Europe granted 4.5 thousand permits to Albanian students and researchers in two years, a record in the region

2025-08-06 07:16:00, Sociale CNA

Europe granted 4.5 thousand permits to Albanian students and researchers in two

Europe, and especially Germany, have significantly increased the number of permits for Albanian students and researchers in recent years.

Eurostat reported that in 2023 and 2024 it granted 2,278 and 2,218 permits to Albanian students and researchers, respectively, or about 4.5 thousand in total for two years.

Compared to previous years, the increase is strong. In 2021, around 1.5 thousand permits were granted and in 2019, the earliest data was around 1.15 thousand.

The increase in permits is due to the entry of Germany into the game. In 2022, this country granted 1,387 permits to Albanian student researchers, or 60% of the total of EU countries. In 2023, they granted 1,417 permits, or 63% of the total.

In second place for student and researcher permits is France (191 in 2022 and 225 in 2023). It is followed by Austria (169 in 2022 and 132 in 2023), Spain (104 in 2022 and 82 in 2023), the Netherlands (103 and 72). Romania has also issued permits, with around 50 per year.

Europe granted 4.5 thousand permits to Albanian students and researchers in two

Albania held the record in 2023 for the high number of permits its citizens received in the EU, leaving behind Serbia (2,179), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1,111), North Macedonia (958), Kosovo (342) and Montenegro (278).

Germany has become a favorite destination in recent years not only for professionals from Albania, but also for those who want to study.

Eurostat data shows that in 2023, Albanians ranked 21st for student and researcher permits issued by Germany at levels similar to citizens from Brazil, Ukraine, Colombia, and Mexico, which are countries with much higher populations than us.

Albanian students have received more than twice as many permits from Germany compared to Serbia (728), which ranks second after us (see graph at the bottom).

Permits for students and researchers in the EU

According to Eurostat, regarding residence permits granted to non-EU citizens wishing to study or conduct scientific research, in 2023 European Union countries granted a total of 451,000 permits.

Germany was the country that issued the most such permits (144,000 or 32% of the EU total), followed by France (117,000 or 26%) and Spain (55,000 or 12%).

The main beneficiaries were citizens of:
-India – 50,000 permits or 11% of the total in the EU,
-China – 47,000 permits or 10%,
-Morocco – 22,000 permits or 5%,
-United States of America – 21,000 permits or 5%./ Monitor Magazine