COVID-19 travel restrictions for non-EU citizens in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is quite restrictive regarding the entry of non-EU citizens into the country during the COVID-19 crisis.

Third-country nationals may not enter the territory of the Grand Duchy until 30 September 2021 inclusively, except for the following categories of exempted persons and residents of the following third countries:

• Australia;
• China, Hong Kong and Macao (subject to reciprocity at EU level);
• South Korea;
• Israel;
• Japan;
• New Zealand;
• Rwanda;
• Singapore;
• Thailand.

The following categories of third-country nationals are also allowed to enter the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg:

1. nationals of third countries who have long-term resident status in accordance with European Directive 2003/109/EC on long-term residents, as well as any other person with a right of residence in accordance with European directives, and the national law of a EU member state and the countries associated with the Schengen area, or who hold a long-term national visa from one of the above-mentioned states;
2. health professionals, health researchers and professionals involved in the care of the elderly;
3. cross-border workers;
4. seasonal workers in agriculture; 
5. people employed in the transport sector;
6. members of the diplomatic corps, personnel of international organisations and persons invited by such international organisations whose physical presence is required for the proper functioning of those organisations, military personnel, personnel in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid, and civil defence personnel in the exercise of their respective functions;
7. transit passengers;
8. passengers travelling for urgent and duly justified family reasons;
9. sailors;
10. persons wishing to apply for international protection in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg or for other humanitarian reasons;
11. third-country nationals travelling for study purposes;
12. highly qualified third-country workers if their employment is economically necessary and their work cannot be postponed or carried out from abroad.

The persons referred to in points 8, 11 and 12 of the categories listed above must have a specific certificate. To this end, they must make an express request by e-mail (service.visas@mae.etat.lu) to the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office, for this certificate to be issued.

Once the certificate is obtained, the common health measures for air travel remain the same as for all other travellers. Before boarding a flight to Luxembourg, it is compulsory to present:

• a vaccination certificate attesting to a complete vaccination schedule carried out with a vaccine that has been granted a marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (i.e. the vaccines of the companies AstraZeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer, Johnson&Johnson and Moderna, issued by a public or medical authority);
• or a certificate of recovery issued by a medical doctor or national authority for persons who have had a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection within six months prior to travel and who have completed the applicable isolation period in the respective country with the disappearance of all symptoms of infection;
• or the negative result (on paper or electronically) of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA (PCR,

TMA or LAMP methods) carried out less than 72 hours before the flight or of a SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test carried out less than 48 hours before the flight, by a medical analysis laboratory or any other body authorised for this purpose. The negative result of the test must be presented, if necessary accompanied by a translation, in one of the administrative languages of Luxembourg or in English, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese.

Therefore, the categories of professionals listed above who are third-country nationals (such as Ukrainian citizens) may travel to Luxembourg by presenting a vaccination certificate attesting to a complete vaccination schedule carried out with a vaccine that has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency. Among these professionals, highly qualified third-country workers – who may travel to Luxembourg if their employment is economically necessary and their work cannot be postponed or carried out from abroad – must obtain the certificate mentioned above from the Passport, Visa and Legalisation Office.

Luxembourg is one of the 15 EU member states that now issue the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC). The EU member countries issuing the EUDCC are the following; Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain.