Autorisation d’établissement
Business permit in Luxembourg
Any economic activity carried out on a regular basis in Luxembourg needs a prior business permit: trade, crafts and several liberal professions. It rests on three common conditions and, depending on the activity, a professional qualification.
- Legal deadline of 3 months after a complete file, then tacit approval
- EUR 50 chancery fee
- Fixed premises in Luxembourg: a letterbox is not enough
Published on 10 October 2026 · Updated on 10 October 2026
In short
The business permit is issued by the Ministry of the Economy. It requires a manager of good repute who actually runs the business, fixed premises in Luxembourg and, for list A and B crafts, liberal professions and some commercial activities, a professional qualification. Applications go through MyGuichet.lu; the ministry decides within 3 months of a complete file.
- Chancery fee
- EUR 50
- Legal deadline
- 3 months after a complete file
- No reply
- Counts as approval
- Lapse
- Unused for 2 years
Which permit for your activity?
Pick your field and activity: required qualification, competent authority and official source.
All activities and their qualifications
| Activity | Qualification required | Authority | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade and services | |||
| Trade, e-commerce, commercial services, consulting | No diploma: good repute and premises in Luxembourg. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Food retail | No diploma. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Vehicle sales | No diploma. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| High-value goods (from EUR 10,000) | No diploma. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Coworking and office rental | No diploma. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Travel organiser | No diploma, but an insolvency and repatriation guarantee. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Temporary work agency | Good repute, plus a one-year licence from the Ministry of Labour. | Ministère de l’Économie et ministère du Travail | Guichet.lu |
| Continuing training provider | Higher education (3 years) or experience: 3 years with training, or 2 years as a manager. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Crafts | |||
| Craft, list A (baker, hairdresser, electrician, carpenter, mechanic…) | Master craftsman certificate, or a relevant bachelor, or DAP/CATP with 6 years as a manager, among other routes. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Craft, list B (secondary trades) | DAP, CATP or CAP in the trade, or 3 years of full-time practice with management knowledge. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Craft, list C (photographer, tattooist, groomer, designer…) | No professional qualification. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Liberal professions | |||
| Architect | Master in architecture (5 years, or 4 years plus a 2-year traineeship). OAI registration after the permit. | Ministère de l’Économie, puis OAI | Guichet.lu |
| Interior architect | Bachelor in interior architecture or equivalent. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Landscape architect | Master in landscape architecture or engineering. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Construction consulting engineer | Master in construction engineering and 2 years with an established engineer. OAI registration. | Ministère de l’Économie, puis OAI | Guichet.lu |
| Urban planner | Master in urban planning and 2 years of practice. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Surveyor | Master in geodesy, surveying or geomatics. Extra conditions for an official surveyor. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Patent and trademark attorney | Master in law, science or engineering, 3 years of practice and a national test. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Accountant (comptable) | Technical secondary or technician diploma, and 3 years of practice including 1 year with an accounting professional. Scope limited to clients below set thresholds. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Chartered accountant (expert-comptable) | Bachelor in economics, finance, management or business law, 3 years of practice and an aptitude test. OEC registration afterwards. | Ministère de l’Économie, puis OEC | Guichet.lu |
| Company domiciliation | Reserved to regulated professions (licensed banks and PSF, lawyers, auditors, chartered accountants). | CSSF ou ordres professionnels | Guichet.lu |
| Real estate | |||
| Real estate agent | "Agent immobilier" exam (House of Training) or 3 years as a manager in a licensed agency. Professional liability insurance. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Property manager, building manager | Dedicated exam (House of Training) or 3 years as a manager. Professional liability insurance. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Property developer | "Promoteur immobilier" exam or 3 years as a manager. Professional liability insurance. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Real estate introducer | "Agent immobilier" exam or 3 years as a manager. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Hospitality | |||
| Café, restaurant, bar | Previous permit or HoReCa access exam (House of Training). Liquor licence for alcohol. | Ministère de l’Économie et douanes (cabaretage) | Guichet.lu |
| Tourist accommodation (from 90 nights a year) | Previous permit or HoReCa exam; fast-track training within 6 months. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Road transport | |||
| Road haulage | Certificate of professional competence (House of Training course and exam). Course exemption, never exam exemption, with 5 years of management or a higher diploma. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Passenger transport (more than 9 seats) | Certificate of professional competence, same rules as haulage. | Ministère de l’Économie | Guichet.lu |
| Other authority | |||
| Financial sector (PSF, asset management, payments, crypto) | CSSF licence instead of a standard business permit. | CSSF | Guichet.lu |
| Insurance intermediation | Licence from the Commissariat aux assurances. | CAA | Guichet.lu |
| Health professions, lawyers | Own regimes (Ministry of Health, Bar), outside the business permit. | Ministère de la Santé, ministère de la Justice | Guichet.lu |
| Security services | Commercial permit plus a Ministry of Justice licence. | Ministère de la Justice | Guichet.lu |
Summary of Guichet.lu pages checked on 10 October 2026. If in doubt, the business permit department decides: +352 247 74 700.
Next step
A complete file from the first filing
We assess your activity, gather the documents and follow the file to a decision. Included in the End-to-end package.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a business permit cost?
The chancery fee is EUR 50, paid online or with a tax stamp for paper filings. Change notifications, such as moving premises, are free.
How long does it take?
The ministry decides within 3 months of receiving the complete file. Without a reply by then, the permit is deemed granted.
Is a registered office address enough?
No. The permit requires fixed premises where the activity actually takes place; a registered address alone does not meet that condition for most activities.
Can a non-resident be the manager?
Yes, provided they actually run the business day to day. They also provide a notarised non-bankruptcy declaration and criminal records from each country of residence over the last 10 years.