After the election of 1952 Luns was appointed as Minister for Foreign Policy in the second Drees cabinet, taking office on 2 September 1952. Luns was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1956, taking office on 3 July 1956. Following the cabinet formation of 1956 Luns was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 13 October 1956. The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1958 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II with Luns remaining as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 22 December 1958. After the 1959 Dutch general election Luns was elected again as a Member of the House of Representatives but declined to take office. Following the cabinet formation of 1959 Luns continued as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet De Quay, taking office on 19 May 1959. After election of 1963 Luns was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives but again declined to take office. Following the cabinet formation of 1963 Luns remained as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Marijnen, taking office on 24 July 1963. The Cabinet Marijnen fell on 27 February 1965 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1965 when it was replaced by the Cabinet Cals with Luns continuing as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 14 April 1965. The Cabinet Cals fell just one year later on 14 October 1966 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the cabinet formation of 1966 when it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Zijlstra with Luns remaining as Minister of Foreign Affairs, taking office on 22 November 1966. After the election of 1967 Luns returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 23 February 1967. Following the cabinet formation of 1967 Luns continued as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet De Jong, taking office on 5 April 1967. After the election of 1971 Luns again returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 11 May 1971. Following the cabinet formation of 1971 Luns per his own request asked not to be considered for a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet De Jong was replaced by the Cabinet Biesheuvel I on 6 July 1971 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Foreign Affairs.