Deportation & Immigration · Luxembourg
Find a deportation lawyer in Luxembourg who works before the administrative courts
Removal and residence cases in the Grand Duchy are decided in a separate administrative order, in a written French-language procedure. Tell us what has happened and we match you with a lawyer who handles these files — free of charge and with no obligation.
- Challenges heard by the Tribunal administratif and, on appeal, the Cour administrative
- Lawyers registered with one of the two Luxembourg Bars: Luxembourg or Diekirch
- Legal aid available to people of insufficient means, including for administrative cases
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Deportation law in Luxembourg
When a decision threatens your right to stay in Luxembourg
An order to leave the country, a refused residence permit or a decision ending your right to remain can unsettle your work, your family and your children’s schooling. Luxembourg handles these disputes in a separate administrative order rather than in the ordinary civil courts, and the written procedure is conducted in French even though three languages are used at hearings. Because official time limits for administrative actions are counted in months and not years, the first conversation usually matters most. Describe your situation in a few lines and we match you, free of charge, with a deportation lawyer in Luxembourg who works before the Tribunal administratif and the Cour administrative.
Luxembourg in practice
How deportation and administrative cases actually work in Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy has its own court structure, its own two Bars and a trilingual legal culture. These are the practical features that shape a removal or residence case filed in Luxembourg.
Two Bars, one compulsory roll
To practise law in Luxembourg you must be entered on the roll (tableau) of one of the two Bars: the Barreau de Luxembourg or the Barreau de Diekirch. Lawyers are the only professionals admitted to represent parties before the courts and the only ones allowed to give legal consultations as a habitual paid activity, and they are bound by professional secrecy protected by criminal law.
The administrative order, not the civil courts
Disputes over administrative decisions are heard by the Tribunal administratif at first instance and by the Cour administrative on appeal, alongside the ordinary judicial order that handles civil and criminal matters. Before the administrative courts the ministère d’avoué is in principle mandatory, which means representation by an ‘avocat à la Cour’ entered on List I of a Luxembourg Bar.
What your case will cost
Luxembourg charges no court fees to the State for bringing proceedings, so the real cost lies in lawyers’ fees and, where relevant, bailiffs, notaries and experts. Fees are not set by an official tariff: the lawyer determines them under Article 38 of the Law of 10 August 1991 in agreement with you. A losing party may be ordered to pay costs, but each side normally bears its own lawyer’s fees unless the court awards a procedural indemnity.
Legal aid for limited means
Legal aid (assistance judiciaire) is open to natural persons of insufficient means and covers lawyers’, notaries’, bailiffs’ and translators’ fees in civil, commercial and administrative cases and in criminal matters. It may be total or partial (50% or 25%). The application is decided by the Bâtonnier of the Bar of your place of residence or, for non-residents, by the Bâtonnier of the Barreau de Luxembourg.
Language and written procedure
Luxembourg has three administrative languages — French, German and Luxembourgish — but procedural documents must be drafted in French, while hearings may be held in any of the three, with court translation paid for by the State. Legislation and the official journal are published in French through Legilux, so a working command of French is essential when litigating.
Why speed matters
An action against an administrative decision is brought before the Tribunal administratif, and official guidance sets the general time limit for such an action at three months. Other periods vary widely by subject matter, from three years for wage claims to thirty years for general civil claims, so a file should be assessed as soon as the decision is notified.
Procedural, cost and deadline information on this page is drawn from official Luxembourg bodies and the European e-Justice Portal (Ministry of Justice, Guichet.lu, Legilux, ITM), checked in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Luxembourg
- Ministry of Justice — The legal profession (avocat)
- Guichet.lu — Lawyers’ fees and legal aid
- European e-Justice Portal — Access to justice in Luxembourg
- Legilux — Civil Code (limitation periods)
- ITM — Notice periods for dismissal and resignation
- Guichet.lu — Termination of a residential lease
- Guichet.lu — Filing a succession declaration
- Guichet.lu — Administrative and judicial remedies
- Ministry of Justice — Succession
The problem
What makes a removal case difficult in Luxembourg
Most people do not lose these cases because the facts are weak, but because the response is late, in the wrong form or before the wrong body.
