Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC: Ultimate Visa Guide

Luxembourg

What makes this tiny European country special is the historical fact that the Schengen Agreement was named after one of its town ‘Schengen’, a small wine-making area and commune in the far south-eastern country. Luxembourg is one of the five founding members of the Schengen area. A resident of the USA—who isn’t a permanent citizen—requires a Luxembourg Schengen Visa from Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC or its consulates in other cities of the USA to enter the country if he intends to stay in the country for up to 90 days.

Luxembourg is a territory of 2,586 km2 inhabited by 575,747 residents. Despite being such a tiny nation, the country is the second richest country in terms of per capita income whereas it has the highest minimum wages in Europe.

Schengen Area

The Schengen Area refers to a territory where the free movement of persons is guaranteed.  The 26 signatory States to the Agreement have abolished all internal borders in lieu of a single external border.  In the Schengen Area, common rules and procedures are applied with regard to visas for short-stays, asylum requests, and border controls.  Simultaneously, cooperation and coordination between Police services and judicial authorities guarantee security. Schengen cooperation was incorporated into the European Union (EU) legal framework by the Treaty of Amsterdam of 1997.

Difference between Embassy and Consulate?

Both embassy and consulate refer to a government’s representation in a foreign country. However, there are some differences between the nature of the tasks and functions performed by them.

A country is authorized to open only one embassy in a foreign country whereas it can open a number of consulates in the various cities of the foreign country.

Furthermore, an embassy usually has big representation in terms of staff whereas consulate is a smaller version of the embassy.

An embassy is always located in the capital city whereas consulates are open in big cities and not in the capital.

Embassies are permanent diplomatic mission but consulate isn’t.

Embassies deal with major diplomatic tasks whereas consulates usually deal with minor diplomatic tasks.

Applying for Luxembourg Schengen Visa from the United States

A permanent citizen of the USA does not require a visa if s/he intends to visit Luxembourg for a period not surpassing 90 days. However, if the stay exceeds over 90 days period of time, then the applicant would apply for Luxembourg residence permit and this one will vary upon the final purpose of the stay.

Jurisdiction of Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC

The embassy in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic representation of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada.

For immediate assistance in Mexico and Canada please refer to:

Mexico*: The embassy of Belgium for short stay visas only. Any other matter is to be addressed to our Embassy in DC or Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco

Canada*: The embassy of Belgium for short stay visas only. Any other matter is to be addressed to our Embassy in DC or Luxembourg Consulates General in New York and San Francisco

*Luxembourg citizens residing either in Mexico or in Canada who must get a new passport shall either go to our embassy in Washington, one of Luxembourg consulates general in San Francisco or New York or back to Luxembourg City since the taking of fingerprints is mandatory.

Types of Visas Offered at the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC

Usually, officials at the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC issues two types of visa to the applicant. They are:

Schengen Visa

The holder of the Schengen Visa can navigate freely in as many as 26 member states of the Schengen Agreement for up to 90 days. A Schengen Visa is further classified into sub-categories depending upon the applicant’s nature of the purpose.

A Schengen Visa is issued as single, double or multiple entry allowing its holder to enter the host nation as many times as the visa allows.

National Visa

A citizen or resident of the USA will apply for Luxembourg National Visa if he/she intends to stay in the country for a period exceeding 90 days. A national visa can be issued for the purpose of the study, residence, medical, etc.

Visa Application Process at the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC

After pigeonholing the category of your visa in accord with the nature of the visit and finding accurate embassy or consulate, you simply need to follow these five steps to get approval from the corresponding office.

Before we move to the steps, you need to understand that embassies and consulates usually take up to 15 days to process a visa application. However, the aforementioned duration is not an absolute law. The processing time for your visa application could take longer than 15 days depending upon the nature of the visa you are applying for.

You can apply any time from 90 days prior before your departure.

Step one: Email Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC

To apply, the applicant will send an e-mail summarizing the purpose of his/her trip with the following documents in attachment in either PDF or JPEG format at least 15 days before the intended departure date:

• Copy of the two main pages of your national passport
• Copy of your valid US visa or valid US Lawful Permanent Resident Card

The Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC will generate a response within two business days with information about the procedure to be followed.

Step Two: Prepare Documents

Application form: Download the application form and fill the information with utmost care.

Attach two latest photographs with the application form. Also, attach with the visa application form original passport and copies of visas previously issued. The passport must contain at least two blank pages for affixing the visa.

Other important documents are as follow:

Roundtrip Flight Itinerary for visa application: Acquire a verifiable roundtrip flight itinerary detailing your entrance and departure date from Luxembourg.

Travel Visa Health Insurance: Almost all the Schengen states have made travel visa health insurance mandatory. A travel medical insurance for visa application must cover minimum expenditures equivalent to 30,000 euros in case of any medical complication. Also, the insurance document should clearly illustrate the insured person, the validity and duration of the insurance and the benefits offered by the company.

