Residence permits - statistics on first permits issued during the year

Data extracted in 12 September 2025.

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

In 2024, 3.5 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to non-EU citizens, an 8.3% decrease (-315 656) compared with 2023.

In 2024, among the 10 top citizenships of non-EU nationals who received first residence permits, the highest relative decreases compared with 2023 were observed for Belarus (down 37.9%), followed by Türkiye (-12.6%) and Afghanistan (-10.1%).

In 2024, employment was the main reason for non-EU citizens obtaining first residence permits in the EU (representing 31.9% of all first residence permits).

Number of first residence permits issued by reason, EU, 2015-2024

This article presents European Union (EU) statistics on first residence permits issued to non-EU citizens during the reference year 2024. Persons benefitting from temporary protection, i.e. persons who left Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion, are not covered by the data on residence permits; see the methodological section below.

First residence permits — an overview

In 2024, 3.5 million first residence permits were issued in the EU to citizens of non-EU countries. This represents a decline of 8.3% (-315 656 fewer permits) compared with 2023 when a record number of 3.8 million first permits were issued (Figure 1). The decrease was mainly due to a decreased number of first permits issued for employment (155 549 permits less, or -12.2%), other reasons (98 857 permits less, or -10.0%) and family reasons (65 771 permits less, or -6.5%). Conversely, permits issued for education reasons saw a small increase in comparison with 2023 (4 521 permits more, or +0.8%).

In 2024, 1.1 million first residence permits were issued for employment-related reasons, representing 31.9% of all first residence permits issued. Family reasons accounted for 27.1%, education reasons for 15.7%, while other reasons, including international protection, accounted for 25.3%.

Figure 1

Among the EU countries, Spain issued the highest number of first residence permits (561 640 permits representing 16.0% of total permits issued in the EU). Germany followed with 544 987 permits (or 15.5%), then Poland with 488 846 (or 13.9%), Italy with 346 411 (or 9.9%) and France with 342 208 (or 9.8%). These 5 countries accounted for 65.1% of all first residence permits issued in the EU in 2024 (Figure 2).

The largest relative decrease in the total number of first permits issued in 2024 when compared with 2023 was recorded in Estonia (-42.5%; from 8 459 in 2023 to 4 860 in 2024), followed by Malta (-29.8%; from 41 927 to 29 433) and Poland (-23.9%; from 642 789 to 488 846). Other notable declines were also observed in Slovakia (-17.9%), Germany (-17.8%), Finland and Slovenia both -14.1%. The most significant relative increases in the total number of permits issued in 2024 compared with 2023 were recorded in Greece (+24.0%; from 70 921 in 2023 to 87 932 in 2024) and Cyprus (+16.1%; from 34 694 to 40 274).

Figure 2

Compared with the population of each EU country, the highest ratios of first residence permits per 1 000 population in 2024 were recorded in Malta (51.7 permits issued per 1 000 population) and Cyprus (41.4). The lowest ratios were observed in Romania (3.0), Bulgaria (3.1) and Estonia (3.5). In total in the EU as a whole, there were 7.8 first residence permits issued per 1 000 population in 2024 (Figure 3).

Figure 3

First residence permits by reason

Employment

In 2024, employment reasons were the most common reason for issuing residence permits in 14 EU countries. The highest shares were observed in Croatia (95.3%), Lithuania (81.8%) and Romania (77.2%) (Figure 4).

Poland with 337 874 first permits was the main destination for non-EU citizens (mainly Ukrainians and Belarusians) entering the EU for work reasons (Figure 1). The next most common destinations for work were Spain (95 735 permits), Croatia (85 574 permits) and Germany (77 149 permits). These 4 EU countries issued more than half of all first permits for employment reasons in the EU (53.3%).

Figure 4

Family formation and reunification

Family-related reasons were the most common reason for issuing residence permits in 7 EU countries. In Luxembourg (52.2%), Sweden (49.1%), Spain (46.0%), Belgium (45.7%) and Finland (42.9%), family-related reasons accounted for more than 40.0% of all the permits issued at national level, followed by Germany (36.1%) and Netherlands (32.9%).

