For many of our clients, applying for a Luxembourg passport (and ID card) is the ultimate goal of going through the citizenship process. We receive many questions about this part of the citizenship application process.
Applying for a Luxembourg Passport & ID Card
Luxembourg Passport
To be eligible to apply for a Luxembourg passport, it is required that you have already applied for Luxembourg citizenship and received your certificate of nationality.
In order to obtain a Luxembourg passport, you can either go to the competent embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your residential address or the Bureau of Passports in Luxembourg City for an urgent procedure where the passport is delivered in three days’ time.
The Bureau requires applicants over the age of 12 to be physically present for the first passport application. You must make a biometric scan of your fingerprints. The cost of a Luxembourg passport is 50 Euros for a 5-year duration passport. You can pay this online via bank card or through wire transfer.
Luxembourg National ID Card
The Luxembourg national ID card looks like an American driver’s license and is now available for the first time through consulates and embassies. In Luxembourg and across the European Union, the national ID card is a legal form of identification. You can also use it for country-to-country travel within the European Union. A Luxembourg ID card is quite different than a US identity card. This is because it is a digital card with a PIN when requested.
In order to access government services in Luxembourg, you will need to have access to a government-approved e-card reader. (You will likely do this when you file taxes.) You can purchase these online, and we’re happy to help you order one and obtain a PIN code. As a resident of the USA, you will not normally need an e-ID reader. However, we understand that some clients will be eager to obtain one. Many people will find it easier to get a LuxTrust Token using the app, which is a new virtual option that doesn’t use the reader.
Note, however, that ID cards (which are good for 10 years) are applied for at the ID Card Center at Centre des technologies de l’information de l’état (CTIE) if you go in person to Luxembourg City, not the passport office. For those trying the expedited passport option, it might be easier just to skip the ID since it’s not necessary to have outside of Europe. It is separately possible to expedite an ID card.
Info for consular jurisdictions when applying for Passports and (e)-IDs:
- Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington: The Consulate General of Luxembourg in San Francisco for visas and passports;
- Residents of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont: The Consulate General of Luxembourg in New York for visas and passports;
- And residents of all other states, Mexico, and Canada should refer to the Embassy of Luxembourg in Washington, D.C.
LuxCitizenship clients will receive more information on obtaining a passport and ID when they get citizenship. To see if you’re eligible for citizenship, check out our eligibility test to see if you could get started working with us.