Employee transfers to Luxembourg to get easier

It will soon be easier for international companies to second staff and their families to their Luxembourg headquarters, a minister has revealed.

Responding to a parliamentary question, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Jean Asselborn said that Luxembourg will relax the procedure when it transposes the European Directive on on conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for intra-corporate transfers.

Mr Asselborn said work began on transposing the law in July 2014 and a first inter-ministerial meeting will be held in September.

The ruling demands a single procedure across EU member states for issuing short and long-term intra-corporate transfer permits with one process for applying for both residence and work permits.

Once a transfer permit is validated, the employee being transferred may enter, stay and work in one or more member states which have transposed the directive.

The directive asks for favourable conditions so that employees can be reunited with their families in member states and that family members also be given access to the labour market.

To be eligible for a transfer permit, employees must hold a university degree and have worked with the same group for at least three to 12 months uninterrupted prior to the transfer.

Minister Asselborn was responding to a parliamentary question from MP Laurent Mosar, who said that the current policy of immigration is too complex and rigid. He warned if left unchanged, it could put the brakes on the development of multinational organisations with headquarters in Luxembourg.

Click here to read the EU directive in English

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