Visit Luxembourg in 2026: visa, the 90-day rule and entry requirements

Short stay · Tourism, family, business · Official sources

To visit Luxembourg, an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen only needs an identity card; a third-country national may stay at most 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area, with a short-stay visa (type C) or visa-free depending on nationality, and must declare their arrival at the commune within 3 days unless staying in a hotel. A visit allows neither work nor settlement: beyond 90 days, the route goes through a long-stay visa (type D) requested from abroad. This page brings together the entry rules, the documents to prepare, what a visitor can and cannot do, and the essentials for enjoying the stay.

Type C or type D visa: the difference   Settling after a visit   Pros and cons of living in Luxembourg

Do you need a visa to visit Luxembourg?

It depends only on your nationality: no visa for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens; for third-country nationals, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 distinguishes exempt countries (entry with a passport for 90 days in 180) from countries whose nationals need a short-stay Schengen visa (type C). Luxembourg applies the common Schengen rules: a type C visa issued by Luxembourg allows travel throughout the area, and a type C visa issued by another Schengen State allows entry into Luxembourg. The visa is requested before departure from Luxembourg's representation or, failing that, from the Schengen State representing it in your country. A holder of a valid residence permit or national visa of another Schengen State does not need a type C visa.

Source: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Visa page (modified 23 October 2026), which publishes the official list of countries subject to or exempt from the visa. Country examples are indicative: check the list at the date of your trip.

How long can you stay in Luxembourg as a visitor?

At most 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counted for the whole Schengen area and not country by country. Six weeks in France followed by seven weeks in Luxembourg therefore exceeds the limit. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is in force: entries and exits at the external borders are recorded electronically, which makes overstays visible. An extension beyond 90 days is only possible in specific cases (force majeure, serious humanitarian or personal reasons) and is requested before expiry: from the Immigration Directorate General for visa-exempt visitors, from the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office for visa holders.

What are the entry conditions for a short stay?

The conditions are those of Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code: a valid travel document, a visa if your nationality requires one, evidence of the purpose and conditions of the stay, sufficient resources and no alert or threat to public order. In practice, prepare:

• a passport issued within the last ten years and valid for at least three months after the planned exit date from the Schengen area;
• the type C visa if your nationality requires it, requested before departure;
• proof of sufficient resources for the stay and the return, or an undertaking to cover costs signed by a resident, with a legalised signature and approved by the ministry (available on MyGuichet.lu);
• for a visa application, travel medical insurance covering at least 30,000 € of costs throughout the Schengen area;
• evidence of the purpose and accommodation: hotel booking, invitation, return ticket.

These documents may be requested at the external border even when no visa is required. Source: Guichet.lu, "Staying in Luxembourg for less than 90 days as a third-country national" (page modified 7 September 2026).

Do you have to register with the commune during the visit?

Yes, as a third-country national: within 3 days of entry, an arrival declaration is made at the communal administration of the place of stay, unless you stay in a hotel or establishment that files the lodging form for you, which counts as the declaration. When staying with family or friends, it is therefore the visitor who goes to the commune with their passport. The formality is free and quick; it is often forgotten, although it conditions the lawfulness of the stay and, later, the credibility of a long-stay file.

Can you work in Luxembourg on a tourist visa?

No. A third-country national who wants to carry out a professional activity in Luxembourg, even for less than 90 days, must first obtain a work authorisation from the Immigration Directorate General; for visa-required nationalities, it is requested from the country of origin. Business meetings, trade fairs, conferences and client visits fall under the "professional reasons" short stay and remain possible without a work authorisation. A posting, a salaried assignment or a short contract, however, require prior authorisation. A holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another Member State benefits from specific rules for short-term activity. See working in Luxembourg as a foreigner.

Visit, then settle: what to know before you come

A visit does not turn into settlement on the spot: since 1 October 2026, a third-country national who wants to stay more than 90 days to work, study or join family applies for a long-stay visa (type D) from abroad, at the Luxembourg or Belgian embassy, before entering. A short stay is, however, the right moment to scout housing, visit schools, meet an employer and open the conversation with a bank. The documents of a future file (diplomas, civil-status records, apostille, sworn translation) are better prepared from the country of origin. To find your route: moving to Luxembourg, residence route by profile and assess my eligibility.

What to see and how to get around during the visit?

Public transport has been free nationwide since 1 March 2020 (buses, second-class trains, tram), for visitors and residents alike, which makes the whole country reachable without a car. The highlights: the old quarters and fortifications of Luxembourg City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Bock casemates and the Corniche; the Kirchberg plateau and the EU institutions; Vianden and Bourscheid castles in the Éislek; the Mullerthal trails; the Moselle vineyards; the industrial heritage of the Minett and Esch-Belval. The official tourism site offers the LuxembourgPass (free or reduced entry to many sites) and itineraries by region. The country can be crossed in under two hours: three or four days are enough for a first overview, a week to combine sightseeing with a settlement scouting trip.

Common visitor mistakes

• Counting 90 days per country: the limit applies to the whole Schengen area, and the EES counts the days.
• Forgetting the arrival declaration within 3 days when staying with relatives.
• Travelling with a passport that expires within three months of the planned exit.
• Accepting an assignment or a short contract during the visit without a work authorisation.
• Believing a long stay can be "regularised" once on the spot: the type D visa is requested abroad.
• Relying on a page that still describes the procedure in force before 1 October 2026.

What this page does not cover

It does not replace the official list of nationalities subject to a visa, which changes, nor the specific rules for family members of EU citizens, holders of diplomatic passports or applicants for international protection. immigrate.lu is an immigration advisory house: we do not handle tourist visa applications, but we prepare with you the step from a short stay to settlement.

immigrate.lu is an immigration advisory house published by Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S. Reserved legal acts are handled by Maître Cora Maglo, avocate à la Cour (CERNO Law Firm), Luxembourg Bar.