LuxCitizenship is proud to be one of the main sponsors of ACLUX, the Association of Luxembourg Citizens in Brazil. As proud sponsors, we’re happy to share that the organization will host its 3rd Biennial Meetup of Luxembourgish Families on July 18th, 2026, in São José, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
Since Luxembourg passed its dual citizenship law in 2009, the number of Luxembourgish citizens in the Americas has grown from barely 3,000 to over 57,000 as of June 2026. The largest share of that growth has been in Brazil, where the number of Luxembourg citizens reached 33,853 as of June 30th, 2026. This makes Brazil the country with the most Luxembourg citizens in residence living outside the Grand Duchy, second only to Luxembourg’s neighbor France (36,307). As this population has grown, many people have sought to build community around their often newly rediscovered cultural identity and citizenship — and this biennial meetup serves as the perfect forum.
The full-day event will bring together Luxembourgish citizens, families, community leaders, and speakers for discussions on education, innovation, dual citizenship, and relations between Europe and South America. For the first time ever, the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Brasília will also participate officially in the event, and LuxCitizenship founder Daniel Atz will return as one of the speakers.
From Citizenship Recovery to an Organized Community
Southern Brazil has become one of the most important centers of Luxembourgish life outside Europe. While the Luxembourgish government makes no exact figures available, anecdotal evidence and our own surveys suggest that the greatest concentration of new dual citizens sits between the southern Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Paraná. Many belong to families whose Luxembourgish ancestors arrived in Brazil in the nineteenth century, and whose descendants recovered citizenship generations later.
ACLUX has played a central role in that development. Its gatherings have created a space not only to celebrate Luxembourgish heritage, but also to discuss what it means to participate in Luxembourgish life from abroad. At the second South American gathering in 2024, the conversation had already expanded to questions of moving to Luxembourg, economic ties, political participation, and greater cooperation among Luxembourgish citizens across the Americas. The 2026 gathering comes at an important moment for ACLUX itself.
Santa Catarina Formally Recognizes ACLUX’s Role
In November 2025, the Legislative Assembly of the State of Santa Catarina formally recognized ACLUX as an organization of State Public Utility. The measure was passed unanimously and grants the association a status of state recognition equivalent to a non-profit, or an ASBL in Luxembourg. This does not make ACLUX a government body; rather, it is a formal recognition under Santa Catarina law that the organization serves a broader public and community interest.
The larger significance is that an association created to organize Luxembourgish citizens and descendants in Brazil is no longer being treated simply as an informal heritage group. The State of Santa Catarina has formally recognized ACLUX’s role in civil society and the public value of its work.
At the same time, the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina is considering a separate bill to create a broader state policy for officially strengthening relations with Luxembourg, which LuxCitizenship first reported on in 2025. The bill would create a State Week of Luxembourgish Culture around June 23 (Luxembourg’s National Day), a literature and research contest, a bicentennial celebration program for 2028, a research center on Luxembourgish immigration, and initiatives to promote the teaching of the Luxembourgish language — possibly one of the only known efforts to promote Luxembourgish through government policy anywhere outside Europe. The bill has advanced through several steps in the legislative process and is currently under review in the Assembly’s Constitution and Justice Committee.
LuxCitizenship Returns to the Gathering
Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina, is believed to be the city with the most important concentration of Luxembourg dual citizens by ancestry in the Americas. LuxCitizenship founder Daniel Atz first visited the city in 2023, and our company has been actively participating in and sponsoring ACLUX events and programs ever since.
At LuxCitizenship, we believe there is strength in community, and that it is only natural to build as many partnerships as possible between Luxembourg dual citizens in the US and Brazil. By once again taking part in this year’s meetup, we hope to help further the discussion of how these Luxembourgish communities can work together and build stronger bridges.
