Number of Russians with residence permits rose 61% in Spain after 2021, while falling in Latvia, Estonia, and Czechia
Source: Volna
The number of Russian citizens holding valid residence permits in EU countries rose by nearly 105,000, or 14%, from 772,000 at the end of 2021 to 877,000 at the end of 2025. The Volna project reported the figures, citing Eurostat data.
At the end of 2025, Germany had the most Russian citizens with temporary or permanent residency (218,000), followed by Spain (117,000), Estonia (78,000), France (67,000), and Serbia (63,000).
Spain recorded the largest increase: the number of Russians holding residence permits there rose by 44,000, or 61%, over four years. Cyprus ranked second (up 27,000), followed by France (up 14,000).
In some EU countries, however, the number of Russian citizens with temporary or permanent residency fell. The largest declines were in Latvia (down 15,000), Estonia (down 9,000), and Czechia (down 8,000).
Eurostat data indicate that the number of Russians who had settled in the EU rose sharply in 2022 and 2023, then remained largely stable.
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