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How to move to Luxembourg with children
When moving with children to Luxembourg, it is usually a "family reunification" scenario. Let us take a closer look at how to move children to Luxembourg in this case
Children are travelling with their parents or accompanying persons. First of all, let us consider what documents should be prepared for children and how to transport them to Luxembourg
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The process step-by-step
I travel with children:
under 6 y.o.
6 y.o. and older
Determine the basis for entry into Luxembourg
up to 2 monthsRegister in the commune
Determine the basis for entry into Luxembourg
Prepare the documents for yourself
Prepare documents for the children
Request a temporary residence permit for your child
Request a visa for the child
Register in the commune
Before entry
The reason may be family reunification, work, study, etc. The documents required for relocation to Luxembourg depend on the basis of the reason.
Family reunification
Family members of a Luxembourg resident are subject to special entry conditions. It is important to note that family members include the spouse or registered partner, as well as children under 18 years old.
Work
You need an official invitation from your Luxembourg employer, signed and stamped by the employer. This option is also suitable if you already have a business or investment activity in the Grand Duchy. In this case, the child enters Luxembourg on the basis of family reunification.
Education
To do so, one must be studying at a Luxembourg university or have a confirmation of admission to a university. Spouses or children can also move in with a student in Luxembourg, but they need to apply for their own visas or permits as dependents of the student.
Private reasons
These reasons for entry are created for special cases, in addition to the ones we discussed earlier. Most often, a non-EU national can use private reasons for entry to Luxembourg for two reasons: when they can support themselves financially and when they do not fulfil the conditions for family reunification but have stable personal or family ties in Luxembourg.
Find out more about the grounds for entry into Luxembourg
Read articleRegardless of the reason, both the adult and the child will prepare their own set of documents.
Entry from third countries: India, Pakistan, Russia, China, etc.
Entry requirements for third-country nationals may vary. One of two types of visas must be obtained depending on the purpose and duration of the intended stay.
There are two main types of visas that allow you to enter and stay in the country for different lengths of time:
Visa C
short-term: issued for a maximum of 90 days
Visa D
long-term: issued on a case-by-case basis
Visa A (transit) is not suitable for entry into the country. Visa A is valid for travelling through the international zone at airports, but does not allow entry into the Schengen area.
In addition to a visa, a valid passport will be required. This is the mandatory minimum required to move from third countries.
Entry from EU and Schengen countries
There are several categories of people who do not need special documents or reasons to enter the Grand Duchy. You can cross the Luxembourg border without restrictions if you are a citizen of EU and Schengen countries.
Those who move to Luxembourg with children face a lot of paperwork at first. We recommend that you collect your documents in advance to make it easier to settle in and register when you move to a new country.
Conventionally, documents can be divided into 2 groups
Documents required to obtain a visa
These documents are required in order to obtain a temporary residence permit and subsequently a visa if you enter Luxembourg on reunification: as a spouse or spouse of a partner who has relocated on a work visa.
Necessary minimum
A new apostilled certificate of no criminal record.
The document is needed in paper form. Usually issued within 30 days.
Spouse's birth certificate
An original is required, sometimes a notarised copy is also advised.
Valid passport
Must be valid for a minimum of 6-8 months from the intended date of entry.
Documents useful for living in Luxembourg
These papers can be useful if you need to get a job in Luxembourg, send your children to school, open a bank account, register a sole proprietorship, etc.
- Income certificate. It is usually used to confirm official income. You can get it from your employer or from the tax office.
- Internal passport and copies of its pages: the main spread and the spread with residence permits.
- Certificates with apostille (!) and their and notarised translations into French/German (including WORD format): birth certificates, divorce certificates, if divorced, change of surname, if changed.
- Diploma(s), attestation(s), certificate(s) and their notarised translation into French/German. Preferably with an apostille, but it is also possible without one. Please ask for the translation in Word format to be sent to the following e-mail address.
- A general power of attorney for the disposal of property, accounts, etc., left to a close relative, trusted person. It is necessary for a person to have the right to receive some document, solve household issues with property, withdraw money from the bank, etc. in case of need.
- Documents with a unique number can be useful as an indirect confirmation of the legitimacy of your financial resources and savings. For example, a taxpayer identification number allows you to track how exactly you pay taxes. This is also an indirect confirmation of the legitimacy of the financial resources you have received, as well as the unique number of the individual personal account of pension savings.
- Employment history and/or work contracts: confirm work experience in the profession and legal receipt of funds.
- If you are a motorist, you will need a local driving licence and an international driving licence (IDL). According to Luxembourg law, you can drive for a year with your local licence, but you must apply for a replacement immediately upon arrival. As for an ICE, it is easier to move around the territory of the Grand Duchy, rent a car and solve disputes that arise on the road.