Spain (258 192), Germany (196 979), Italy (110 093) and France (90 697) were the EU countries with the highest number of first residence permits issued in 2024 for family-related reasons; these 4 countries accounted for more than two-thirds of all first permits for family-related reasons in the EU (69.0%).

Education and study

Ireland and France were the only 2 EU countries where the most common reason for granting a residence permit was related to education (respectively 48.0% and 32.8%).

In absolute terms, Spain (117 056 permits), France (112 298 permits) and Germany (75 005 permits) emerged as the top choice for non-EU students seeking educational opportunities within the EU.

Other reasons

Figure 4 also shows the number of first residence permits issued for other reasons, such as international protection or other types of residence (e.g. pensioners). In 2024, 4 EU countries had other reasons as the most common basis for granting residence permits: Greece (55.4%), Italy (51.0%), Austria (48.5%) and Estonia (31.9%) of all permits issued at the national level.

First residence permits by sex

An analysis based on the results available for 26 of the EU countries reveals some differences between the sexes as regards their principal reasons for obtaining a residence permit (Figure 5). In 2024, based on available data, the primary reason for issuing a first residence permit to males was for employment-related reasons (21.7% of the total), while the corresponding share for females only accounted for 9.9%. In contrast, 16.0% of all permits issued for females were for family-related reasons; this share was higher than the corresponding proportion recorded for males (11.2%). Almost the same percentages of permits were issued to males and females for education-related reasons, respectively 8.0% and 7.7%.

Figure 5

First residence permits by citizenship and by destination in the EU

In 2024, citizens of Ukraine (295 623, or 8.4% of the total number of first residence permits issued in the EU) received the highest number of first residence permits, ahead of citizens of India (192 445, or 5.5%) and Morocco (188 420, or 5.4%). Nearly half (43.9%) of all first residence permits issued in the EU in 2024 were issued to citizens of the top 10 countries presented in Figure 6.

Figure 6

Figure 6 also shows the development of the number of first residence permits that were issued between 2022 and 2024 for the 10 top citizenships of non-EU citizens. The ranking in top 10 citizenships that were granted first residence permits changed for some of the citizenships between 2022 and 2024. Ukraine and Belarus remained among the largest groups despite declining numbers. China, Morocco, and India rose in the ranking, and by 2024 Colombia and Bangladesh entered the top 10, replacing Russia and Brazil.

In 2024 compared with 2023, among countries that were already in the top 10 in previous years, the highest relative increases were observed for China (+4.4%), Morocco (+4.2%), and Syria (+0.4%). The largest decreases were observed for Belarus (-37.9%), followed by Türkiye (-12.6%), Afghanistan (-10.1%), and India (-9.3%).

There are several factors that influence the destination chosen by citizens of non-EU countries granted residence permits, including: geographical proximity (for example, a high number of Ukrainians and Belarusians sought residence in Poland, a high number of Albanians in Greece, and a high number of Moroccans in Spain and France); historical and linguistic links (for example, a high number of Venezuelans, Colombians and Peruvians sought residence in Spain, a high number of Moroccans, Algerians and Tunisians in France, and a high number of Brazilians and Cape Verdeans sought residence in Portugal); or established migrant networks (for example, a high number of Turkish citizens sought residence in Germany) (Table 1).

Table 1: Top 5 non-EU countries whose citizens received a first resident permit in 2024, by EU and EFTA country
Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst)

Poland was the principal destination for Ukrainian citizens, representing 76.5% of all resident permits issued to Ukrainians in the EU in 2024 (Table 2). Similarly, the principal destination for citizens of Belarus was also Poland (86.5% of all resident permits issued to citizens of Belarus in the EU). Spain was the most popular destination for citizens of Colombia (78.7%), Morocco (49.3%) and China (16.6%), while Italy was for citizens of Bangladesh (46.8%). Germany emerged as the most favoured destination for citizens of India (17.6%), Syria (57.9%), Türkiye (34.1%) and Afghanistan (49.3%).

