Articles on: Becoming Self-Employed

How to Apply for a Business Permit in Luxembourg

You can apply for a business permit (autorisation d'etablissement) in Luxembourg online via MyGuichet LU or by post. The fee is 50 EUR. Complete applications are processed within up to 3 months — in practice, straightforward cases often take a few weeks.

Detail	Answer
Fee	50 EUR
Where to apply	MyGuichet LU (recommended) or by post
Processing time	Up to 3 months (often faster)
No response in 3 months?	Tacit approval — permit is considered granted

What documents do I need?

The exact list depends on your situation. Here is the full checklist:

Document	Who needs it
Business permit application form	Everyone
Criminal record — bulletin 3 (Luxembourg)	Everyone (non-residents: only if already active in LU)
Criminal records from all countries of residence (last 10 years)	Residents under 10 years and non-residents
Notarial declaration of non-bankruptcy	Residents under 10 years and non-residents
Sworn declaration (declaration sur l'honneur)	Everyone (part of the application form)
Proof of professional qualification	Required for crafts (Lists A/B), liberal professions, HORECA
Lease agreement or residence certificate	Everyone
Copy of identity card or residence permit	Everyone
Proof of payment of 50 EUR fee	Everyone
Articles of association (draft or final)	Companies only (SARL, SARL-S, SA)

Not sure which documents apply to your activity? The House of Entrepreneurship offers free guidance — call (+352) 42 39 39 330 or visit in person at Kirchberg.

For more detail on each criterion, see our articles on the 4 business permit criteria, proving a clean professional history, and what counts as a fixed place of operation.

How to apply online (recommended)

Go to MyGuichet LU and log in with your LuxTrust product or eID
Open the official Demande d'autorisation d'etablissement procedure on Guichet LU (or navigate within MyGuichet to Entreprises > Creation-developpement > Autorisation d'etablissement)
Fill in the business permit application form
Upload all required documents
At the end of the form, pay the 50 EUR fee by Saferpay (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) or Digicash by Payconiq
Submit

You will receive your business permit (or the Ministry's response) directly in your business eSpace on MyGuichet LU.

Practical tip: Online is strongly recommended — it is faster, you get a digital confirmation, and the Ministry communicates with you through your eSpace.

Don't pay the fee twice. The 50 EUR is built into the MyGuichet form — you pay it at the end of the procedure by Saferpay (card) or Payconiq. Bank transfer to the AED account is only for postal applications. If you pay by bank transfer first and then submit online, the form will still charge you again at the end, and you will have to claim the bank transfer back from AED. Pick your route first, then pay once.

How to apply by post

If you cannot apply online, send the completed application form and all supporting documents by postal mail to:

Ministere de l'Economie

Service des autorisations d'etablissement

B.P. 535, L-2937 Luxembourg

Include a 50 EUR tax stamp (available from AED) or a bank transfer to:

Detail	Value
IBAN	LU76 0019 5955 4404 7000
BIC	BCEELULL
Account holder	Bureau de Diekirch - Recette (AED)
Communication	autorisation de commerce

Your bank app may resolve the IBAN to a different display name — for example, BCEE shows the account holder as ENREGISTR&DOMAINES-LUX GUICHET UNIQ. As long as the IBAN is correct, this is the right account.

What happens after you submit?

Acknowledgment — the Ministry confirms receipt of your application
Review — the Ministry checks your documents. They may contact you if something is missing or unclear
Decision — you receive the business permit (or a refusal) in your eSpace (online) or by post

If your application is incomplete, the Ministry will ask for additional documents. This resets the clock — processing time only counts from when the application is complete.

After you get the permit — what's next?

Getting the business permit is step 1. You also need to register with CCSS (within 8 days), AED (within 15 days, mandatory in all cases — request the franchise or normal regime), and check whether your tax file with ACD has opened. If your activity is commercial, you also need LBR (RCS registration). And if you're a first-time entrepreneur in commerce or craft, you may qualify for the €12,000 start-up aid — but you must apply within 6 months of your permit.

For the full step-by-step checklist with deadlines, forms, MDE sick-leave coverage, and the start-up aid pointer, see our deep-dive on what to do after you get your business permit.

Liberal professions do not register with LBR (they are not considered "commercial"). They go directly to CCSS and AED after receiving the permit.

Timeline overview

Step	What	Approximate time
1	Business permit (Ministry of Economy)	Up to 3 months (often 1-4 weeks)
2	LBR registration (commercial activities)	24 hours
3	CCSS registration (social security)	About 1 week
4	AED registration (VAT)	2-4 weeks

Total: from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how fast you gather documents and how quickly the Ministry processes your application.

Quick reference

Question	Answer
Fee	50 EUR
Online or paper?	Both — online is recommended
Processing time	Up to 3 months (often faster)
Tacit approval?	Yes — if no response within 3 months
What to do after the permit?	CCSS within 8 days, AED within 15 days, plus the start-up aid window — full checklist in what to do after you get your business permit
Where to get help	House of Entrepreneurship — (+352) 42 39 39 330

You didn't start a business because the paperwork sounded fun. We get it — and we say bravo for doing it anyway.
🙌💜 Your BravoLisa Team

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional tax, legal, or accounting advice. Every situation is different — consult a qualified professional (tax adviser, accountant, or lawyer) for advice specific to your circumstances. BravoLisa does not accept liability for decisions made based on this information.

Last updated: May 2026 (revised). Rates and thresholds may change — always verify with the relevant authorities for the most current figures.

Sources verified on 2026-05-02: Guichet.lu — Demande d'autorisation d'établissement, Guichet.lu — Comptable: profession libérale, House of Entrepreneurship.

Updated on: 14/05/2026

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