According to Experts Club, EU countries issued approximately 3.9 million first-time residence permits to third-country nationals in 2025, which is 10.1%, or 355,350, more than in 2024.
This was the highest figure since Eurostat began compiling comparative statistics in 2008.
Labor migration was the main driver of this growth. The number of first-time work-related permits increased by 179,700, or 16.1%, over the year, reaching approximately 1.3 million. Work-related permits accounted for 33.6% of all first-time residence permits issued.
The number of permits issued for family reasons rose by 14.1%—to approximately 1.1 million, or 28.1% of the total.
Another 600,000 residence permits, or 15.5%, were issued for educational purposes. Their number increased by 9%.
About 22.8% of permits were issued on other grounds, including international protection. In this category, the number of residence permits decreased by 0.9%.
Ukrainian citizens constituted the largest group of first-time permit recipients—335,100—followed by India with 227,600 and Morocco with 202,100.
Spain led all EU countries in the total number of new permits, issuing 635,400 residence permits.
The data does not include individuals under temporary protection, including the millions of Ukrainians who fled the country after the start of the full-scale war.
EU, Eurostat, MIGRATION, RESIDENCE PERMIT, WORK
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