Germany, Poland and France Dominate EU Blue Card Approvals for Skilled Migrants
Germany, Poland & France Lead EU in Blue Card Issuance as India Tops Beneficiary List
In 2023, around 89,000 highly skilled non-EU nationals were issued the EU Blue Card, a residence and work permit aimed at attracting qualified professionals to the European Union.
Following Germany, which continues to dominate the program, Poland emerged as the second-largest issuer, granting approximately 7,000 Blue Cards—equivalent to 8% of the total. France followed with around 4,000 cards issued, representing 4% of all Blue Cards granted across the EU.
India Leads as Top Country of Origin for Blue Card Holders
India ranked first among countries of origin, with 21,000 Indian nationals receiving EU Blue Cards—24% of the total issued. Russia came second with 9,000 cards (11%), while Turkey and Belarus followed, with 6,000 and 5,000 cards issued, respectively.
India also led in another key EU migration category—the intra-corporate transferee permit—which allows multinational companies to transfer skilled workers across branches within the EU.
Intra-Corporate Transferees: India Again Tops List
Of the 3,900 intra-corporate transferee permits granted by the EU in 2023:
- 36% (around 1,400) went to Indian nationals,
- 14% (1,600) were issued to Chinese citizens,
- 12% (1,300) were granted to South Koreans.
Among EU countries, the Netherlands issued the highest number of these permits (2,700 or 25%), followed by Germany and Hungary with 1,900 each (18%). France and Spain issued 1,500 and 1,100 permits, respectively.
EU Authorisations for Students & Researchers Also on the Rise
In 2023, EU countries issued 451,000 authorisations for students and researchers coming for academic and scientific purposes.
- Germany led with 144,000 authorisations (32%),
- France followed with 117,000 (26%),
- Spain came next with 55,000 (12%).
Once again, India was the leading country of origin, with 50,000 authorisations granted to Indian nationals (11% of the total). Other top source countries included China (47,000), Morocco (22,000), and the United States (21,000).
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