Fresh Eurostat figures show where Americans, Brits, Indians and other non‑EU nationals are securing first residence permits – and how Spain, Germany and the Netherlands have become the main gateways to Europe.​

Europe’s 3.57 million new residents

In 2024, European countries issued about 3.57 million first residence permits to non‑EU citizens, covering moves for work, study, family and other long‑stay reasons.​
These permits include both people arriving for the first time and those whose status changed or was reinstated after a gap of at least six months, offering a broad snapshot of who is actually settling in Europe.​

For English‑speaking nationals such as Britons, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and Nigerians, the figures reveal clear country favourites and sharply rising flows into a handful of EU states.​

Brits and Americans: Spain and France out in front

Some 43,600 British citizens obtained a first residence permit in the EU in 2024, far below the Brexit‑surge peak of 90,000 in 2021 but broadly in line with the three years since.​
Spain led the way for Brits with 12,653 permits, up strongly from 10,166 a year earlier, followed by France (8,073), Germany (3,753) and the Netherlands (3,445), with smaller but notable flows to Switzerland, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden and Italy.​

Just over 80,300 US citizens secured first permits in EU countries, surpassing pre‑pandemic levels and consolidating Europe’s appeal to Americans.​
Again, Spain topped the list with 15,638 permits, followed by France (13,062), Germany (8,507), the Netherlands (6,732) and Denmark (5,183), with Italy, Ireland and Portugal close behind and significant US communities also in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Austria.​

Canadians and Australians: France and the Netherlands take the lead

Roughly 15,400 Canadian citizens received first residence permits in the EU in 2024, with France the clear frontrunner and Spain and the Netherlands close behind.​
Spain’s 1,883 permits for Canadians were almost double pre‑pandemic levels, while France issued 3,461, and further numbers headed to Germany (1,560), Switzerland (1,227), Denmark (1,008), Sweden (832), Norway (361), Italy (409) and Austria (235).​

Around 9,400 Australians obtained first residence permits in the EU, concentrating heavily in the Netherlands, France and Germany.​
France granted 1,235 permits to Australians and Germany 1,164, with additional flows to Denmark (958), Spain (914), Switzerland (526), Sweden (681), Italy (286), Norway (274) and Austria (165), though Sweden’s total remained below pre‑pandemic levels.​

Indians, Nigerians and South Africans: work routes and southern gateways

Indian nationals formed one of the largest groups overall, with 192,445 first residence permits issued across the 27 EU countries in 2024.​
Germany led with 33,813 permits, followed by nearly 20,000 in Italy (19,960) and 10,804 in France, while Croatia, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands each granted between 10,000 and 11,000, and Sweden, Spain, Malta and Cyprus also registered sizeable inflows.​

Nigerian nationals received just over 32,000 residence permits, heavily concentrated in Italy (9,321) and Germany (6,205).​
Spain and France each issued around 2,500 permits to Nigerians, underscoring the central role of these four countries in managing African migration routes into the EU.​

Around 10,600 South Africans moved to Europe on first permits, with the Netherlands alone accounting for 3,729 and several hundred more choosing France, Spain and Sweden.​
The figures show that Dutch authorities in particular have become a major destination for South African applicants, well ahead of most other European states.​

New Zealanders and the broader mobility picture

In 2024, 2,701 New Zealanders were granted first‑time residence permits across the EU, with more than 600 choosing the Netherlands and several hundred moving to Spain (356) and France (287).​
A smaller but steady flow went to Sweden (132), Switzerland (145) and Denmark (188), adding to an increasingly global mix in many northern and western European cities.​

Taken together, the numbers show a continent where Spain, Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands now sit at the core of Europe’s migration landscape for non‑EU nationals – whether they arrive from North America, the Commonwealth, or the booming economies of India and Nigeria.

Source: Claudia Delpero, “Where in Europe gives the most residency permits to Americans, Brits and Indians?”, The Local London