First permits issued for remunerated activities by reason, length of validity and citizenship by country
Countries reporting
32
Highest
318,186
Poland
Lowest
0
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Median
15,051
Years covered
18
2008–2025
Data points
571
What the numbers show
First permits issued for remunerated activities by reason, length of validity and citizenship is currently reported for 32 countries. The highest value is 318,186 in Poland; the lowest is 0 in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The median across all reporting countries is 15,051, and the mean is 39,846.
Over the past decade 26 countries rose and 6 fell. The largest increase was in Croatia (up 5,897.7%), and the largest decrease in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (down 100.0%).
First permits issued for remunerated activities by reason, length of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland | 318,186 | 2025 | down 15.2% | volatile |
| 2 | Portugal | 240,523 | 2025 | up 3,434.5% | volatile |
| 3 | Spain | 115,040 | 2025 | up 176.8% | rising |
| 4 | Germany | 108,091 | 2025 | up 703.6% | volatile |
| 5 | Italy | 57,362 | 2025 | up 230.2% | volatile |
| 6 | France | 50,848 | 2025 | up 142.1% | rising |
| 7 | Hungary | 48,520 | 2025 | up 1,052.8% | volatile |
| 8 | Croatia | 47,382 | 2025 | up 5,897.7% | volatile |
| 9 | Romania | 44,084 | 2024 | up 2,345.0% | volatile |
| 10 | Cyprus | 25,168 | 2025 | up 243.0% | rising |
| 11 | Netherlands | 20,673 | 2025 | up 55.3% | rising |
| 12 | Czechia | 17,770 | 2025 | down 10.8% | volatile |
| 13 | Lithuania | 16,998 | 2025 | up 509.5% | volatile |
| 14 | Ireland | 16,759 | 2025 | up 176.0% | volatile |
| 15 | Malta | 16,289 | 2025 | up 485.5% | volatile |
| 16 | Denmark | 16,149 | 2025 | up 66.4% | rising |
| 17 | Slovenia | 13,953 | 2025 | up 157.3% | volatile |
| 18 | Slovakia | 13,263 | 2025 | up 322.1% | volatile |
| 19 | Bulgaria | 12,596 | 2025 | up 457.1% | volatile |
| 20 | Switzerland | 12,580 | 2025 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 21 | Greece | 12,046 | 2025 | up 984.2% | volatile |
| 22 | Sweden | 11,290 | 2025 | down 28.2% | rising |
| 23 | Finland | 9,211 | 2025 | up 101.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Norway | 7,992 | 2025 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 25 | Belgium | 7,392 | 2025 | up 49.4% | rising |
| 26 | Austria | 7,126 | 2025 | up 98.1% | rising |
| 27 | Latvia | 4,151 | 2025 | up 153.3% | volatile |
| 28 | Luxembourg | 1,931 | 2025 | up 53.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Estonia | 1,098 | 2025 | down 14.2% | rising |
| 30 | Iceland | 516 | 2024 | up 216.6% | rising |
| 31 | Liechtenstein | 90 | 2025 | down 13.5% | flat |
| 32 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 0 | 2019 | down 100.0% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 28 countries (2013-2020) 1.20 million
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 1.12 million