The decision has already arrived
A refusal, withdrawal or order to leave usually comes as a written administrative act that states its reasoning and the remedies open to you. It also starts the clock. Understanding exactly what is being decided, and by whom, is the first step.
The clock is running in months
Administrative actions are subject to their own timetable, and official guidance puts the general period for an action before the Tribunal administratif at three months. Delay in gathering documents or finding representation narrows what remains possible.
Procedure is written and in French
Procedural documents in Luxembourg must be drafted in French, even though hearings may be conducted in French, German or Luxembourgish and the State pays for court translation. A lawyer who appears regularly in the administrative order handles that drafting without losing time.
How we help
Matching you with the right Luxembourg lawyer
You describe the situation once; we identify lawyers whose practice covers it and who are registered with a Luxembourg Bar.
A short, structured questionnaire
You tell us what decision you received, when it was notified and what is at stake — work, family, studies or residence. A few minutes is enough for us to understand which specialism your file needs.
Lawyers admitted in the Grand Duchy
We match you with lawyers entered on the roll of the Barreau de Luxembourg or the Barreau de Diekirch, the two Bars of the Grand Duchy. Only lawyers on these rolls may represent parties before the courts of any kind.
Administrative-court experience
Because these cases go to the Tribunal administratif with appeal to the Cour administrative, and representation there in principle requires an ‘avocat à la Cour’ on List I, we look for lawyers who actually practise in that order.
Costs explained before you commit
There are no State court fees for bringing proceedings in Luxembourg, but lawyers set their own fees by agreement. Your lawyer explains the basis of the fee, and legal aid may cover all or part of it if your means are insufficient.
Cross-border situations
Cases with a link to another European country
Many people living in Luxembourg come from, or have family in, a neighbouring or other European state, which is why residence files often need a lawyer who can work across borders as well as before the Luxembourg administrative courts.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a deportation lawyer in Luxembourg?
Tell us about the decision you have received and your circumstances using our short form. We then match you with a deportation lawyer in Luxembourg whose practice covers administrative and residence matters, free of charge and with no obligation to instruct them afterwards.
Which courts decide challenges to a removal decision in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg has a separate administrative order: the Tribunal administratif hears administrative litigation at first instance and the Cour administrative decides appeals. Official guidance sets the general time limit for bringing an action against an administrative decision before the Tribunal administratif at three months, so the file should be reviewed quickly.
Do I need a particular kind of lawyer to appear before the administrative courts?
In principle yes. Before the administrative courts the ministère d’avoué applies, meaning the parties must be represented by an ‘avocat à la Cour’ entered on List I of the Barreau de Luxembourg or the Barreau de Diekirch. Lawyers on List II and European lawyers on List IV act only together with an avocat à la Cour.
How much does a deportation lawyer in Luxembourg cost?
Luxembourg levies no court fees payable to the State for bringing proceedings, so the main expense is the lawyer’s fee, which is not fixed by an official tariff. Lawyers determine their fees by agreement under Article 38 of the Law of 10 August 1991, taking account of the difficulty and importance of the case.
Can I get legal aid for an immigration case in Luxembourg?
Legal aid (assistance judiciaire) is available to natural persons of insufficient means in civil, commercial and administrative cases and in criminal matters. It may be total or partial and covers lawyers’, notaries’, bailiffs’ and translators’ fees. The application is decided by the Bâtonnier of the Bar of your place of residence.
Which language will my case be conducted in?
Luxembourg has three administrative languages — French, German and Luxembourgish — and hearings may be held in any of them, with court translation paid for by the State. Procedural documents, however, must be drafted in French, and legislation is published in French, which is why legal drafting is usually done by a French-speaking lawyer.
Next step
Describe your case and get matched with a Luxembourg lawyer
Send us the decision you have received, the date it was notified and a few lines about your situation. We will match you with a lawyer registered with a Luxembourg Bar who works on deportation and administrative matters — free of charge, confidential and without any obligation.