3. Plan the "Vivre ensemble" step. Choose the course or the exam, register on the official portal, prepare.
4. Prepare the Sproochentest in parallel: the two exams share no content and can advance simultaneously.
5. Assemble the file using the official list of documents.

See: How long does it take to obtain Luxembourg citizenship.

Sources to consult#

• guichet.public.lu — the reference for administrative procedures, with the list of documents per procedure.
• The Ministry of Justice — the competent authority for nationality.
• The official "Vivre ensemble" portal of the Ministry of Education — course and exam sessions.
• The Service de la formation des adultes (SFA) — sfa@men.lu, 8002 4488.

In summary#

The "Vivre ensemble" certificate is a manageable step in a procedure that is less so. It is the part of the file that depends on no foreign administration, no translation delay, no unobtainable document: it depends only on your preparation.

Starting with it, while civil status documents circulate, is often the most efficient decision. To assess your current level, the free simulator gives a first measurement in fifteen minutes.