Luxembourg · Business / Startup
Luxembourg Self-employed permit
First stay: 3 yrs
Residence authorisation – self-employed worker (visa D then "travailleur indépendant")
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Self-employed permit is a business / startup route for Luxembourg. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €80 ≈ $89
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government fees€80 ≈ $89
- EUR 80 (≈ $89)Residence permit issuance fee, paid after the application is accepted.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Long-term resident status after 5 years of legal, uninterrupted residence, with stable resources and housing. Half of study time counts; seasonal, posted and transferred worker time does not.
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Immigration Directorate, Luxembourg
CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 5 years of legal residence, the last year uninterrupted, a Luxembourgish language certificate and the "Vivre ensemble" course.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Request a long-stay visa D at the Luxembourg embassy or consulate before entry, then apply for the residence permit after arrival.
Presence rulesAbsence limits
For long-term status, absences must stay under 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total over the 5 years.
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Immigration Directorate, Luxembourg
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Luxembourg, not after arriving
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant is a third-country national living abroad who will run a self-employed activity in Luxembourg.
- The activity serves the country's interest, for example through an economic need, job creation or innovative investment.
- The activity requires the applicant's presence in Luxembourg to manage the company day to day.
- Diplomas or professional qualifications required for the activity, and registration with any professional body.
What you must show1
- The applicant shows sufficient resources for the project, for example a bank statement or detailed financial portfolio.
Documents3
- A business plan and a financing plan.
- The Ministry of the Economy's agreement in principle for the business permit, where the activity needs one.
- A criminal record extract under 3 months old and travel health insurance for the visa period.
Steps3
- Apply for the long-stay visa D at a Luxembourg or Belgian embassy or consulate before entering.
- After entry, declare arrival at the commune, take a medical check and apply for the residence permit before the visa expires.
- The response time for the visa application is up to 3 months; no answer counts as refusal.
After you arrive1
- The residence permit issuance fee of EUR 80 (≈ $89) is paid after the application is accepted.
When you become tax resident
How Luxembourg decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Foreign-source income
Resident taxpayers in Luxembourg are subject to income tax on their worldwide revenues (domestic and foreign-source) and must report worldwide income, exempt and non-exempt, in their return; non-residents are taxed only on Luxembourg-source income unless they opt for resident treatment.
All tax rules for Luxembourg Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
A criminal record extract under 3 months old and travel health insurance for the visa period
- Bank account / funds
The applicant shows sufficient resources for the project, for example a bank statement or detailed financial portfolio
- Police certificate and civil documents
A criminal record extract under 3 months old and travel health insurance for the visa period
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
For third-country nationals who set up a self-employed activity in Luxembourg that serves an economic, social or cultural interest and needs their presence for day-to-day management. Needs a long-stay visa D, then a residence permit. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 80 (≈ $89) · Residence permit issuance fee, paid after the application is accepted. 2
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national living abroad who will run a self-employed activity in Luxembourg. 1
- The activity serves the country's interest, for example through an economic need, job creation or innovative investment. 1
- The activity requires the applicant's presence in Luxembourg to manage the company day to day. 1
- Diplomas or professional qualifications required for the activity, and registration with any professional body. 1
- The applicant shows sufficient resources for the project, for example a bank statement or detailed financial portfolio. 1
- A business plan and a financing plan. 1
- The Ministry of the Economy's agreement in principle for the business permit, where the activity needs one. 1
- A criminal record extract under 3 months old and travel health insurance for the visa period. 1
- Apply for the long-stay visa D at a Luxembourg or Belgian embassy or consulate before entering. 1
- After entry, declare arrival at the commune, take a medical check and apply for the residence permit before the visa expires. 1 2
- The response time for the visa application is up to 3 months; no answer counts as refusal. 1
- The residence permit issuance fee of EUR 80 (≈ $89) is paid after the application is accepted. 2
Stay
- A long-stay visa D, valid for up to one year, is needed to enter. The self-employed worker residence permit issued after arrival is valid for up to three years and is renewable on request, for up to three years each time, while the conditions remain met.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Holders may work in the self-employed activity for which the permit is granted.
Official sources
- Self-employed worker (third-country national) · Guichet.lu (Luxembourg State portal) · checked 2026-10-12
- Issuance of your first residence permit (step 2, after entry) · Ministère des Affaires intérieures / Guichet.lu · checked 2026-10-11
- Amended Law of 29 August 2008 on free movement of persons and immigration (consolidated version of 12 June 2026) · Legilux (Government of Luxembourg) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2008-08-29
- Le statut de resident de longue duree (Articles 80 a 88 of the amended law of 29 August 2008) · Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Immigration Directorate, Luxembourg · checked 2026-10-11
- Acquerir la nationalite luxembourgeoise par naturalisation · Guichet.lu (Luxembourg government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
Self-employed permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed permit | – | 3 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Startup Visa Portugal | Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Entrepreneur visa Spain | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Startup Visa Italy | Needs savings of €50k+ ≈ $56k | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Business investor permit Greece | Needs an investment of €500k+ ≈ $559k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Self-employed permit?
A fee of EUR 80 (≈ $89). Residence permit issuance fee, paid after the application is accepted.
How long can I stay on the Self-employed permit?
A long-stay visa D, valid for up to one year, is needed to enter.
Can I work on the Self-employed permit?
Yes. Holders may work in the self-employed activity for which the permit is granted.
Who can apply for the Self-employed permit?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Self-employed permit lead to permanent residence in Luxembourg?
Time on the Self-employed permit counts toward permanent residence in Luxembourg, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Self-employed permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Self-employed permit holders taxed in Luxembourg?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Self-employed permit. The standard rules apply: Resident taxpayers in Luxembourg are subject to income tax on their worldwide revenues (domestic and foreign-source) and must report worldwide income, exempt and non-exempt, in their return; non-residents are taxed only on Luxembourg-source income unless they opt for resident treatment.
More in Luxembourg
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Self-employed worker (third-country national) · Guichet.lu (Luxembourg State portal) · checked 2026-10-12
- Issuance of your first residence permit (step 2, after entry) · Ministère des Affaires intérieures / Guichet.lu · checked 2026-10-11
- Amended Law of 29 August 2008 on free movement of persons and immigration (consolidated version of 12 June 2026) · Legilux (Government of Luxembourg) · checked 2026-10-11
- Le statut de resident de longue duree (Articles 80 a 88 of the amended law of 29 August 2008) · Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Immigration Directorate, Luxembourg · checked 2026-10-11
- Acquerir la nationalite luxembourgeoise par naturalisation · Guichet.lu (Luxembourg government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.