Moving is far less daunting when you are not starting from zero. An established Russian or Ukrainian-speaking community means shops, schools, services and friends who speak your language from day one, and people who have already walked the same path. This guide ranks all 27 EU countries by how large that community tends to be.
Why an existing community helps so much
- A soft landing: advice, contacts and practical help while you find your feet.
- Language support: services, schools and groups where your language is spoken.
- Familiar life: food, culture and community that make a new country feel less foreign.
All 27 EU countries by community size
Here is where MoveMap’s model rates each EU country for the size of its Russian and Ukrainian-speaking community, largest first, with English alongside (illustrative scores only):
| Country | RU/UA community* | English* |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | 95 | 60 |
| Cyprus | 88 | 80 |
| Latvia | 88 | 68 |
| Estonia | 82 | 75 |
| Czechia | 80 | 60 |
| Germany | 78 | 65 |
| Lithuania | 78 | 70 |
| Bulgaria | 75 | 50 |
| Slovakia | 72 | 58 |
| Malta | 70 | 95 |
| Romania | 68 | 60 |
| Austria | 65 | 65 |
| Finland | 65 | 80 |
| Hungary | 65 | 55 |
| Greece | 60 | 60 |
| Italy | 60 | 45 |
| Netherlands | 60 | 90 |
| Spain | 60 | 55 |
| France | 58 | 50 |
| Slovenia | 58 | 68 |
| Belgium | 55 | 70 |
| Croatia | 55 | 60 |
| Ireland | 55 | 98 |
| Portugal | 55 | 70 |
| Sweden | 55 | 92 |
| Denmark | 50 | 90 |
| Luxembourg | 50 | 85 |
A starting point, not a bubble
A ready-made community is a wonderful soft landing, but the people who settle best usually use it as a base while still learning the local language and building a wider life. The diaspora also clusters in particular cities, so where you settle shapes how connected you feel.
Match it to what you need
How much a familiar community matters is yours to weigh against cost, documents and lifestyle. The MoveMap check can factor it into a ranking of all 27 EU countries built around your priorities.