Cyprus ranks among EU leaders in new residency permits issued in 2025

According to 2025 Eurostat data released on September 11, 2026, Cyprus has emerged as a top European Union destination for third-country nationals seeking first-time residency permits. The island nation issued 47 permits per 1,000 inhabitants, significantly higher than the EU average of nine. Malta leads the bloc with 57 permits, while Portugal ranks third with 27. In total, the Republic of Cyprus issued 45,907 first-time residency permits in 2025, a substantial increase from the 16,970 recorded in 2016.

The surge is largely driven by employment needs, which accounted for 25,168 permits, or approximately 54.8% of the total volume. Citizens from India led the demographic distribution with 8,691 permits, followed by Nepal with 7,814, and Russia with 4,924. Other top nationalities include applicants from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Egypt, the Philippines, Syria, and the United Kingdom. Across the entire EU, a record 3.9 million first-time residency permits were issued, representing a 10.1% increase compared to 2024. While Cyprus maintains its high ranking, other nations such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Estonia, and Bulgaria reported much lower figures of approximately four permits per 1,000 residents.