Migration remains one of Europe's most politically charged topics, yet the numbers tell a story of steady growth. According to fresh data from Eurostat, EU member states issued approximately 3.9 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2025 — the highest annual figure since records began in 2008. That represents a 10.1% increase, or 355,350 more permits, compared with the previous year.
Work and family lead the surge
Employment was the primary driver, accounting for 33.6% of all new permits, a 16.1% rise from 2024. Family reunification followed closely, up 14.1% to 28.1% of the total, while education-related permits grew 9% to reach 15.5%. The only category to contract was 'other reasons', which includes international protection, falling 0.9%.
These figures come at a time when migration policy is under intense scrutiny across the bloc. The European Commission has been pushing for a more harmonised approach, but member states remain divided. The data underscores how deeply migration is woven into the continent's economic and social fabric.
Spain: family ties dominate
Spain led the EU in issuing first residence permits, with 635,438 — roughly 16.5% of the bloc's total. Unlike many other countries, Spain's numbers were driven overwhelmingly by family reunification, not new labour migration. The country issued 275,869 family-related permits, more than any other EU state, making up 43.4% of its total.
Moroccans were the largest group to receive family-related permits across the EU, and more than half of those (51.7%) were granted in Spain. Spain was also the top destination for Moroccan citizens overall, attracting 43.8% of them. This reflects long-established migrant communities and historical and linguistic ties that also draw large numbers of Venezuelans, Colombians and Peruvians.
Employment was Spain's second-largest category, with around 115,040 work-related permits — the third-highest in the EU, behind Poland and Portugal. Education followed, with 105,419 permits issued to international students, again third in the bloc, after France and Germany.
Germany, Poland and the top five
A small group of countries issued the vast majority of new permits. Behind Spain, the next largest issuers were Germany (605,292, 15.7%), Poland (467,314, 12.1%), Italy (433,099, 11.2%) and France (377,462, 9.8%). Together, these five accounted for almost two-thirds of all first permits issued in the EU last year.
Relative to population, Malta issued by far the most permits, at 57 per 1,000 residents, followed by Cyprus (47) and Portugal (27), against an EU average of just 9. At the other end, Slovakia, Czechia, Romania, Estonia and Bulgaria each issued only 4 permits per 1,000 residents.
Not every country saw growth. Croatia recorded the sharpest drop, down 43.3% compared with 2024, followed by Greece (down 20.6%) and Austria (down 15.5%). Portugal, meanwhile, saw the steepest increase, with permits more than doubling (up 154.9%), though its total of 310,639 remained well below Spain's.
Nationalities: Ukrainians and Brazilians concentrated
By nationality, Ukrainians received more first residence permits than any other group — 335,096 in total, or 8.7% of all permits issued. The vast majority were granted in a single country: Poland issued 72% of all permits given to Ukrainian citizens, and 87% of those given to Belarusians, most of them for employment.
Ukrainians and Brazilians were the two nationalities granted the most employment-related permits in the EU. Both were similarly concentrated: 86.3% of all employment permits for Ukrainians were issued by Poland, while 90.3% of those for Brazilians were issued by Portugal. Citizens of India (227,577) and Morocco (202,054) rounded out the top three nationalities EU-wide.
Among other major nationalities, Syria and Belarus were the only ones to see numbers fall compared with 2024, down 42.1% and 15.5% respectively. Permits for Colombians rose 43.4%, the sharpest increase of any major nationality.
By the end of 2025, the EU held 27.8 million valid residence permits overall — the highest total on record. Unlike the pattern for new permits, family reunification, not employment, is the leading reason people hold a valid permit overall.
These trends are likely to fuel further debate in Brussels and national capitals. As Germany presses for tougher trade measures, migration remains a parallel flashpoint. The data also comes amid broader discussions on how to fund social systems and integrate newcomers. With record numbers, the pressure on housing, public services and labour markets will only intensify.
