Updated weekly · 26 October 2026

Where expats move in Europe

Which countries people from the USA, the UK, India, Canada and Australia choose when they move to Europe, based on official residence permit data, and the destinations that are gaining ground right now.

Where each nationality goes

First residence permits issued to each nationality in 2024, the latest year Eurostat has published by nationality and country. Permits include work, study, family and other reasons. The UK and Albania do not report to Eurostat.

Where Americans go

First residence permits in 2024, about 80,300 in total

1. Spain15,638

2. France13,062

3. Germany8,507

4. Netherlands6,732

5. Denmark5,183

6. Italy5,049

7. Ireland4,773

8. Portugal4,345

9. Switzerland4,339

10. Sweden2,746

Where Britons go

First residence permits in 2024, about 43,600 in total

1. Spain12,653

2. France8,073

3. Germany3,753

4. Netherlands3,445

5. Switzerland3,068

6. Portugal2,587

7. Denmark1,864

8. Sweden1,726

9. Italy1,460

10. Norway1,270

Where Indians go

First residence permits in 2024, about 192,445 in total

1. Germany33,813

2. Italy19,960

3. France10,804

4. Sweden8,387

5. Spain6,655

6. Malta6,353

7. Cyprus5,171

8. Denmark4,698

9. Lithuania4,319

10. Switzerland3,746

Where Canadians go

First residence permits in 2024, about 15,400 in total

1. France3,461

2. Spain1,883

3. Netherlandsfigure not published

4. Germany1,560

5. Switzerland1,227

6. Denmark1,008

7. Sweden832

8. Italy409

9. Norway361

10. Austria235

Where Australians go

First residence permits in 2024, about 9,400 in total

1. Netherlandsfigure not published

2. France1,235

3. Germany1,164

4. Denmark958

5. Spain914

6. Sweden681

7. Switzerland526

8. Italy286

9. Norway274

10. Austria165

Where Europe gave the most new permits in 2025

All nationalities, 2025

First residence permits for non-EU citizens. The EU total was a record 3.9 million.

1. Spain635,438

2. Germany605,292

3. Poland467,314

4. Italy433,099

5. France377,462

6. Portugal310,639

Portugal grew fastest: +155% on 2024.

Per 1,000 residents, 2025

New permits relative to population.

Country	Permits per 1,000
Malta	57
Cyprus	47
Portugal	27
EU average	9

Britons living in Europe

Britons holding an EU or Swiss residence permit, end of 2025.

1. Spain409,000

2. France172,000

3. Netherlands92,000

4. Germany50,100

5. Switzerland37,600

6. Italy21,200

7. Denmark17,400

8. Sweden13,400

Trending now

Signals from surveys, rankings and official releases in recent weeks. Updated every week.

Trend

Albania is the fastest riser

Foreign residents with a permit in Albania rose 46.6% in 2025 to 32,163 (INSTAT). Americans can stay a full year without a visa, and International Living readers rank Albania second among up-and-coming destinations, after Montenegro. In absolute numbers it is still far smaller than Portugal or Spain.

INSTAT – Foreigners in Albania, 2025

Trend

Portugal’s permits more than doubled

Portugal issued 310,639 first residence permits in 2025, up 155% on 2024, the steepest rise in the EU, and now has 27 new permits per 1,000 residents. Housing costs are the main complaint; see our renting guide.

Euronews – Record 3.9 million EU residence permits

Trend

Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg lead Europe for expat satisfaction

In the InterNations Expat Insider 2026 survey of close to 8,000 expats, Spain ranked 6th, Portugal 8th and Luxembourg 10th of 31 destinations worldwide. Germany (30th) and Norway (31st) came last.

Forbes – InterNations Expat Insider 2026

Trend

Greece tops the 2026 retirement ranking

Greece came first in International Living’s Global Retirement Index 2026, ahead of long-time favourites in Latin America.

401k Specialist – Greece tops 2026 Global Retirement Index

Trend

Montenegro, Albania, Cyprus and Czechia on the rise

International Living’s reader survey names Montenegro, Albania, Cyprus and Czechia among the up-and-coming places Americans are considering, mainly for lower living costs.

International Living – Rising stars for life overseas

Trend

Spain and Portugal: protests over housing

Autumn 2026 has brought mass housing protests in Spain and Portugal, and Spain votes in a snap election on 29 November. Rules for renters may change.

ExpatCents – Renting during the 2026 housing crisis

Before you choose

Compare what you would take home with our 19-country salary comparison or, from the USA, the USA vs Europe calculator.
Check the tax breaks for newcomers in the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
Read about rents and protests in Spain and Portugal.

Sources

Permit counts show new legal residents, not tourists or short stays, and include people changing permit type. Official data are published once a year; the trends section is updated weekly. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].