By the introduction of oxalate as the second ligand, five new lanthanide oxalatophosphonate hybrids with a 2D layered structure, namely, [Ln(H2L)(C2O4)(H2O)]·2H2O [Ln = Nd (1), Sm (2), Eu (3), Tb (4), Dy (5), H3L = H2O3PCH2NCH2(CH2CH2OPO2H)], have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Compounds 1-5 are isostructural and exhibit a 2D layer formed by the interconnection of a 1D zigzag chain of {Ln(C2O4)}(+) with the phosphonate ligands. The effect of lanthanide contraction induces the decrease of the lattice parameters and crystal size from Nd to Dy. The luminescence properties of compounds 2-5 have been studied.