Accreditation of an Ambassador

Accreditation procedure for an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Any candidature for the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary must emanate from a diplomatic mission. This request for agrément consists of a verbal note in French, English or German, accompanied by the curriculum vitae of the person concerned. In the case of a non-resident ambassador, a candidature may only be submitted if the person concerned has already obtained the agrément of the country of residence.

The Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery transmits the request for agrément to the Grand Ducal Palace.

Upon receipt of the response from the Marshal of the Court, the Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery informs the diplomatic mission, by verbal note, whether His Royal Highness the Grand Duke has granted his approval to the choice made by the foreign government.

Once informed of this agrément, the diplomatic mission submits, by verbal note to the Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery, a request for the presentation of the Letters of Credence to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke. In the case of a non-resident ambassador, this request may only be made after the Letters of Credence have been presented to the Head of State of the country of residence. The date of this presentation must be communicated to the Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery.

The Directorate then transmits the request for an audience for the presentation of the Letters to the Grand Ducal Palace.

The accrediting State takes the necessary steps to prepare the Letters of Credence of the future ambassador and, where appropriate, the Letters of Recall of the predecessor.

The Grand Ducal Palace sets a date for the presentation of the Letters of Credence to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke, and the Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery informs the diplomatic missions accordingly. On that occasion, five ambassadors, in principle, present their Letters successively to the Head of State, each in separate audiences.

According to established practice in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the accreditation of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary normally takes place over two days. The first day is devoted to a courtesy visit to the Marshal of the Court and to the handing over of copies of the Letters to the Chief of Protocol. The second day is reserved for the presentation of the original Letters to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke at the Grand Ducal Palace.

The Directorate of Protocol and Chancellery contacts the diplomatic missions according to the established order of precedence to draw up the list of heads of mission participating in the next audience. The ambassador’s precedence is determined by the date of the verbal note addressed to the Ministry requesting an audience for the presentation of the Letters of Credence to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke.