Who do Europe’s 3.57 million residence permits go to?

EU international locations issued some 3.5 million first-time residency permits in 2024.

With EFTA international locations Switzerland (47,500) and Norway (23,600) included then the quantity reaches 3.57 million.

This represents an 8 per cent decline – 315,000 fewer – than the three.8 million issued in 2023, the 12 months with the best quantity ever recorded, based on information revealed by the EU statistical workplace, Eurostat.

First residence permits consult with new authorisations issued by nationwide authorities to non-EU/EFTA residents to remain within the nation for employment, household, schooling or different causes. They could be issued for no less than three months to a 12 months or extra. The information additionally embody permits issued due to a change to a earlier residence standing.

The decline recorded in 2024 can partly be defined by that reality fewer first residence permits for employment (-12 per cent) had been handed out plus a drop of 6.5 p.c fall within the variety of permits given out for household reunifications. There was additionally a ten p.c drop within the variety of permits issued for “different” causes (see under). However permits issued for schooling functions recorded a small improve (+0.8 per cent).

The highest relative decreases in new permits handed out had been seen amongst residents coming from Belarus (-38 per cent), Turkey (-13 per cent), Afghanistan (-10 per cent) and India (-9 per cent).

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As for issuing international locations, the biggest relative decline was reported in Estonia (-42 per cent), Malta (-30 per cent) and Poland (-24 per cent), with a big destructive pattern additionally in Slovakia and Germany (-18 per cent), Finland and Slovenia (-14 per cent).

Relative will increase had been recorded as an alternative in Greece (+24 per cent) and Cyprus (+16 per cent).

Across the EU, the best variety of first residence permits had been granted to residents of Ukraine (295,600), India (192,400) after which Morocco (188,400).

Residence permits for employment causes

Overall, employment was the principle purpose non-EU residents had been capable of receive a primary residency allow in European international locations. This involved 1.1 million individuals, or 32 per cent of the overall variety of first permits.

There had been variations throughout international locations, nevertheless.

Employment was the most typical think about Croatia (95 per cent), Lithuania (82 per cent) and Romania (77 per cent), but in addition in Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia.

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Poland was the principle vacation spot for non-EU staff (nearly 338,000 first permits for that reason), adopted by Spain (96,000), Croatia (86,000) and Germany (77,000).

Ukrainians and Belarusians had been granted the biggest variety of first residence permits within the EU for employment causes, of which the bulk had been issued in Poland.

Employment was additionally the first purpose for first residence allow to males, whereas for girls the principle purpose was household.

Family causes

Almost a million (950,600) first residency permits had been issued for household causes, or 27 per cent of the overall. Joining members of the family was the most typical foundation for brand new residence permits in Luxembourg, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Estonia, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

Spain (258,000), Germany (197,000), Italy (110,000) and France (91,000) had been the EU international locations issuing the best variety of first residence permits for household causes.

Family was the principle floor for permits granted to residents of Morocco (47 per cent), Colombia (45 per cent) and Turkey (35 per cent).

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Education causes

Education accounted for 549,400 (nearly 16 per cent) first residence permits issued by EU international locations final 12 months.

Ireland and France had been the one EU states the place this was the predominant purpose for brand new residents (48 and 33 per cent respectively). In absolute phrases, Spain and Germany, along with France, had been the highest locations for non-EU college students.

Indians had been the biggest group to obtain first residence permits for schooling functions, practically a 3rd of which had been issued in Germany. On a relative foundation, schooling was the predominant purpose for brand new resident permits issued to Chinese nationals (34 per cent).

Across the EU, nearly the identical proportion of first residence permits had been issued to women and men (8 and seven.7 per cent respectively) for this goal.

Other causes

Other causes to acquire a residence allow embody worldwide safety (refugee standing) or various kinds of residence, as an example as pensioners. Such causes accounted for 886,300 (25 per cent) of first residence permits issued in 2024 and had been the most typical in Greece, Italy, Austria and Estonia.

Syrians topped the listing of first residence permits issued for different causes, of which 56 per cent had been granted in Germany.

In relation to nationality, this was the predominant causes for first residence permits to Afghan (85 per cent), Syrian (79 per cent) and Bangladesh (41 per cent) nationals.

Persons below EU non permanent safety, corresponding to individuals who left Ukraine resulting from Russia’s invasion, usually are not lined by these statistics.

Top issuing international locations

The nation that issued highest variety of first residence permits in 2024 was Spain (562,000 or 16 per cent of the overall), adopted by Germany (545,000), Poland (489,000), Italy and France (346,000 and 342,000).

Relative to the inhabitants, the best proportion was recorded in Malta (52 permits per 1,000 inhabitants) and Cyprus (41), whereas the bottom was in Romania, Bulgaria and Estonia (round 3). Across the EU, 7.8 first residence permits had been issued per 1,000 individuals in 2024.