Usually, travelling abroad with a child requires the same set of documents as for an adult, but with slight variations depending on the age of the children, marital status of the parents, etc.
What you'll need
Something's missing
You need to collect all the documents your child needs for departure and on arrival
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
Child's passport
If it is not available, a valid passport of the parent in which the child is registered will do
2 child's photos
Made at least 3 months before the intended trip
Birth certificate
One of the main documents
Account statement of one of the parents
This is required to confirm sponsorship status. It is usually submitted together with a certificate of employment
Medical records
Received at an educational institution - school or kindergarten
Certificate of non-receipt of child benefits in the home country
You will need this if you want to apply for financial aid from the state. If it is impossible to receive it for some reason, you must write a receipt that you do not receive any subsidies
Vaccination certificate
It needs to be translated into German or French
Something's missing
You need to collect all the documents your child needs for departure and on arrival
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
tra not depend on a notary: the signature does not need to be re-certified, the translator himself certifies the correctness of his translation. Luxembourg has 3 official languages: German, French and Luxembourgish. And traditionally documents are translated into German or French. It is enough to choose one of them.
Vera Steinhagen, Court-sworn translator in Luxembourg
If a child of any age is travelling with only one parent or chaperones
Notarised consent for the child to cross the border will be required from the parent who remains in the country
- Details of the chaperone. Must be contained in the parents' consent for the child's departure. The name of the accompanying person, his/her passport details and contact details should be indicated here.
- Notarised consent for the child to cross the border from the parent who remains in the country.
- If the child is travelling with a third party, consent and copies of passports are required from both parents.
It is worth exploring how the education system is organised in Luxembourg and where your child will be assigned to study upon arrival.
Learn, how to enroll kids in daycare and school in Luxembourg
For entry
Obtaining a temporary residence permit for you and your child when moving to Luxembourg requires careful preparation and adherence to the necessary procedures. A clear understanding of the processes, having all the necessary documents ready and a fully completed form will ensure a smooth and successful process.
List of documents
Something's missing
Only fully correctly completed applications with all documents will be processed. Otherwise, the documents will be returned to the applicant.Only fully correctly completed applications with all documents will be processed. Otherwise, the documents will be returned to the applicant.
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
Full package of documents for obtaining a visa for adults
It depends on the basis on which you are moving. Basically, you will need copies of all pages of your valid passport, including blank ones; a notarised translation of an apostilled recent criminal record certificate and other documents that are determined by the basis for the move
Application for temporary residence permit
To be completed for each family member and for each child separately
Child's birth certificate
Original and notarised copy
Child's passport
If it is not available, a valid passport of the parent in which the child is registered will do
Account statement of one of the parents
This is necessary to confirm the sponsorship status. For a Schengen visa, the average amount is 50-70 EUR per day of travel. Usually the statement is submitted together with a work certificate.
Health insurance for a child
Minimum coverage up to 30,000 euro
Proof of suitable accommodation
The area cannot be less than 12 m² for the first parent and a minimum of 9 m² for each other family member. The room must be well-maintained: with windows, heating, plumbing, etc.
Something's missing
Only fully correctly completed applications with all documents will be processed. Otherwise, the documents will be returned to the applicant.Only fully correctly completed applications with all documents will be processed. Otherwise, the documents will be returned to the applicant.
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
All documents must be originals or notarised copies (except passport, where a simple copy will suffice). If authenticity is in doubt, the authorities will require the document to be certified by the relevant local authority and legalised by the embassy or certified with an apostille.
How to obtain a permit
- Prepare the necessary documents and translate them
If the documents are not in French, English or German, a translation is required. If the documents are not in French, English or German, a translation is required. A notarised translation is sufficient for most documents
- Fill in the application for a temporary residence permit
Fill in the application form for a temporary residence permit for your child in French. Make sure that all information is accurate and up to date. In order for the application to be complete, you will need to attach previously collected documents translated into one of the official languages of the Grand Duchy or into English.
- Submit the documents to the ministry
Submit the completed application form and all required documents to the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in person or by post. The submitted documents must be originals or certified copies. The application can be submitted by a third-country national or by a third person on his/her behalf. As a result, you will receive a letter with a temporary residence permit. This letter will be considered as the basis for obtaining a D visa and entering the country
- Obtain a temporary residence permit for the child
Once the application is approved, the child will be granted a temporary residence permit. You will receive an ordinary stamped and signed paper letter saying that you are ready to be granted a residence permit, come back within 90 days. It will be sent by regular mail, not electronically. The letter will have instructions on the other steps. In the end, you will have to come to the FCO to be photographed and biometrised, and together with your child you will receive a temporary residence permit
How to get a temporary autorisation to stay for a child when moving to Luxembourg
Read articleAfter obtaining a temporary permit, a D visa must be issued to enter the country.