Table 2: Top 10 non-EU countries whose citizens received first residence permits in the EU, by EU country issuing the permit, 2024
Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst)

Figure 7 looks in more detail at the reasons for granting permits to citizens of particular countries. Around 7 out of 10 Ukrainians who were granted a residence permit in the EU in 2024 received their permit for employment-related reasons. Employment was also the principal reason for granting residence permits in the EU to Belarusians (55.2%) and Indians (43.9%). Family was the prevailing reason for permits granted to Moroccans (46.6%), Colombia (44.8%) and Turks (35.4%). Permits for education were primarily issued to Chinese (34.1%), while other reasons were predominant for Afghans (85.4%), Syrians (79.0%) and Bangladesh (40.8%).

Figure 7

Table 3 focuses on the top 5 countries whose citizens received first residence permits in the EU by reason and by 3 leading EU countries issuing a permit. In 2024, Moroccans were the largest group to receive residence permits for family-related reasons (mostly in Spain), and Indians were the largest group to receive residence permits for education-related reasons, near to a third of which were issued in Germany. Ukrainians and Belarusians were granted the largest number of residence permits in the EU for employment-related reasons, of which the vast majority were granted in Poland. Syrians topped the list of permits issued for other reasons, of which 55.8% were granted in Germany.

Table 3: Top 5 non-EU countries whose citizens received first residence permits in the EU, by reason and by EU country issuing the permit, 2024
Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst)

Source data for tables and graphs

Residence permits statistics: tables

Data sources

The statistics used for this article are provided to Eurostat by the responsible authorities in each of the EU and EFTA countries, principally Ministries of the Interior or Home Affairs or various immigration agencies. The data are based entirely on administrative sources supplied to Eurostat as part of an annual residence permits data collection exercise in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection. Commission Regulation (EU) No 216/2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 gives the definitions of the reasons for the residence permits statistics.

Limitations in data availability affect the information presented in this article:

Break in series for Poland in 2018 (employment and other reasons), Greece in 2021 (other reasons), Italy in 2022 (other reasons), Spain in 2023 (education reasons) and Hungary in 2024 (education and other reasons).
For first residence permits issued by sex, data for Slovakia are not available. The unknown category for sex is not included in the totals.

The data on residence permits may be analysed by: reporting country, citizenship of the permit holder, reason for the permit being issued, and length of validity of the permit. From reference period 2010 onwards, data on residence permits were collected on a voluntary basis by age and by sex, becoming mandatory data collection for the 2021 reference period onwards.

Residence permits statistics are available as both flows and stocks.

Data related to residence permits granted during the reference year (flows): the data published under this category contain information about first residence permits issued during the reference year and information about any change of residence status of immigrants during the reference year;
Data related to residence permits valid at the end of the reference year (stock of permits): the data published under this category contain information about the number of valid permissions to stay at the end of the reference year and long-term legal residence status at the end of the reference year.

It should be noted that certain methodological aspects are not fully harmonised between the reporting countries due to different legal or information technology systems. Therefore, the results that are presented in this article should be interpreted with care and readers are advised to make reference to the metadata file on residence permits statistics. Some of the main methodological and administrative differences are noted below.

The note on low reliability in Irish data highlights limited data quality reported by the Irish authorities. The process of generating residence permits data involves both the Irish Police and the Department of Justice for which an old information system is currently used. The current system’s limitations, which omits unique identifiers of persons, and requires manual data checks, may lead to potential quality issues. According to Irish authorities a comprehensive modernisation programme of the information systems to ensure more accurate data management is in progress.

Starting with the 2021 reference period, there were several improvements in the data collection, including methodological aspects. These changes were introduced through the implementation of Regulation (EU) 851/2020 amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. More details are available in the following document: 2023 Residence Permits Technical Guidelines.

Methodological note

Residence permits data collection refers to residence permits as any authorisation issued by the national authorities of a EU country allowing a third-country national (non-EU citizen) to stay legally on its territory. Persons benefitting from temporary protection are not included in any of the Residence permits statistics. Temporary protection status is considered to be of a different administrative nature to that of the authorisations to reside reported in the residence permits data collection. These persons are subject of a separate data collection on Temporary Protection (TP); see data on temporary protection here and the statistics explained article here.

Context

The residence permits are a significant component of the migration area, being linked to the national and European migration context and policies. Migration policies within the EU are built upon solidarity and responsibility, taking into account the contribution that immigrants make to the EU. Within the European Commission, the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs is responsible for immigration policy. As recent development in the area of migration, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024 and by the Council in May 2024. This Pact provides a common European response to migration. It allows the EU to manage migration in a fair and sustainable way, ensuring solidarity between countries while also providing certainty and clarity for people arriving in the EU and protecting their fundamental rights. More information regarding the EU’s migration policy can be accessed on the European Commission’s website.

Footnotes

Explore further

Database

Managed migration (migr_man), see:

Residence permits (migr_res)

Residence permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resval)

First permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfirst)

First permits issued for family reasons by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfam)

First permits issued for education reasons by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resedu)

First permits issued for remunerated activities by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resocc)

First permits issued for other reasons by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resoth)

Change of immigration status permits by reason and citizenship (migr_reschange)

All valid permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship on 31 December of each year (migr_resvalid)

Long-term residents by citizenship on 31 December of each year (migr_reslong)

Single permits issued by type of decision, length of validity (migr_ressing)

Long-term residents among all non-EU citizens holding residence permits by citizenship on 31 December (%) (migr_resshare)

Long-term residence permits issued during the year (migr_resltr)

First permits issued for family reunification with a beneficiary of protection status (migr_resfrps1)

Permits valid at the end of the year for family reunification with a beneficiary of protection status (migr_resfrps2)

Residence permits by reason, age, sex and citizenship (migr_resage)

First permits by reason, age, sex and citizenship (migr_resfas)

All valid permits by age, sex and citizenship on 31 December of each year (migr_resvas)

Long-term residents by age, sex and citizenship on 31 December of each year (migr_reslas)

EU blue cards (migr_resbcard)

Persons subject to EU Blue Card decisions by length of validity, age, sex, citizenship and occupation (migr_resbc11)

Persons subject to EU Blue Card decisions by length of validity, age, sex, citizenship and size of employer (migr_resbc12)

Persons subject to EU Blue Card decisions by length of validity duration, age, sex, citizenship and economic sector of employer (migr_resbc13)

Persons subject to decisions on residence permits for family reunification with EU Blue Card holders, by duration, age, sex and citizenship (migr_resbc2)

EU Blue Card holders admitted for long-term mobility by length of validity, age, sex, citizenship and previous country of residence (migr_resbc31)

EU Blue Card holders’ family members admitted for long-term mobility by age, sex, citizenship, and previous country of residence (migr_resbc34)

Residence permits for intra-corporate transfer (migr_resictra)

Intra-corporate transferee permits issued, renewed and withdrawn by type of permit, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resict1_1)

Intra-corporate transferee permits issued by type of permit, economic sector and citizenship (migr_resict1_2)

Intra-corporate transferee permits issued by type of permit, length of validity, transferee position and citizenship (migr_resict1_3)

Intra-corporate notifications received by length of validity and citizenship (migr_resict2_1)

Intra-corporate notifications received by economic sector and citizenship (migr_resict2_2)

Intra-corporate transferee permits for long-term mobility issued and notifications received by citizenship and first Member State of residence (migr_resict3)

Authorisation for the purpose of the seasonal work (migr_resseaw)

Authorisations for the purpose of seasonal work by status, length of validity, economic sector and citizenship (migr_ressw1_1)

Authorisations issued for the purpose of seasonal work by economic sector, sex and citizenship (migr_ressw2)

Residence permits - Students and Researchers (migr_ressr)

Authorisations for study and research by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrath)

Authorisations for long-term mobility of researchers by reason, type of decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrltm)

Notifications for research and study by reason, decision, citizenship and length of validity (migr_ressrntf)

Thematic section

Publications

Methodology

Residence permits (ESMS metadata file — migr_resval_esms)

External links

European Commission — Pact on Migration and Asylum
European Commission — DG Migration and Home Affairs — Policies
European Commission — EU Immigration Portal (EUIP)
European Commission — European Migration Network (EMN)
European Commission — Migrant integration hub
OECD — Migration (also available in French)
OECD — International Migration Outlook (also available in French)