Passport & ID card

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The biometric passport (with fingerprints) is a travel document enabling its bearer to travel abroad.

The passport is only required to enter the territory of the countries requiring it ,(in French) namely most foreign countries outside the European Union (EU). Entry and residence visas are affixed to the passport in those foreign countries when this formality is required.

Find the procedure for requesting a biometric passport on the Citoyens (citizens) portal, Guichet.lu. This process covers the following applications in particular:

Information on the introduction of the biometric passport

After several years of a negotiation on the introduction of minimum security standards in passports and other travel documents, the Council of the European Union adopted on 13 December 2004 EC Regulation no. 2252/2004  which establishes standards for security and biometric features to be included in passports and travel documents issued by Member States.

Biometric features (photographs, fingerprints) have been introduced in Luxembourg passports in successive stages since August 2006.With regard to the digital photo, it should be noted that the quality standards (PDF) defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)must be respected, given that the European Regulation is based on these ICAO recommendations for machine-readable travel documents..

The main fingerprints to be included in the European passport are the prints of the left index finger and right index finger. Nevertheless, the European Regulation stipulates that the following people are exempt from the requirement to provide their fingerprints:

  • Children under the age of 12;
  • People who are physically incapable of providing their fingerprints.

To collate the mandatory biometric identifiers, devices that can capture and read fingerprints and automatically take a facial image of the biometric passport applicant will be made available to local authorities.. The same devices can also be used to capture the applicant's signature. This data is then electronically sent to the passport registry, enabling the central authority to personalise the travel document as quickly as possible.

This document enhances travel document security by creating a direct link between the signature, fingerprints, facial image and alphanumeric data of the individual in question when passing his or her request to the local authority.

It should be noted that biometric passports are issued on an individual basis. The passport office follows the person, one passport” rule (in accordance with Regulation EC no. 444/2009 ). Children are no longer included in their parents' passport. However, the names of parents or any person with parental authority (based on a judicial decision) are entered in the child's passport.

ID card

This section only concerns Luxembourgers abroad who apply for their ID card at an embassy. The Passport Office in Luxembourg is not responsible for ID cards.

All information regarding a Luxembourg identity card on the Guichet.lu website: