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, Eurostat data shows.
UK citizens, top destinations in 2024:
- Spain: 12,653 permits, up from 10,166 the prior year
- France: 8,073
- Germany: 3,753
- Netherlands: 3,445
- Smaller flows to Switzerland (3,068), Portugal (2,587), Denmark (1,864), Sweden (1,726) and Italy (1,460)
Just over 80,300 US citizens secured first permits in EU countries, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and consolidating Europe’s appeal to Americans.
US citizens, top destinations in 2024:
Italy, Ireland and Portugal close behind, with significant US communities in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and Austria
- Spain: 15,638 permits
- France: 13,062
- Germany: 8,507
- Netherlands: 6,732
- Denmark: 5,183
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.
Canadian citizens, 2024 first permits:
- France: 3,461
- Spain: 1,883
- Germany: 1,560
- Switzerland: 1,227
- Denmark: 1,008
- Sweden: 832
- Italy: 409
- Norway: 361
- Austria: 235
Around 9,400 Australians obtained first residence permits in the EU, concentrating heavily in the Netherlands, France and Germany. Sweden’s total remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Australian citizens, 2024 first permits:
- Austria: 165
- France: 1,235
- Germany: 1,164
- Denmark: 958
- Spain: 914
- Sweden: 681
- Switzerland: 526
- Italy: 286
- Norway: 274
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, Eurostat reports.
Indian nationals, 2024 first permits:
- Germany: 33,813
- Italy: 19,960
- France: 10,804
- Croatia, Poland, Portugal and Netherlands: 10,000 to 11,000 each
- Sizeable additional inflows to Sweden (8,387), Spain (6,655), Malta (6,353) and Cyprus (5,171)
Nigerian nationals received just over 32,000 residence permits, heavily concentrated in Italy and Germany, underscoring the central role of these countries in managing African migration routes into the EU.
Nigerian nationals, 2024 first permits:
- Italy: 9,321
- Germany: 6,205
- Spain: approximately 2,500
- France: approximately 2,500
Around 10,600 South Africans moved to Europe on first permits, with Dutch authorities emerging as a major destination, well ahead of most other European states.
South African nationals, 2024 first permits:
- Several hundred each to France, Spain and Sweden
- Netherlands: 3,729
New Zealanders and the broader mobility picture
In 2024, 2,701 New Zealanders were granted first-time residence permits across the EU, adding to an increasingly global mix in many northern and western European cities.
New Zealand citizens, 2024 first permits:
- Netherlands: more than 600
- Spain: 356
- France: 287
- Denmark: 188
- Switzerland: 145
- Sweden: 132
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.
What this tells us about emigration patterns from English-speaking countries
The 2024 numbers reframe a story often told through American headlines alone. Brits, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders are landing in many of the same destinations: Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands absorb the bulk of English-speaking arrivals. The US figure of 80,300 is the largest, but it tracks broader Anglophone movement into the EU.
The data on Americans abroad carries caveats. First-permit counts capture inflows, not retention. They include status changes and reissues after a six-month gap, so the headline numbers overstate fresh arrivals. They also exclude Americans living in Europe under non-permit arrangements, dual-national pathways or Albania’s one-year visa-free rule.
The impact of Americans abroad will depend less on the 2024 inflow than on whether these cohorts convert to long-term residency. Eurostat’s next stock release, covering valid permits at year-end 2025, will offer the first read on that question.
