Morocco tops list of non-EU nationals receiving residence permits

Moroccans were the fourth most likely nationality to receive residence permits in European Union member states in 2023, according to statistics published by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).

Of the more than 3.7 million initial residence permits issued in the EU for non-EU citizens in 2023, Moroccans accounted for 179,200.

50.3 percent of the permits were granted to Moroccans for family reasons, 20.3 percent for work, 20 percent for study, and 9 percent for other reasons.

In 2023, the largest number of first residence permits were issued to citizens of Ukraine (307,313), followed by Belarus (281,279), India (207,966), and Morocco.

Work remained the main reason for issuing residence permits in 2023, accounting for 33.8% (1.3 million) of all first residence permits issued, indicating a slight decrease compared to 2022 (-0.4%; -4,662).

Family reasons accounted for 26.4% (986,453) of all permits, reflecting an increase of 6.4% (+58,943) compared to 2022. Other reasons, including international protection, accounted for almost the same share (25.6%; 956,646), with an increase of 5.3% (+48,406). Educational reasons accounted for 14.3% (534,558) of all first residence permits, representing the largest overall increase of 13.5% (+63,674).