Malta
Malta Startup Residence Programme
The Malta Startup Residence Programme is for people who found an innovative company in Malta or move one there, investing at least EUR 25,000.
News · Malta
Eurostat: Malta issued the most first residence permits relative to its population in 2025
On 11 September 2026 Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, published data on first residence permits issued in 2025. Relative to population, Malta ranked first, with 57 first permits issued per 1,000 people.
Summary
In brief
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Malta: 57 first permits per 1,000 people; Cyprus: 47; Portugal: 27.
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EU countries issued 3.9 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2025, 10.1% (+355,350) more than in 2024.
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By reason: employment 33.6%, family 28.1%, other 22.8%, education 15.5%.
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Ukrainian (335,100), Indian (227,600) and Moroccan (202,100) citizens received the most permits.
Background
What happened
According to Eurostat's release of 11 September 2026, EU countries issued 3.9 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2025, 10.1% (+355,350) more than in 2024. 1.3 million (33.6%) were issued for employment, 1.1 million (28.1%) for family reasons, 0.9 million (22.8%) for other reasons including international protection, and 0.6 million (15.5%) for education. The most first permits went to Ukrainian (335,100), Indian (227,600) and Moroccan (202,100) citizens.
According to Eurostat's Statistics Explained article, relative to population the highest ratio in 2025 was in Malta, with 57 first permits per 1,000 people, followed by Cyprus (47) and Portugal (27). The article does not give Malta's absolute number; Identità's annual report gives 32,693 first residence permits for 2025.
For you
What it means for you
- High volume: relative to population, Malta issues more first permits than any other EU member state; with so many applications, plan your filing in good time.
- Indian applicants: at EU level Indian citizens received the second-highest number of first permits, which also indicates the workload in popular destination countries.
- Choosing a programme: if you plan to study or start a business in Malta, we compare the study and startup residence requirements when you request a quote.
Programmes
Related programmes
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- Malta
Malta student residence permit
The Malta student residence permit is the simplest way into Europe: a licensed school, a student visa, then a residence card, and student work of 20 hours a week alongside your studies.