How children born in Luxembourg can acquire dual citizenship

What is dual citizenship?

Dual citizenship has been available in Luxembourg since 1 January 2009, allowing residents to acquire additional citizenships without relinquishing their original one.

As a Luxembourg resident – and consequently a European Union citizen if you weren’t already – you have the right to live, work, and retire anywhere in the EU without needing a visa.

In addition, the Luxembourgish nationality grants other perks, such as the  'travel freedom'. Indeed, ranked as the 4th strongest passport globally in 2025, the Luxembourgish passport grants visa-free access to 191 destinations.

Now, there are multiple ways for children to acquire the Luxembourgish nationality, which are all listed on myguichet.lu, along with their eligibility criteria. The most common choices are by option, by the law of Article 7, or by naturalisation.

Citizenship by option or descent

A child over the age of 12 who was born in Luxembourg and has lived here for at least five consecutive years before applying may qualify for citizenship by option.

However, children born after July 2013 must also meet an additional condition: their non-Luxembourgish parent or adoptive parent must have legally resided in Luxembourg for at least 12 months prior to the child's birth.

Alternatively, Luxembourgish nationality can be acquired by descent if one of the child’s parents or grandparents already holds Luxembourgish nationality. In such cases, the only requirement is a personal visit to Luxembourg.

The option declaration is also available to children who have completed at least seven years in the Luxembourgish educational system or any school operating in Luxembourg.

In both cases there is no need for a Luxembourgish language certificate. The necessary documents include a birth certificate, a copy of the child's passport, biographical and criminal records, and, for citizenship by descent, statements from their relatives.

Moreover, the process is free of charge, and the documents can be submitted online via myguichet.lu.

Citizenship through the law of Article 7

Under the law of Article 7, you may be eligible for Luxembourgish nationality if your family heritage can be traced back to a male ancestor born in Luxembourg.

Eligibility also requires that your Luxembourgish last name has been passed down through paternal lineage in each generation.

While the article primarily relies on paternal lineage, you can still apply if your mother's Luxembourgish last name followed the same father-to-son transmission across generations.

Even if you do not carry your mother's maiden name, your relationship to her establishes the connection to your Luxembourgish roots.

If the child has a deceased parent or grandparent who would have been eligible to have their Luxembourgish citizenship recognised under Article 7 while alive, this also serves as a criterion for applying for nationality.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for the citizenship, there is a helpful test you can take to understand what your options are.

Citizenship by naturalisation

Children who moved to Luxembourg before turning 18 can apply for Luxembourgish nationality if they meet the following requirements: they must have lived in Luxembourg for at least five consecutive years, demonstrate proficiency in Luxembourgish through an official certificate, and have completed or studied the content of the Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg course. As with the option process, the applications can be submitted via myguichet.lu.

The Luxembourgish language test or a certificate confirming participation in a language course can cost up to €75. However, some test fees may be refundable – further details are available on the respective websites.

The INLL, the National Institute for Languages Luxembourg in Belval,  also offers these language courses. The language test comprises a spoken and a listening module: candidates must achieve a spoken level of A2 with at least 50% in the spoken section, while the listening level can be B1.

If the listening score falls below 50%, it can be balanced by higher results in the spoken test, but the reverse is not possible.

Lastly,  completing the Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg course is mandatory. This course certifies that future Luxembourgish nationals possess knowledge of fundamental citizen rights, the state and local institutions of the Grand Duchy, as well as Luxembourg’s history and European integration.

The Ministry of Justice Nationality Office is your contact point for further questions.