Luxembourg Mentions How Many Years Foreigners Must Stay in Country Before Becoming Citizens
- Luxembourg sets one of Europe's longest residency requirements for foreigners seeking to acquire nationality through the standard route
- Foreigners who signed a Welcome and Integration Contract may qualify for citizenship after just 5 years, under specific conditions
- Applicants must complete a Luxembourgish language course and a civics module as part of the nationality option process
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Luxembourg has set out the conditions under which foreign nationals can apply for Luxembourgish citizenship, with the standard route requiring a minimum of 20 years of legal residency in the country.
According to Luxembourg's official public services portal, adults who have lived legally in Luxembourg for at least 20 years are eligible to apply for nationality through the option process.
Source: UGC
The final year of residence before the declaration is submitted must have been continuous and uninterrupted.
Luxembourg citizenship: Faster route for some applicants
Not every applicant faces a two-decade wait. Foreign nationals who have fulfilled the obligations of a Welcome and Integration Contract, including completing introductory modules on life in Luxembourg as part of the citizens' pact for intercultural living, may qualify for nationality after just five years of legal residency, provided the final year was uninterrupted.
These applicants must also demonstrate knowledge of Luxembourgish through a formal language test and complete the "Vivre ensemble" course or its equivalent exam.
Holders of a certificate of participation in the citizenship courses linked to the Welcome and Integration Contract are automatically exempt from the module on the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European integration. Applicants who choose to sit the exam without attending the courses, however, do not qualify for this exemption.
Adults who settled in Luxembourg before the age of 18 follow the same five-year residency pathway, with the same language and civic knowledge requirements. Individuals holding stateless person status, refugee status, or subsidiary protection status are also eligible under the five-year route, subject to the residency conditions being met.
Luxembourg citizenship: Language and civic requirements
Applicants on the standard 20-year route are required to complete a 24-hour introductory course in the Luxembourgish language, focusing on speaking and listening skills. The course provider must be approved by the Department of Adult Education, and upon completion, the provider issues a certificate confirming attendance.
That certificate must then receive a validation stamp from the Department of Adult Education before it can be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice's Nationality Office.
Beyond the language component, applicants must also complete a civic integration module titled "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg," or pass an equivalent test covering the same content.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
