The big day. All my paperwork was gathered into a protective plastic envelope and I was heading to Luxembourg City. I left Differdange a little after 8am, which turned out to be the rush hour. It was a 30 minute walk to the immigration office. At least it should have been. I made a few wrong turns, which added 15 minutes, or as I decided to think of it, additional exercise. The office is outside of the city, past a very long block of empty fields. Just when I thought I was in a suburb of Luxembourg City, there was the government building. After a 30 minute wait, I submitted my paperwork and was on my way.

I walked around Luxembourg City for another hour or so and then caught the bus to the Auchan shopping mall to run a few errands, then it was back to work.

I still have one last step to complete before I get my residency card. The final step is a bit of a letdown. Oh, it starts off well enough. The Immigration Directorate “vous invitera par courrier à vous présenter personnellement dans ses guichets.” Wow! I will be invited to come to the premises of the Directorate, by mail, no less! I was thinking that maybe they would offer me a glass of Crémant and welcome me to the Grand Duchy. Alas, the instructions continue “aux fins de la prise d’une photo et de vos empreintes digitales” which still sounds nice but means “for the purpose of taking a photograph and fingerprints.” Not the reception I had in mind.