Finally!

After two years, the journey is complete.  On October 26, 2019, my Luxembourg citizenship application was granted!  It’s been a wild ride of family history discoveries, paperwork, anticipation and bureaucracy.

I first learned of my status after emailing the Luxembourg embassy in Washington, DC.  I had received a request to update my Luxembourg national database information, which was a clue that the process was nearing completion.  I reached out to the embassy to determine if that was, in fact, the case.  The staffer there gave me contact info for the Ministry of Justice office in Luxembourg.  An email to the Ministry office eventually led to the news that my application had been granted.  A few days later my formal certificate arrived by mail.

Now What

So, what’s next?  I plan to get a passport, possibly even this year.  I may never use it, but since the Luxembourg passport is one of the “best” passports in the world, it would be crazy not to.  The passport gives visa-free entry to a number of countries the US passport does not. 

We are also toying with the possibility of spending extended time outside the US, either before or after we officially “retire”.  Luxembourg citizenship makes residency in any of the Schengen countries possible.  Luxembourg also makes residency for spouses of citizens fairly straightforward.  Still need to investigate that process for other Schengen countries.  Retiring on the beach in Spain, Greece or Portugal could be in the cards!  

It’s too soon to tell what the future holds, but Luxembourg citizenship broadens our horizons and honors my ancestors.