Filenews 21 November 2025
In 2024, the European Union issued a total of 540,445 first residence permits to underage non-European citizens under the age of 18, according to data published by Eurostat.
Of these, 356,554, i.e. 66% of the total, were granted for family reunification or family creation purposes. Another 160,618 permits, accounting for 30%, were for other reasons, such as international protection, while only 21,179, or 4%, were related to educational purposes.
Cyprus and Malta record the highest rates of issuance of residence permits to underage non-European citizens, according to the latest Eurostat data, with Cyprus ranking second in relative terms, behind Malta. Cyprus, along with Malta (3,379 permits per 100,000 minors) and Luxembourg (1,861), stands out for the high number of residence permits it grants to minors, in relation to its population. In absolute numbers, Germany (138,692 permits), Spain (107,828) and Italy (60,125) lead the list.
Regarding the nationality of minors, 37% of permits were granted to citizens of Asian countries, 27% to non-EU Europeans, and 21% to Africans. Syria was the first country of origin, with 12% of all permits, followed by Morocco (7%) and Ukraine (6%).
