The Sproochentest: Luxembourgish for citizenship is A2 to speak, B1 to listen, and nothing written
To be naturalised in Luxembourg you need two things beyond residence: the Sproochentest, the national Luxembourgish evaluation exam, and either the 24-hour "Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg" course or the exam that replaces it.
The Sproochentest is unusual in what it leaves out. It tests speaking at A2 and listening at B1, and there is no reading or writing at all. Everything below was read on 19 October 2026: the law of 8 March 2017 in the Journal officiel (the original text, since the consolidated version on Legilux would not load for us), the INLL's Sproochentest page, guichet.lu and the Ministry of Education's page on the Vivre ensemble course. The statute's wording is also in our citizenship requirements table.
Two parts, half a day
Article 15 of the law sets the two parts: an oral expression test at A2 and an oral comprehension test at B1. The Institut national des langues Luxembourg (INLL) runs both, and both are taken in one half-day.
Speaking takes 10 minutes, in two parts of 5. First an interview on an A2 topic, chosen from two. Then you describe a picture, chosen from three.
Listening takes 35 minutes, on a tablet. Three recordings (a radio message, an everyday conversation, and an exchange or a presentation), answered by multiple choice.
The pass mark: half, with listening able to rescue speaking
You need at least half the points in speaking. If you fall below half, the law lets listening compensate: you still pass if the average of the two scores, rounded up where needed, reaches half the points. guichet.lu states the same rule.
The compensation runs in one direction in the text: it is a low speaking score that a good listening score can offset. The speaking test is where to put your preparation.
Exemptions are narrow. A specialist's medical certificate showing that your health makes learning the language impossible can exempt you, and the INLL director can grant adjustments such as extra time or a separate room on a reasoned request.
The fee, and getting it back
guichet.lu states that registration for the Sproochentest costs 75 euros. Sessions are booked through MyINL; we found no official statement of how often they run.
The State refunds the test fee and the fees of approved Luxembourgish courses, up to a ceiling set by Grand-Ducal regulation, and you can claim only after you have filed your nationality application at the commune. The Ministry of Justice form and guichet.lu do not print the ceiling. Some course providers say 750 euros; we could not confirm that figure on an official page.
Employees who are learning Luxembourgish can also ask for language leave (congé linguistique): up to 200 hours, in two blocks of 80 to 120 hours, after six months with the same employer. The State refunds the employer half the cost. That guichet.lu page was last updated in September 2022.
Vivre ensemble: a free 24-hour course, or a 40-question exam
Article 16 sets the course at three modules, 24 hours in all: 6 hours on fundamental rights, 12 on state and communal institutions, and 6 on history and European integration. The course and the exam are both free (article 17).
Instead of attending, you can sit the exam. The Ministry of Education describes it as a computer-based multiple-choice test of 40 questions in Esch-Belval: 10 on fundamental rights, 20 on institutions and 10 on history and European integration. We did not find its pass mark or duration on an official page.
If you hold the civic-instruction certificate from the contrat d'accueil et d'intégration, or a module of at least six hours under the pacte citoyen, you are exempt from the history module of the course, though not if you choose the exam.
The routes without a Sproochentest
After 20 years' residence, a 24-hour Luxembourgish course in speaking and listening replaces the test. Course fees are set freely by each provider, guichet.lu says.
After at least seven years of schooling in Luxembourg's public system (or a private school following the public curriculum), with 12 months' residence, the option route in article 27 sets no language test.
Naturalisation itself carries no registration fee (article 13). You will still pay stamp and copy fees on documents. You may also read that people resident since before 1984 are exempt: we found no such exemption in the law.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Practising reading and writing Luxembourgish for the test.
Practising a 5-minute conversation and a picture description, and listening to radio and everyday speech.
The Sproochentest has only oral expression at A2 and oral comprehension at B1. There is no written part.
Claiming the 75-euro refund straight after passing.
Claiming it after the nationality application is filed at the commune.
guichet.lu says the refund can be requested only once the application has been submitted.
Paying for the Vivre ensemble course.
Registering for it, or its exam, free of charge.
Article 17 of the 2017 law makes both the course and the exam free.
Questions
What level is the Sproochentest?
A2 for speaking and B1 for listening, under article 15 of the law of 8 March 2017. There is no reading or writing part.
How long is the Sproochentest?
Speaking takes 10 minutes in two parts of 5, and listening takes 35 minutes on a tablet. Both are taken in one half-day, according to the INLL.
What is the pass mark for the Sproochentest?
Half the points in speaking. If speaking is below half, you still pass when the average of speaking and listening, rounded up where needed, reaches half the points.
How much does the Sproochentest cost?
75 euros, according to guichet.lu. The State refunds it, and approved Luxembourgish course fees, up to a ceiling once you have filed your nationality application.
Is the Vivre ensemble course compulsory?
You must either attend the 24-hour course or pass its exam, a 40-question multiple-choice test. Both are free.
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