Germany
Destination country · migration, permits and visas
- Inflow of foreign nationals, 2023 (OECD)
- 1,700,936
- Largest group, 2023
- Ukraine
- First residence permits, 2025 (Eurostat)
- 598,313
- Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
- 13.7%
DestinationDE2023–2025
Year by year
Data as at 2025
DS<DEGERMANY<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< DE3<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<6
Who moves to Germany
Inflows of foreign nationals recorded by Germany, by nationality (OECD).
All inflows by year
Data table
| 2000 | 560,084 |
| 2001 | 583,918 |
| 2002 | 629,132 |
| 2003 | 576,113 |
| 2004 | 577,710 |
| 2005 | 559,985 |
| 2006 | 533,300 |
| 2007 | 554,489 |
| 2008 | 563,344 |
| 2009 | 595,485 |
| 2010 | 671,313 |
| 2011 | 829,556 |
| 2012 | 952,038 |
| 2013 | 1,090,610 |
| 2014 | 1,309,793 |
| 2015 | 1,874,264 |
| 2016 | 1,590,585 |
| 2017 | 1,343,999 |
| 2018 | 1,353,734 |
| 2019 | 1,315,236 |
| 2020 | 973,465 |
| 2021 | 1,110,694 |
| 2022 | 2,444,508 |
| 2023 | 1,700,936 |
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
Foreign nationals living in Germany
Stock of foreign nationals by nationality (latest year reported) and acquisitions of Germany's nationality (OECD).
Acquisitions of nationality by year
Data table
| 2000 | 173,807 |
| 2001 | 163,844 |
| 2002 | 144,462 |
| 2003 | 133,552 |
| 2004 | 121,963 |
| 2005 | 106,531 |
| 2006 | 112,865 |
| 2007 | 109,688 |
| 2008 | 92,284 |
| 2009 | 92,937 |
| 2010 | 96,919 |
| 2011 | 101,630 |
| 2012 | 107,337 |
| 2013 | 107,514 |
| 2014 | 103,337 |
| 2015 | 101,967 |
| 2016 | 105,005 |
| 2017 | 106,992 |
| 2018 | 107,255 |
| 2019 | 123,870 |
| 2020 | 105,095 |
| 2021 | 126,140 |
| 2022 | 161,395 |
| 2023 | 192,205 |
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
International migrants
People living in Germany who were born in another country, or who hold foreign citizenship where country of birth is not recorded: mid-year estimates (UN DESA).
International migrants by year
Data table
| 1990 | 6,960,112 |
| 1995 | 9,637,208 |
| 2000 | 10,397,459 |
| 2005 | 11,210,590 |
| 2010 | 11,665,950 |
| 2015 | 12,646,813 |
| 2020 | 15,021,300 |
| 2024 | 16,750,084 |
- International migrants, 2024
- 16,750,084
- Share of the population, 2024
- 19.8%
- Counted by
- country of birth, refugees added
Source: United Nations, DESA Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (CC BY 3.0 IGO)Data as at 2024
Migrants in the labour market
Labour force survey results for Germany: residents aged 15 and over who were born abroad, compared with those born in the country (ILOSTAT).
| Indicator | Born in the country | Born abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Employment-to-population ratio, 2025 | 59.4% | 58.9% |
| Unemployment rate, 2025 | 2.9% | 7.0% |
- Born abroad: share of all workers, 2025
- 21.6%
- Born abroad: share of high-skill jobs, 2025
- 15.8%
- Born abroad: share of medium-skill jobs, 2025
- 23.4%
- Born abroad: share of elementary jobs, 2025
- 49.9%
Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025
Earnings by occupation
Mean gross annual earnings of employees in Germany by major occupation group, in enterprises with 10 or more employees (Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022).
| Occupation group | Mean annual earnings, EUR | Index, all occupations = 100 |
|---|---|---|
| All occupations | 51,042 | 100 |
| Managers | 118,311 | 232 |
| Professionals | 73,798 | 145 |
| Technicians and associate professionals | 55,742 | 109 |
| Clerical support workers | 45,568 | 89 |
| Service and sales workers | 35,383 | 69 |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | 34,881 | 68 |
| Craft and related trades workers | 44,245 | 87 |
| Plant and machine operators and assemblers | 40,934 | 80 |
| Elementary occupations | 30,331 | 59 |
| Armed forces occupations | 51,788 | 101 |
- Mean gross annual earnings, all employees, 2022
- 51,042 EUR
- Women's mean earnings as a share of men's, 2022
- 78.8%
Source: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2022
Residence permits
First residence permits issued by Germany to non-EU citizens (Eurostat).
First permits by year
Data table
| 2008 | 113,128 |
| 2009 | 120,334 |
| 2010 | 116,534 |
| 2011 | 109,259 |
| 2012 | 180,845 |
| 2013 | 197,539 |
| 2014 | 233,517 |
| 2015 | 192,051 |
| 2016 | 493,462 |
| 2017 | 521,574 |
| 2018 | 530,061 |
| 2019 | 418,417 |
| 2020 | 346,181 |
| 2021 | 497,219 |
| 2022 | 615,098 |
| 2023 | 651,380 |
| 2024 | 537,377 |
| 2025 | 598,313 |
- Family222,620
- Other reasons155,475
- Education112,289
- Work107,929
- Other paid activities69,020
- EU Blue Card20,452
- Highly skilled workers (national schemes)12,673
- Researchers5,784
- Valid residence permits, 31 Dec 2025
- 5,860,817
- Long-term residence permits issued, 2025
- 309,082
- Changed status into work, 2025
- 26,625
- Intra-corporate transferee permits, 2025
- 1,669
- Seasonal work authorisations, 2024
- 2,950
Schengen visas issued by Germany
Short-stay visa applications at Germany's consulates worldwide.
Applications by year
Data table
| 2009 | 1,616,909 |
| 2010 | 1,730,875 |
| 2011 | 1,707,197 |
| 2012 | 1,844,704 |
| 2013 | 2,062,979 |
| 2014 | 2,061,137 |
| 2015 | 2,022,870 |
| 2016 | 2,004,235 |
| 2017 | 2,049,055 |
| 2018 | 2,056,296 |
| 2019 | 2,171,309 |
| 2020 | 411,826 |
| 2021 | 346,284 |
| 2022 | 1,043,297 |
| 2023 | 1,459,560 |
| 2024 | 1,512,675 |
| Country of the consulate | Applications 2024 | Refusal rate |
|---|---|---|
| China | 263,088 | 3.1% |
| Türkiye | 215,506 | 20.8% |
| India | 142,955 | 11.1% |
| Egypt | 52,442 | 20.4% |
| Belarus | 51,841 | 2.6% |
| Kazakhstan | 45,094 | 15.3% |
| Saudi Arabia | 43,883 | 8.8% |
| Thailand | 39,497 | 5.4% |
| Iran | 39,146 | 17.4% |
| United Arab Emirates | 32,956 | 26.6% |
| United Kingdom | 30,169 | 4.5% |
| Kuwait | 30,045 | 11.3% |
| Vietnam | 26,833 | 13.7% |
| South Africa | 25,609 | 5.3% |
| United States | 24,316 | 3.4% |
Residence status of foreign residents
Foreign residents on 31 December 2025 by residence status, for the nationalities shown in the Central Register of Foreigners (Destatis).
- Permanent residence title2,455,045
- International law, humanitarian or political reasons2,330,585
- Family reasons950,635
- Application for a residence title pending894,515
- Neither tolerated nor permitted472,620
- Employment436,665
- Education and training253,665
- Permission to reside during the asylum procedure252,935
- EU free movement244,100
- Tolerated stay (Duldung)168,630
- Special residence rights and national visas122,975
Germany's embassies and consulates abroad
Countries in which Germany has an embassy or consulate, as recorded in Wikidata.
