Luxembourg EU Blue Card for highly qualified employees 2026

A residence authorisation and then a residence permit are required for any third-country national who wants to settle in Luxembourg for more than three months to work as a highly qualified employee, whether coming from abroad, already living in Luxembourg without having worked there, or wanting to move into a sector not yet covered by an existing permit. The final permit is called the EU Blue Card and is issued by the Directorate General for Immigration.

Before applying, the employer must first declare the vacancy to the national employment agency, though highly qualified positions are exempt from the labour-market test that applies to other work permits. To qualify, the applicant needs a signed job contract of at least 6 months for highly qualified work, a proposed salary at or above the legally set annual threshold, and documents proving the professional qualifications the role requires.

The process runs in two steps. Before entering the country, the applicant applies for a temporary residence authorisation from abroad, attaching a passport copy, a criminal record extract, a CV, proof of qualifications and the signed job contract. Once granted, that temporary authorisation is valid for a short period during which the applicant travels to Luxembourg, registers with the local municipality, completes a medical check, and then applies online or by post for the EU Blue Card residence permit itself.

Applications can be submitted at any time once a qualifying job contract is in place; there is no fixed intake.