Acquisition of Luxembourg nationality – the case of the ancestor
The Luxembourgish passport has never been so attractive. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, the Luxembourg passport is one of the most ‘powerful’ in the world. It is ranked 4th in the world, on a par with Italy and Finland.
The Luxembourgish passport gives access to 189 destinations without a visa.
No wonder the famous article 7 of the law on the acquisition of the Luxembourgish nationality, which allows people who have a Luxembourgish ancestor to reclaim the nationality has been popular the past couple of years.
From 2008 to 2018, being a direct descendant of a Luxembourgish grandparent born at least on 1 January 1900 was a direct route to Luxembourg nationality.
The rule has now changed slightly, but the enthusiasm for naturalisation remains.
Despite the rather small number of Luxembourgers, there is a relatively large diaspora of Luxembourgers, both in Europe and elsewhere, most notably overseas in North America.
Indeed, Luxembourgers immigrated to the US in three major waves. Many settled in places like Wisconsin and Illinois. There are therefore many Luxembourg descendants in the United States of America, and many of those are now trying to reclaim the nationality of their ancestor.
Legal basis
Article 7 of the Law of 8 March 2017 on Luxembourg nationality, as amended (hereafter « the Law») states that:
- “(1) Birth in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg before 19 April 1939 establishes Luxembourg nationality.
- (2)Each year on 1st January, the date referred to in the preceding paragraph is incremented by one year.”
Individuals who have an all-male family lineage that goes back to a male ancestor from Luxembourg can apply.
In some cases, individuals whose mother had an all-male lineage before her can also benefit from Article 7 of the Law.
The application
Once you have concluded that you may indeed benefit from article 7, you must prepare your application and gather some documents evidencing the situation.
Required documents for an application include.
- The formal application in writing
- A birth certificate
- ID card /Passport
- Birth certificate and marriage certificate of every male ancestor up to the Luxembourgish ancestor
- Death certificate of the Luxemburgish ancestor
Those documents do not need to be originals but shall be true certified copies
Timing
The law initially only allowed applications to be submitted until the end of 2018. However, those concerned now have an additional period in which to validate their application with the civil registrar,
While the date was initially set for the end of 2023, they will now have until 31 December 2025 to travel to the Grand Duchy and affix their signature.
Applications may be sent by post to the Ministry of Justice at the following address:
Ministère de la Justice
13, rue Erasme
L-1468 Luxembourg
Processing time of the application takes between 2 to 8 months in total.
Additionally, you may want to seek the assistance of a lawyer or an organization that specializes in immigration and refugee issues to help you navigate the process.
If you too want to access the golden sesame and have a Luxembourg ancestor, CERNO LAW FIRM has the necessary expertise to advise and assist you with application for the Luxembourg nationality.
