Luxembourg introduced a D visa instead of the AST permit from 1 October 2026

As of 1 October 2026, Luxembourg requires a D visa instead of an AST permit. Find out who is affected by this change, how to apply and what to do after entering the country

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Luxembourg has changed the rules for anyone who wants to settle in the country for more than three months. The AST permit, which used to be required before any visa procedures, no longer exists. The first and only step is now a D visa for Luxembourg, which is submitted at an embassy. It is valid for six months rather than 90 days. Everything you need to know about the new residence permit rules in Luxembourg is in this article.

Also read: which jobs are most in demand among foreigners in Luxembourg.

Collecting the documents for a visa or residence permit on your own is not easy: the package is usually large, and a mistake in a single certificate can mean a refusal at the very end of the process.

A migration lawyer on VisitWorld is a specialist who knows the immigration law of different countries and helps prepare a complete set of documents. Such a consultation is useful whatever the purpose of your trip, your citizenship or your destination country. Enter your citizenship and destination country on the service page to choose a suitable product.

New residence permit rules in Luxembourg from 1 October 2026

Until recently, the road to a first residence permit was rather convoluted. First, the applicant turned to the Directorate General for Immigration (DGIM) for a temporary authorisation to stay. Then came the visa procedures, if a visa was required. Citizens of visa-free countries simply entered the country once they had the AST. After that, the applicant notified the municipality of their arrival and only then submitted the documents for the permit itself.

Now the first link has been removed. According to the government, Luxembourg was the last EU state still operating a separate national procedure based on the AST. The reform was approved back in July 2025 and took effect on 1 October. The second change is easier to miss: the validity of the visa has gone up from 90 days to six months. That is enough time to enter the country without rushing, get settled and finish the residence permit application.

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How do you apply for a Luxembourg D visa?

The procedure now looks like this:

1. Submit your application at the Luxembourg embassy. If the country has no representation there, apply to the competent Belgian embassy. There is no need to go to the DGIM at this stage any more.

2. Receive a D visa valid for six months. It allows you to enter Luxembourg and travel freely around the Schengen Area while the permit is being prepared.

3. Within three days of arriving, notify the municipality of your place of residence.

4. Submit a residence permit application to the DGIM.

Applications are filed in person, so it is worth building the embassy visit into your plans in advance. This applies to everyone without exception, whatever the purpose of the move.

Find out where in the EU you can get permanent residence the fastest in 2026 here.

Who does the reform in Luxembourg affect?

The new rules apply to nationals of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland who want to settle in Luxembourg for more than 90 days. The purpose makes no difference: work, study and family reunification all follow the same route.

It is worth singling out those who do not need a visa for short trips to the EU. Previously, once they had the AST, they could simply enter the country. That no longer works: visa-free travel does not replace the D visa if a person is moving and plans to obtain a residence permit. This is where it is easiest to go wrong. An ordinary Schengen visa for tourism or visits of up to 90 days is not affected by these changes.

The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Belgium is here.

The residence permit reform does not apply 

- EU citizens and their family members, as well as citizens of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland;

- British nationals covered by the Withdrawal Agreement;

- Applications for replacement, renewal or change of category of a permit, as well as applications submitted from within the country;

- People applying for international protection.

Why did Luxembourg switch to a long-stay visa?

The authorities give several reasons. The first is alignment with European practice: Luxembourg no longer wants to be the exception. The second is security. According to the official announcement, the D visa better meets the requirements of the EU's smart border systems. And there is one more benefit for applicants themselves: the visa is recognised across the EU, so you can travel around Schengen straight after arrival without waiting for the permit.

For employees and employers this means one step fewer before departure, although the overall amount of preparation is unlikely to shrink.

What is still unclear: timing, costs and the transition period

The official announcement contains no information on the visa fee or processing times, so it is too early to quote specific figures. The consultancy Vialto Partners also notes that transitional provisions for applications submitted before 1 October 2026 have not yet been confirmed. Practical guidance from the authorities is expected shortly. Updated information is due to appear on the guichet.public.lu portal. If your AST application was submitted before that date, it is best to ask the DGIM which procedure it will be handled under.

What to keep in mind if you plan to move to Luxembourg

Do not rely on visa-free travel, even if your passport lets you visit Schengen without a visa. A D visa is what you need to move. Six months is a comfortable margin, but it is worth preparing the document package for the DGIM before you leave, because once you arrive the three-day deadline for notifying the municipality starts to run. If it is hard to work out what exactly you need in your case, a migration lawyer can help. They will tell you which category of visa and permit suits you and help you prepare for submitting your application in person at the embassy. This is especially useful for those used to travelling to Europe without a visa who now have to obtain a D visa. The consultation is suitable for employees, students and those joining family. Enter your citizenship and destination country on VisitWorld and the system will match you with a migration lawyer consultation for your situation.

Luxembourg has removed an unnecessary stage and brought the procedure in line with the common European one, but the requirements for applicants have not become any softer. A D visa must now be obtained by everyone who is relocating, including those used to visa-free travel. Luxembourg's immigration rules for 2026 will still be supplemented with clarifications, so before applying it is worth checking the details against official sources.

As a reminder: registering a business does not yet guarantee the right to live in Europe. We have already explained how this works in Poland, Slovakia and Spain in 2026.

Photo: generated with Gemini