Dubai grants 66,000 Golden Visas as 5-year tourist visa surges

Dubai: Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) granted 66,000 Golden Visas, issued more than 1.052 million new residency permits, and completed over 5 million entry permit transactions during the first six months of the year, underscoring the emirate’s continued growth and increasing attractiveness as a destination for living, working and investment.

The figures were unveiled during a media briefing held on Wednesday at GDRFA Dubai headquarters, attended by Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, and senior officials. The meeting reviewed the authority’s latest achievements, strategic initiatives and future priorities, while underscoring the media’s crucial role in conveying GDRFA Dubai’s vision, services and development journey to the wider community.

During the first six months of the year, GDRFA Dubai issued 1,051,978 new residence permits, renewed 910,552 residence permits, and processed 5,078,078 entry permits, bringing the total number of transactions to more than 7 million.

The authority also reported 100 per cent digital transformation and a 100 per cent service completion rate, with an average transaction processing time of less than four minutes. Customer happiness reached 95 per cent, reflecting Dubai's continued focus on efficient and innovative government services.

The figures were unveiled during a media briefing at GDRFA Dubai headquarters attended by Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of GDRFA Dubai, and senior officials. The meeting reviewed the authority's achievements, strategic initiatives and future priorities, while highlighting the media's role in communicating GDRFA Dubai's vision and services to the wider community.

GDRFA Dubai continued expanding its visa offerings during the first half of the year to support tourism, business travel, family visits and long-term residency.

Among the most popular options was the five-year multiple-entry tourist visa, which allows eligible travellers to visit the UAE multiple times without the need for a local sponsor.

During the same period, the authority issued 29,456 visas for relatives and friends, reflecting strong demand for family visits.

The visas allow stays of 30, 60 or 90 days through single or multiple entries and can be extended up to a maximum of 120 days, providing greater flexibility for visitors and their families.

The Visa for Citizens of Specific Countries Residing Abroad service allows eligible applicants to apply digitally through simplified procedures designed to speed up processing, improve accessibility and enhance the overall customer experience. The initiative reflects the UAE’s efforts to strengthen global mobility, support tourism growth and provide more flexible entry options for international visitors. GDRFA Dubai issued 73,551 entry permits for nationals of selected countries residing outside their home countries.

The service is available to nationals of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa who hold valid residency permits or visas from the  United States, European Union countries, United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada

The permits allow stays of 14 days, extendable for a similar period, or up to 60 days, and are processed through streamlined digital channels designed to accelerate applications and enhance customer experience.

GDRFA Dubai also continued issuing the Events Visa, which caters to visitors attending conferences, exhibitions and major international events in the UAE.

The visa offers stay options of 30 or 60 days through single or multiple entries, with extensions available up to 120 days, further strengthening Dubai's position as a leading global destination for business events and exhibitions.

Dubai's long-term residency programme continued to attract global talent and investment, with GDRFA Dubai granting 66,078 Golden Visas during the first half of 2026.

The programme targets investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, specialists, outstanding students and graduates, creative talents, sports professionals and humanitarian pioneers.

A key pillar of Dubai's talent attraction strategy, the Golden Visa offers long-term residency benefits, including renewable residency, self-sponsorship, family sponsorship and provisions allowing family members to retain their residency status following the death of the primary visa holder.

GDRFA Dubai also continued providing residency services for eligible retirees, granting them and their family members a renewable five-year residency visa. The initiative supports Dubai's ambition to become a preferred destination for long-term living, retirement and a high quality of life.

As part of its efforts to provide seamless and customer-focused services, GDRFA Dubai expanded its integrated digital service bundles.

The Work Bundle recorded 521,216 transactions during the first half of the year, while the Domestic Worker Work Bundle completed 11,323 transactions.

The integrated services combine multiple government procedures into a single digital journey, including employment contracts, health insurance, work permits, visa issuance, status adjustment, medical fitness tests, residence permits and Emirates ID services.

Through a unified platform and a single application process, customers can complete all related procedures more efficiently, reducing paperwork and saving time.

The Domestic Worker Bundle is available through the DubaiNow application, while the Work Bundle can be accessed through the Invest in Dubai platform.

GDRFA Dubai's digital transformation efforts also included the continued expansion of its video call service, which processed 19,507 transactions during the first half of 2026.

The service achieved an efficiency rate of 97.93 per cent, with an average waiting time of 5.38 minutes, enabling customers to complete transactions remotely without visiting service centres.

Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, said the achievements recorded during the first half of 2026 highlight the continued evolution of Dubai's entry permits and residency system and its growing contribution to the emirate's competitiveness.

"The results reflect our commitment to delivering efficient, flexible and digitally driven services that enhance customer experience and support Dubai's position as a leading global destination for living, working, investing and visiting," he said.

Major General Khalaf Ahmed Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General of the Entry Permits and Residency Sector at GDRFA Dubai, said the results demonstrate the sector's ability to manage rising transaction volumes while maintaining high standards of efficiency, service quality and operational excellence.

He reaffirmed GDRFA Dubai's commitment to continuously developing the visa and residency system and implementing future-focused initiatives that strengthen its leadership in delivering innovative and proactive services.

The achievements underscore GDRFA Dubai's ongoing efforts to enhance the entry permits and residency ecosystem, support Dubai's economic and social development, and attract investors, skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, visitors and global talent. They also reflect the authority's ability to adapt to evolving international trends and deliver services that meet the changing needs and aspirations of customers.