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Luxembourg Dual Citizenship Eligibility
Three Ways to Qualify by Descent
Written by Daniel Atz, founder of LuxCitizenship and a Luxembourg citizen by descent.
Reviewed by Lauren Lowell, Head of Operations · Last reviewed 7 September 2026 · Based on the Law of 8 March 2017 on Luxembourg nationality, Articles 7 and 23. Article 89 closed on 31 December 2025; Articles 7 and 23 are permanent.
Sources
Preliminary Review
The Basics of Luxembourg Citizenship Eligibility
Before looking at the details of your Luxembourgish lineage, your ancestor must first meet two qualifying criteria. Both are about the ancestor themselves, not about how their citizenship traveled down to you.
Born in 1815 or Later
While some exceptions do exist, 1815 is the standard earliest birth year for a qualifying ancestor.
Born Within Modern-Day Luxembourg
The birthplace has to sit inside the borders of Luxembourg as they exist today, not as they existed historically.
Do you believe you meet the preliminary qualifying criteria? This is a great start! Keep reading to learn if your ancestor can serve as the qualifying basis for your Luxembourg citizenship application.
Open Pathways
Each Path to Luxembourg Citizenship Is Unique
Your specific path to Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry not only determines the Article of eligibility, but your application process, necessary paperwork, and if travel is required. Below you will find an introduction to each article and its requirements.
No Travel Required
- Anyone with an all-male lineage back to an ancestor born in Luxembourg. Citizenship passed automatically from father to son, so it was never lost between generations, OR
- Anyone born after January 1, 1969 to a woman with an all-male lineage. The woman's own lineage must be all-male behind her.
Citizenship in Luxembourg historically passed automatically from father to child, which is why a qualifying lineage is almost strictly all-male. That changed on January 1, 1969, when the law was amended to let women pass citizenship to their children as well.
In cases with a female ancestor in the lineage, the date that matters is the child's birth, not the mother's. If a woman in your lineage has an all-male lineage to Luxembourg and her child was born after January 1, 1969, citizenship was passed to the next generation, and would remain unbroken. This works at any generation (example: a grandmother whose child was born after the cutoff carries it forward the same way).
Because Article 7 is making a request for proof of citizenship you have held since birth, the application is handled entirely by mail with no trip to Luxembourg.
Travel Required
- Anyone whose parent is or was a Luxembourg citizen. Your parent's status is the entire basis of the claim — there is no lineage to trace beyond them. OR
- Anyone whose grandparent is or was a Luxembourg citizen. This holds even if your parent never received proof of Luxembourg citizenship.
Unlike Article 7, Article 23 does not focus on the gender of each of your ancestors in your lineage. Instead, it allows you to make a declaration of Luxembourg citizenship as long as you have an ancestor within two generations who is or was a Luxembourg citizen.
This path primarily allows those with female ancestors, or others who could not have citizenship automatically passed down to them, to make a declaration for Luxembourg citizenship. This path does require a brief trip to Luxembourg to submit paperwork.
Travel Required
- Anyone with a parent or grandparent (alive or deceased) who meets Article 7 eligibility criteria. When your parent or grandparent in the lineage is alive, while they are eligible to apply, too, it is not required in order for you to apply yourself.
If you are not eligible to apply through Articles 7 or 23, don't lose hope! The Article 7/23 Combination Process has allowed thousands of otherwise ineligible individuals to apply for Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry.
Example: Your grandmother has an all-male lineage to your family's Luxembourg ancestor, but because your mother was born before January 1st, 1969, she did not automatically receive Luxembourg citizenship from your grandmother. This path, while it does require travel to Luxembourg, allows you to request recognition of your grandmother's citizenship (through Article 7) and then apply for citizenship yourself (through Article 23).
Closed Pathways
Article 89 - Former Pathway
Article 89 was the original path to Luxembourg citizenship by ancestry. It closed to new applications on December 31, 2018. That leads some people to mistakenly assume Luxembourg citizenship is no longer possible. However, that closure, and the final December 31, 2025, deadline for applications already in progress, does not affect the three open pathways described above.
Check Your Eligibility Today in Five Minutes or Less!
