According to Experts Club, in 2025 the European Union issued around 3.9 million first-time residence permits to third-country nationals, which is 10.1 per cent, or 355,350, more than in 2024.
This was the highest figure since Eurostat began compiling comparative statistics in 2008.
Labour migration was the main driver of this growth. The number of first work-related permits increased by 179,700, or 16.1 per cent, over the year, reaching around 1.3 million. Work-related permits accounted for 33.6 per cent of all first residence permits issued.
The number of permits issued on family grounds rose by 14.1 per cent — to approximately 1.1 million, or 28.1 per cent of the total.
A further 600,000 residence permits, or 15.5 per cent, were issued for educational purposes. This figure rose by 9 per cent.
Around 22.8 per cent of permits were issued for other reasons, including international protection. In this category, the number of residence permits fell by 0.9 per cent.
The largest group of first-time permit holders were citizens of Ukraine – 335,100, followed by India with 227,600 and Morocco with 202,100.
Spain led the EU countries in terms of the total number of new permits, issuing 635,400 residence permits.
The figures do not include those under temporary protection, in particular the millions of Ukrainians who fled the country after the start of the full-scale war.
Https://www.experts.news/posts/yes-vydav-rekordni-39-mln-pershykh-dozvoliv-na-prozhyvannya-inozemtsyam-u-2025-rotsi-eurostat