Morphology and Eu3+ doping effect on structural and photoluminescence properties of tin dioxide nanoparticles obtained by co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods are reported and analyzed for the first time. The samples were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area (SSA) estimation. TEM, XRD and SSA analyses showed that in the case of co-precipitation method the nanoparticles were spherical. Hydrothermal treatment leads to formation of cubic nanoparticles. An average particle size increased from 3 to 5 nm and from 6 to 11 nm along with increase of Eu3+ concentration for spherical and cubic nanoparticles, respectively. Steady-state and kinetics photoluminescence properties of nanophophors with different morphology were studied and compared. Radiative and nonradiative decay rates and Judd-Ofelt parameters were calculated using the model of 4f–4f intensity theory. It was shown, that preferred positions of substitution in SnO2 host differ depending on Eu3+ doping concentration and particle morphology.