Abstract: Nanocellulose-based lumnescent materials are normally obtained by physical and chemical modification of nanocellulose. Due to their unique photophysical or photochemical properties, and the characteristics of biodegradation, biocompatibility and environmental friendliness, nanocellulose-based luminescent materials further extend the universal applications of functionalized cellulose. This article introduces the luminescent principle of luminescent materials, summarizes the preparation methods and related applications of nanocellulose fluorescent materials, and summarizes the challenges and development trend of nanocellulose luminescent materials. According to the different preparation procedures, nanocellulose-based luminescent materials could be divided into three categories: composite luminescent materials of nanocellulose/carbon quantum dots, cellulose luminescent carbon quantum dots and composite luminescent materials of nanocellulose/fluorescent dye. Due to the unique optical and structural characteristics, nanocellulose luminescent materials have been extensively used as membrane, paper, hydrogel, aerogel, etc., and have great prospects in applications on ion detection, biological imaging, and photoelectric applications.