You will need documents to obtain a visaYou will need documents to obtain a visa
Something's missing
A full set of documents is required to obtain a visa
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
Visa application
The format is the same for C and D visas
2 recent and identical ID photos
New (made no earlier than 3 months before the date of intended travel), coloured, 3.5x4.5 cm on a light background (white or white-blue)
Valid passport
If it is not available, a valid passport of the parent in which the child is registered will do.
Confirmation of consular fee payment
The amount of the fee varies and depends on the specific country
Temporary residence permit
Autorisation to stay
Copy of the pages of the internal passport
For children from the age of 14
Something's missing
A full set of documents is required to obtain a visa
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
How to obtain visa D?
- Obtain a temporary residence permit
It is issued by the Immigration Department of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to submit an application. The procedure for submitting this application is determined by the specifics of the planned activity. The application must be submitted in the country of residence and before applying for a visa. The process is described in detail in the previous step
- Collect the visa application package
The documentation package for children listed above must be accompanied by the documentation package of the adults who are responsible for the child's departure: parents, guardians, accompanying persons
- Attach documents and apply for visa
This can be done in two ways: 1) go to the Luxembourg diplomatic mission or consulate in the country of residence; 2) go to the embassy or consulate of the country in the Schengen area that represents Luxembourg for issuing visas
- Meet the submission deadline
It is necessary to submit the application package in duplicate in person. It is important to do this within 90 days of receiving the Autorisation to stay (temporary residence permit)
Remember to consult the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for specific information relating to your individual circumstances.
After entry
Apply to the municipality where you intend to live. To be registered in the municipality, you must have a long-term lease. As soon as you have a long-term lease, you can register in the municipality.
Finding and renting a flat in the Grand Duchy is an important issue for every expat. The choice of municipality, city, neighbourhood, budgeting, contracting and many other important nuances, we have described in detail in a separate guide, which we suggest you study.
How to rent an apartment in Luxembourg
Provide the documents
Foreign passport
With stamps confirming entry
Proof of residence
Long-term lease agreement or deed of ownership
Child's birth certificate
To allocate children to an educational institution by age
Residence permit
Must be an original obtained before arrival in Luxembourg
Marriage certificate
You and your spouse will be registered at the same address and combined into one tax class
Medical card and vaccination certificate
It is better to have both documents on hand
Report card
It'll come in handy for school distributions
You must register within a limited period of time — within 3 days of your arrival.
It all starts, of course, with registration in the commune. My case will probably be very untypical.When we first came to the municipality, they refused to register us. The officer who was there that day said that since we were citizens of a third country, not the EU, we should first go to the migration service. I wrote to the migration service. The next working day I got a reply. It turns out that we did everything right and the commune really should have registered us. They sent me a list of all the documents they might ask for, but I also kept the letter itself.In the end, when I went to the municipality again, there was a different woman who looked at the papers and registered us in just a few minutes!
During the registration at the commune
Provide not only your own documents but also those of your children: ask for the child's details to be sent to the education authority in Luxembourg if the child is over 3 years old. This is supposed to be automatic, but it may be forgotten, so it is better to remind them.
After registering at the commune
You will be given 2 important documents: your social security number and your arrival declaration. Once you have received these documents, adults will be sent for a medical examination. You should go to the medical examination as soon as possible after you have received your declaration of arrival from the municipality. The medical examination includes an examination by a general practitioner (general practitioner) and a tuberculosis screening.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What documents does a child need other than a passport?
The list of documents may vary greatly depending on the age of the children, the purpose of the trip and the number of accompanying persons, as well as their status. The set of documents is individual for groups such as children under 6 years old; from 6 to 14 years old; over 14 years old, as well as children travelling with one parent or accompanying person and those flying alone.
Will the child be able to go to a local school or day care centre
Yes, it can. Luxembourg takes education very seriously. The child will undergo several tests to find out his/her level of preparation. Usually they try to place the child in the same class as before or in a parallel 1 year younger. It is better to collect in advance all the documents that may be useful for the child's placement in kindergarten or school
How to obtain a temporary residence permit for a child when moving to Luxembourg
It is necessary to have a reason for entry, collect a package of documents, fill in the application for temporary residence permit and submit the documents to the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in person or by post. After that you have to wait for the letter with Autorisation to stay.
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