| Country | Embassies | Consulates-general | Consulates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | — | — |
| Albania | 1 | — | — |
| Algeria | 1 | — | — |
| Angola | 1 | — | — |
| Argentina | 1 | — | — |
| Armenia | 1 | — | — |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Austria | 1 | — | — |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | — | — |
| Bahrain | 1 | — | — |
| Bangladesh | 1 | — | — |
| Belarus | 1 | — | — |
| Belgium | 1 | — | — |
| Benin | 1 | — | — |
| Bolivia | 1 | — | — |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | — | — |
| Botswana | 1 | — | — |
| Brazil | 1 | 4 | — |
| Brunei | 1 | — | — |
| Bulgaria | 1 | — | — |
| Burkina Faso | 1 | — | — |
| Burundi | 1 | — | — |
| Cambodia | 1 | — | — |
| Cameroon | 1 | — | — |
| Canada | 1 | 3 | — |
| Chad | 1 | — | — |
| Chile | 1 | — | — |
| China | 1 | 5 | — |
| Colombia | 1 | — | — |
| Costa Rica | 1 | — | — |
| Croatia | 1 | — | — |
| Cuba | 1 | — | — |
| Cyprus | 1 | — | — |
| Czechia | 1 | — | — |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 1 | — | — |
| DR Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Djibouti | 1 | — | — |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | — | — |
| Ecuador | 1 | — | — |
| Egypt | 1 | — | — |
| El Salvador | 1 | — | — |
| Eritrea | 1 | — | — |
| Estonia | 1 | — | — |
| Ethiopia | 1 | — | — |
| Fiji | 1 | — | — |
| Finland | 1 | — | — |
| France | 1 | 4 | — |
| Gabon | 1 | — | — |
| Gambia | 1 | — | — |
| Georgia | 1 | — | — |
| Ghana | 1 | — | — |
| Greece | 1 | 1 | — |
| Guatemala | 1 | — | — |
| Guinea | 1 | — | — |
| Haiti | 1 | — | — |
| Honduras | 1 | — | — |
| Hungary | 1 | — | — |
| Iceland | 1 | — | — |
| India | 1 | 4 | — |
| Indonesia | 1 | — | — |
| Iran | 1 | — | — |
| Iraq | 1 | 1 | — |
| Ireland | 1 | — | — |
| Israel | 1 | — | — |
| Italy | 2 | 1 | — |
| Jamaica | 1 | — | — |
| Japan | 1 | 1 | — |
| Jordan | 1 | — | — |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | 1 | — |
| Kenya | 1 | — | — |
| Kosovo | 1 | — | — |
| Kuwait | 1 | — | — |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | — | — |
| Laos | 1 | — | — |
| Latvia | 1 | — | — |
| Lebanon | 1 | — | — |
| Liberia | 1 | — | — |
| Lithuania | 1 | — | — |
| Luxembourg | 1 | — | — |
| Madagascar | 1 | — | — |
| Malawi | 1 | — | — |
| Malaysia | 1 | — | — |
| Mali | 1 | — | — |
| Malta | 1 | — | — |
| Mauritania | 1 | — | — |
| Mexico | 1 | — | — |
| Moldova | 1 | — | — |
| Mongolia | 1 | — | — |
| Montenegro | 1 | — | — |
| Morocco | 1 | — | — |
| Mozambique | 1 | — | — |
| Myanmar | 1 | — | — |
| Namibia | 1 | — | — |
| Nepal | 1 | — | — |
| New Zealand | 1 | — | — |
| Nicaragua | 1 | — | — |
| Niger | 1 | — | — |
| Nigeria | 1 | 1 | — |
| North Korea | 1 | — | — |
| North Macedonia | 1 | — | — |
| Norway | 1 | — | — |
| Oman | 1 | — | — |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1 | — |
| Panama | 1 | — | — |
| Paraguay | 1 | — | — |
| Peru | 1 | — | — |
| Philippines | 1 | — | — |
| Poland | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Portugal | 1 | — | — |
| Qatar | 1 | — | — |
| Republic of the Congo | 1 | — | — |
| Romania | 1 | — | 2 |
| Russia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Rwanda | 1 | — | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 | 1 | — |
| Senegal | 1 | — | — |
| Serbia | 1 | — | — |
| Sierra Leone | 1 | — | — |
| Singapore | 1 | — | — |
| Slovakia | 1 | — | — |
| Slovenia | 1 | — | — |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | — |
| South Korea | 1 | — | — |
| South Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | — | — |
| Sudan | 1 | — | — |
| Sweden | 1 | — | — |
| Switzerland | 1 | — | — |
| Syria | 1 | — | — |
| Tajikistan | 1 | — | — |
| Tanzania | 1 | — | — |
| Thailand | 1 | — | — |
| Togo | 1 | — | — |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | — | — |
| Tunisia | 2 | — | — |
| Turkmenistan | 1 | — | — |
| Türkiye | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Uganda | 1 | — | — |
| Ukraine | 1 | — | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 1 | — |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 1 | — |
| United States | 1 | 8 | — |
| Uruguay | 1 | — | — |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | — | — |
| Venezuela | 1 | — | — |
| Vietnam | 1 | 1 | — |
| Zambia | 1 | — | — |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | — | — |
- Countries
- 149
- Missions
- 206
Source: Wikidata (CC0)Data as at Oct 2026
Remittances sent abroad
Personal remittances paid from Germany to other countries, in current US dollars (World Bank).
