Around 78,100 highly qualified non-EU workers received an EU Blue Card in 2024, with the vast majority issued by Germany.
Germany issued 56,300 of the permits — 72% of the EU total — followed by Poland with 5,900 (7%), Hungary with 2,900 (4%) and France with 2,800 (4%), Eurostat revealed on Tuesday.
The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit for highly qualified people from outside the EU.
Indian citizens were granted 16,300 Blue Cards (21%), ahead of Russians with 6,700 (9%), Turks with 5,600 (7%) and Chinese with 4,600 (6%).
Study and research permits
EU countries issued 475,000 authorisations for non-EU citizens to study and do research in 2024.
Germany issued 131,000 authorisations (28% of the EU total), followed by France with 118,000 (25%) and Spain with 59,000 (12%).
The largest numbers of recipients were citizens of India with 53,000 (11%), China with 44,000 (9%), Morocco with 23,000 (5%) and the United States with 22,000 (5%).
The figures are included in the interactive Eurostat publication "Migration and asylum in Europe – 2025 edition."
