What level of Luxembourgish do you need for citizenship?

To become Luxembourgish by naturalisation you need spoken Luxembourgish at level A2 and listening at level B1 — tested in the Sproochentest — plus the 'Vivre ensemble' course. Some routes are exempt. Exactly what is tested, how you pass, and who doesn't have to take it, from the official sources.

Updated · 4 min read

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The Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg, where the nationality law is voted
Photo: Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0, resized.

In short: A2 speaking (about 10 minutes) and B1 listening (35 minutes) at the Sproochentest; you pass with half the points in speaking — or, if speaking falls short, when the average of both parts reaches half (INL, nationality law, art. 15). Nothing is written and nothing is read.

What A2 and B1 mean here

  • Speaking at A2: you talk about everyday life in simple, clear sentences — family, home, work, free time, life in Luxembourg — and describe a picture. Nobody expects perfect grammar. Details and model sentences: Sproochentest speaking (A2).
  • Listening at B1: you follow the main points of a radio-style message, an everyday conversation and an exchange on a subject, and answer multiple-choice questions on a tablet. See Sproochentest listening (B1).
  • What these levels look like in practice — what you can say and understand — is in CEFR levels explained.

Ech sinn an engem Cours, fir Lëtzebuergesch ze léieren.

Literally: I'm on a course to learn Luxembourgish.

Meaning: A sentence you will say at the test. léieren — to learn.

The test in practice

Speaking (A2)Listening (B1)
Lengthabout 10 minutes35 minutes
Formatconversation on one of two topics, then one of three picturesthree recordings, multiple choice on a tablet
PracticeINL mock exam; speaking guideINL sample with key; listening guide
  • Fee: €75, refunded once you have filed your nationality application (Guichet.lu).
  • Registration: online on MyINL; sessions fill quickly.
  • Retakes: as often as you need; the certificate never expires (INL FAQ).
  • Where: at the INL in Luxembourg-Glacis or in Belval.

The other conditions for naturalisation

  1. 5 years of legal residence in Luxembourg, the last year without interruption, and being of age (Guichet.lu);
  2. the Sproochentest certificate;
  3. the Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg course or its exam: 24 free hours on fundamental rights, the State and the communes, and Luxembourg's history and European integration.

You apply in person at your commune's registry office; the procedure itself is free, and the Minister of Justice decides within eight months of a complete file (Guichet.lu).

Wann een eng nei Identitéitskaart brauch, muss een se op der Gemeng ufroen.

Literally: If you need a new ID card, you have to apply for it at the commune.

Meaning: The words for the procedure: law and government, office and administration.

Who doesn't need the Sproochentest

  • 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg (public school or a private school following the public curriculum), with 12 months of residence just before the declaration: no Sproochentest and no Vivre ensemble;
  • 20 years of legal residence (the last year uninterrupted): a 24-hour introductory course in Luxembourgish replaces the test and Vivre ensemble;
  • a Luxembourgish parent or grandparent: no residence condition and no test;
  • health reasons: the minister can exempt someone whose physical or mental health makes learning Luxembourgish impossible, on a specialist's certificate.

These are option procedures (Guichet.lu). Marriage to a Luxembourger, being the parent of a Luxembourgish minor, or having arrived before the age of 18 also open options — but they still require the Sproochentest and Vivre ensemble. The old exemption for people living in Luxembourg before 31 December 1984 is no longer in the law.

Bei eis am Land kann een zwou Nationalitéiten hunn.

Literally: In our country you can have two nationalities.

Meaning: Whether you can keep your first nationality depends on your other country's law — check before you apply.

How to get to A2/B1

  1. Do the INL mock exam to see where you stand (INL).
  2. Follow a plan: the 60-day Sproochentest plan — 30 minutes a day.
  3. Learn the topic words: family, home, work, free time, weather.
  4. Master the core verbs: sinn, hunn, wunnen, schaffen, goen, kommen — and the past tense.
  5. Use your rights: up to 200 hours of paid language leave (Guichet.lu) — see free ways to learn.
  6. Practise the conversation with a person. On Edluxio you book 1-to-1 online lessons with independent teachers, among them native Luxembourgish speakers in Luxembourg who know the test; a trial lesson is refunded in full if the first one isn't right for you.

The Sproochentest vocabulary, 16 words at a time

16Word's Sproochentest path covers the exam's everyday topics with native LOD recordings and a Blocks game between answers — from any of 36 languages. Free to start.

Keep learning

Questions about Luxembourgish for citizenship

What level of Luxembourgish do you need for citizenship?

A2 in speaking and B1 in listening, tested in the Sproochentest. There is no written part.

How do you pass the Sproochentest?

With at least half the points in speaking, or — if speaking falls short — when the average of speaking and listening, rounded up, reaches half the points (article 15 of the nationality law).

Who is exempt from the Sproochentest?

Among others: people with 7 years of schooling in Luxembourg, people with 20 years of legal residence (who take a 24-hour introductory course instead), people with a Luxembourgish parent or grandparent, and people exempted for health reasons.

How much does the Sproochentest cost?

€75, refunded once you have filed your nationality application, according to Guichet.lu.

How many years do you need to live in Luxembourg for naturalisation?

Five years of legal residence, the last year without interruption.

Official sources

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