To apply, you must express your wish to submit an application for asylum (international protection) in person to:
- the General Department of Immigration (Direction générale de l’Immigration, Service des réfugiés), which is Luxembourg’s first instance international protection body; or
- the control service (Service de contrôle) at the airport; or
- the Grand-Ducal Police; or
- if you are in a detention center, to the authorities of the center;
- if you are in a state prison, to the prison authorities.
At the time of the registration of your application, you will be asked several questions, most importantly on your identity, nationality, your marital status, the situation of your family as well as your last residence in your country of origin, and you will receive:
- an explanatory document on applications for asylum (international protection);
- information about your right to receive free assistance from an interpreter;
- information about your right to benefit from free legal aid, or to select, at your own expense, a lawyer registered with one of the bar associations in Luxembourg;
- a form and an appointment for the submission of the application.
Following this, you must go to the appointment you have been given for the submission of your application. At this appointment:
- you must submit the completed form and supporting documents so the application for asylum (international protection) can be reviewed. The data on the form are your personal data and other useful information;
- you have to hand over your identity documents and other useful documents. Identity documents are not returned if you are granted refugee status, while the other documents are. Where the status is denied, all the documents are returned to you when you are removed from Luxembourg. With the exception of identity documents, any document submitted in a language other than German, English or French must be accompanied by a translation into one of these 3 languages;
- A photograph of you will be taken;
- You will be interviewed by a judicial police officer who is responsible for verifying your identity and itinerary before arriving in Luxembourg. Your fingerprints will be taken and, if deemed necessary, a physical search may take place;
- If the authorities have an indication that another country is responsible for processing your application, you will be invited to a “Dublin” interview. During the “Dublin” interview, an agent of the Ministry will explain the “Dublin” procedure to you. You must provide any information which will help to determine which European Union country is responsible for examining your application. The questions asked during this “Dublin” interview will concern your identity, your family members, your applications for a visa, a residence permit or asylum (international protection) and your journey from your country of origin to Luxembourg. You must also present your identity documents as well as any documents in your possession which may contain useful information. You must answer all questions honestly. The “Dublin” interview is confidential.
- You may already receive an appointment for an interview with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Please note that the procedure for children travelling alone is different. For more information, check the question: “What is the procedure for unaccompanied or separated children?”.
You will receive a certificate (‘papier rose‘ – a ‘pink document‘) 3 days after submitting the application. The certificate allows you to stay in Luxembourg while your application for asylum (international protection) is being processed, as well as to move freely within Luxembourg;
The pink document (papier rose) certificate does not allow you to travel abroad, with the exception of young student applicants who are participating in a school trip abroad. If you leave Luxembourg to another European Union country without being authorized to do so and while your asylum (international protection) application is still pending in Luxembourg, the authorities of that country may have the right to return you to Luxembourg under the Dublin III regulation.