Remittances paid by year, US$ million
Data table
| 2000 | 8,663 |
| 2001 | 9,185 |
| 2002 | 10,127 |
| 2003 | 11,566 |
| 2004 | 12,607 |
| 2005 | 13,539 |
| 2006 | 13,345 |
| 2007 | 14,730 |
| 2008 | 15,850 |
| 2009 | 14,749 |
| 2010 | 13,906 |
| 2011 | 14,771 |
| 2012 | 14,006 |
| 2013 | 14,753 |
| 2014 | 15,387 |
| 2015 | 13,839 |
| 2016 | 15,369 |
| 2017 | 17,251 |
| 2018 | 19,534 |
| 2019 | 19,385 |
| 2020 | 19,379 |
| 2021 | 21,305 |
| 2022 | 22,446 |
| 2023 | 23,588 |
| 2024 | 24,680 |
| 2025 | 26,675 |
- Remittances paid, 2025
- US$26,675 million
- Average cost of sending US$200 from Germany, 2023
- 3.0%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025
Corridors into Germany
Nationalities with a dedicated corridor page.
- Ukraine → Germany
- Romania → Germany
- Syria → Germany
- Türkiye → Germany
- India → Germany
- Poland → Germany
- Afghanistan → Germany
- Bulgaria → Germany
- Kosovo → Germany
- China → Germany
- Italy → Germany
- Iran → Germany
- Albania → Germany
- Serbia → Germany
- Hungary → Germany
- Vietnam → Germany
- Iraq → Germany
- Bosnia and Herzegovina → Germany
- North Macedonia → Germany
- Pakistan → Germany
- Russia → Germany
- Morocco → Germany
- Spain → Germany
- Croatia → Germany
- United States → Germany
- Greece → Germany
- Tunisia → Germany
- Nigeria → Germany
- Somalia → Germany
- Egypt → Germany
- Georgia → Germany
- France → Germany
- Brazil → Germany
- Cameroon → Germany
- Eritrea → Germany
- Philippines → Germany
- Belarus → Germany
- South Korea → Germany
- Moldova → Germany
- Japan → Germany
- Ghana → Germany
- Slovakia → Germany
- Kazakhstan → Germany
- Portugal → Germany
- Saudi Arabia → Germany
- Colombia → Germany
- Bangladesh → Germany
- Thailand → Germany
- Czechia → Germany
- Austria → Germany
- Netherlands → Germany
- United Kingdom → Germany
- Azerbaijan → Germany
- Indonesia → Germany
- Lebanon → Germany
- United Arab Emirates → Germany
- Algeria → Germany
- Kuwait → Germany
- Mexico → Germany
- Guinea → Germany
- Lithuania → Germany
- South Africa → Germany
- Latvia → Germany
- Venezuela → Germany
- Sweden → Germany
- Uzbekistan → Germany
- Qatar → Germany
- Armenia → Germany
- Ethiopia → Germany
- Canada → Germany
- Sudan → Germany
- Israel → Germany
- Sri Lanka → Germany
- Jordan → Germany
- Kenya → Germany
- Madagascar → Germany
- Nepal → Germany
- Montenegro → Germany
- Switzerland → Germany
- Yemen → Germany
- Tajikistan → Germany
- Gambia → Germany
- Argentina → Germany
- Kyrgyzstan → Germany
- Belgium → Germany
- Ireland → Germany
- Bahrain → Germany
- Mongolia → Germany
- Luxembourg → Germany
- Libya → Germany
- Taiwan → Germany
- Peru → Germany
- Chile → Germany
- Australia → Germany
- Côte d’Ivoire → Germany
- Togo → Germany
- Ecuador → Germany
- Oman → Germany
- Palestine → Germany
- Myanmar → Germany
- Uganda → Germany
- Slovenia → Germany
- Denmark → Germany
- Finland → Germany
- DR Congo → Germany
- Zimbabwe → Germany
- Malaysia → Germany
- Benin → Germany
- Singapore → Germany
- Senegal → Germany
- Rwanda → Germany
- Burundi → Germany
- Cuba → Germany
- Angola → Germany
- Norway → Germany
- Turkmenistan → Germany
- Sierra Leone → Germany
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more