In 2024, the European Union issued 540,445 first residence permits to minor non-EU 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 reasons of family reunification or family creation. Another 160,618 permits, representing 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 granting residence permits to minor non-EU citizens, according to the latest Eurostat figures, with Cyprus ranking second in relative terms, behind Malta. Cyprus, together 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 top country of origin, with 12% of all permits, followed by Morocco (7%) and Ukraine (6%).