Hotel Booking Reservation/Proof of accommodation: Just like travel medical insurance and roundtrip flight itinerary, proof of accommodation is also a mandatory document for the visa application.

The aforesaid document specifies the applicant’s place of residence in the host nation. It includes:

A hotel/hostel booking; and

A rental agreement; and

A letter of invitation from a host at whose house you will be staying.

Bank statement/proof of financial means: Embassies or consulates demand this document to establish whether the applicant is financially able to support his/her trip or not. The documents may include a six-month bank statement or a letter of sponsorship.

Cover Letter: This document summarizes applicant’s intention of traveling to the host nation before the diplomatic staffers of Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC.

Means of subsistence: The applicant provides proof the diplomatic staffers that he/she possesses enough monetary resources to fully fund expenditures during the course of stay in the host nation.

For Luxembourg, the amount stands at 65 euros/day if the foreigner, seeking entry in France, displays proof of prepaid accommodation. It plummets to 45 euros per day if the applicant is going to stay in cheaper hotels.

Language Preference Form: While filling Luxembourg Schengen Visa Application Form, authorities offer the applicant to fill the form in any of the three national languages (French, German and Dutch). If the applicant wants to proceed in English, then he will select “no preference”.

Explaining relation with a sponsor (if any) and the reasons for sponsorship. An overview of the applicant’s flight itinerary.

In case applicant fails to produce a document, then he tells the reasons and explains the alternative documents (that he/she might have submitted).

Affidavit of Support: This piece of paper is demanded by the staffers of the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC or consulate when the applicant does not possess a valid bank account or lacks sufficient financial means to support his/her stay in the Schengen Area.

In the aforementioned context, the relative or friend of the applicant—who is also a permanent resident of the host nation—penned down affidavit of support for the applicant.

Proof of paid visa fee: €60 for adults and €35 for children from 6 to 12 years old. These fees are not reimbursable in case visa application gets rejected.

If employed:

Employment contract; and

Current bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Leave permission from the employer; and

Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary; and

Letter of Invitation.

If self-employed:

A copy of your business license; and

Company bank statement of the latest 6 months; and

Income Tax Return (ITR).

If a student:

Proof of enrollment; and

No-objection certificate from school or university.

If retired:

Pension statement of the latest 6 months.

If applicable:

Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months.

*Note: The signed application form must be accompanied the rest of the above-mentioned mandatory documents and handed personally at the appropriate embassy/consulate or its representative in your home country.

Apart from the general documentation required, accompanying should be other additional documents depending on the nature of your visa application.

Valid US alien registration card or valid US resident visa including permission to re-enter. Must be valid for 3 months past trip.

Recent nationwide criminal history check.

US work permit

Confirmation of participation in any type of event or activity

Self-addressed, pre-paid US express mail envelope (if applicable)

Step Three: Submit your file

Once you are done with the aforesaid steps, follow these simple points for submitting visa application:

• Try to reach Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC at the earliest possible official hours.
• Dress appropriately.
• Answer all the interview questions with confidence, calm and ease. If the interviewer wants to confirm any of the documents or details, he/she might field some extra questions before you.

As of May 15, 2014, each individual applying for a Schengen visa in the USA must appear in person, so that the necessary biometric data – ten fingerprints and a digital photo – can be collected. The biometric data are stored for a period of 59 months and can possibly be reused. This means that future applications during that period of time may be filed through correspondence, provided your data are of good quality and can be retrieved from the VIS.

• New York, Atlanta, and Washington: visaonweb.diplomatie.be (printed application form and documentation must be sent by postal mail or courier service
• New York: by postal mail or courier service only

Exemptions for the fingerprinting requirements are granted to:

• Children under the age of twelve;
• Persons for whom the collection of fingerprints is physically impossible;
• Heads of State and members of National Governments and their accompanying spouses, as well as the members of their official delegation when invited by Member States’ governments or by international organizations for an official purpose.

Furthermore, the applicant can extract the aforementioned data from the Visa Information System (VIS) if he/she has submitted it within the duration of five months. In such a case, you can forward application either by mail or courier.

Step Four: Receive Your Visa

As mentioned earlier, Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC usually takes up to 15 days to process your visa application.  The Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC will notify you once they arrive on a decision on your visa application. The applicant has the option to collect his passport and visa (in case the application is approved) via UPS or USPS in the envelope that the applicant has provided.

Possible Reasons for Visa Rejections

We wish you all the best for your visa application and hope that you’ll receive your Luxembourg Visa along with the passport. However, there is a number of reasons upon which the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington DC might reject your application. These reasons include (but are not limited to):

The applicant forget to sign the application

Invalid passport

Damaged passport

Invitation Letter is missing

Sponsorship Letter is missing

NOC is missing

Embassy fails in establishing a clear reason for your travel

Address

2200 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Telephone : (202) 265-4171

Fax : (202) 328-8270

E-mail: luxembassy.was@mae.etat.lu

Click here for the embassy location map.

Business hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.