Use our free Eligibility Tool to check your eligibility to apply for Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry. Results are delivered to your email instantly, with no commitment required.
Nuanced Eligibility Requirements
Special Eligibility Considerations
Family history and emigration is complicated, which means many of our cases don't fit a perfect mold. It is important to keep in mind a number of other factors that can impact your eligibility to apply for Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry.
Ancestors Born Before 1815
1815 is when Luxembourg was established as a Grand Duchy, making it the country it is today. Ancestors born earlier generally do not qualify, while some exceptions do exist.
Ancestors Born in Belgium
Part of what was historically Luxembourgish territory now sits in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. A birth there is typically disqualifying, but exceptions do exist. It is important to verify your ancestor's true location of birth before applying.
Ancestors Who Naturalized Abroad
If your ancestor ever naturalized as a citizen in their country of emigration, this does not disqualify your ancestor or you. What would matter is a formal renunciation of Luxembourg citizenship, which would be an exceptionally rare occurrence.
Retroactive Eligibility for Adult Children
If you qualify but your adult children do not, applying yourself can create eligibility for them. Once your citizenship is official, they become the children of a Luxembourg citizen and can apply through you under Article 23. Where a family's lineage runs out at your generation, this is often the only route that reaches the next one.
Do you have specific questions about your eligibility? Get started today by taking our Free Eligibility Test. For any additional questions, you can then contact our team directly to discuss the details of your case.
Why Work with LuxCitizenship
Qualifying Is Only the First Step
We have processed over 3,000 successful Luxembourg citizenship applications. Here is what we bring to the table.
An International Team, Including in Luxembourg
Part of our team is based in Luxembourg, with working relationships at the government departments that process our clients' applications. Most of our team are Luxembourg dual citizens themselves, having completed the process they now guide clients through.
Concierge Vital Record Advisory
Vital records in the United States and Canada are issued across thousands of jurisdictions, each with its own rules, processing times and eligibility requirements. Our record knowledge and industry connections get clients the right documents the first time, cutting months from application preparation.
Complex Case Management
Domestic and international adoptions, LGBTQ+ applicants and families, and cases built on incomplete records are all longstanding specialties of our team. Luxembourg's requirements shift over time, and we track those changes so your case is prepared to the standard being applied today.
Verified Ancestors Database
Are Your Ancestors Records Already on File?
How Many People Are Eligible?
Nine in Ten Find a Path Forward
Most people who reach out had no idea that Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry was possible, let alone that they might qualify. We analyzed five years of eligibility opinions to estimate how many descendants of Luxembourgers may still have a route available to them.
Who We Work With
A Small Team and a Personal Process
We work with individuals and families claiming Luxembourg citizenship through ancestry, with guidance built around each family's specific circumstances. Because that service is personalized, our capacity is genuinely limited, and during busy periods we prioritize by case criteria.
If we're at capacity when you reach out, we'll add you to the waitlist and contact you as soon as we can take the case on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review Answers to Our Most Common Questions
Still have questions about your eligibility? We recommend completing our free Eligibility Test first to receive your preliminary results. You can then reach out to our team with any additional questions.
Is there a deadline to apply?
No. Article 7, Article 23, and the combined 7/23 process are all open with no deadline.
My connection back to Luxembourg is through my mother. Does that disqualify me?
Not necessarily. Luxembourg law changed on January 1, 1969, to allow women to pass citizenship to their children. If you were born after that date and your mother has an all-male lineage behind her, the line reaches you.
Does my parent or grandparent need to apply before I can?
In most cases, you will be able to apply for Luxembourg citizenship through a qualifying lineage, even if your parent and/or grandparent decides not to. In some limited cases, your parent may be required to successfully obtain proof of Luxembourg citizenship first for you to become eligible to apply yourself.
Do I need to travel to Luxembourg?
Article 7 is completed entirely by mail. Article 23 and the combined 7/23 process both require a short trip to Luxembourg to finalize your application.
Will I need to give up my American citizenship?
No, Luxembourg and the U.S. allow dual citizenship, so you can maintain both your American and Luxembourg citizenships.