Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) has published its H1 2026 report: between January and June the authority issued 5,078,078 entry permits, 1,051,978 new residence permits, 910,552 renewals and 66,000 Golden Visas. Reported customer-satisfaction rate is 95%, average service turnaround is 4 minutes. The figures were announced by GDRFA-Dubai Director General Lt Gen Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri on 15 July 2026.
What the report shows
The GDRFA-Dubai report is the official statistical output of the emirate's key immigration regulator. The authority covers everything related to crossing Dubai's border, issuing and renewing residence visas, Emirates ID, registration of foreign workers, and Dubai's Golden Visa. The H1 2026 figures give a sense of the scale of migration activity and the pressure on the system.
Key numbers for January–June 2026:
- Entry permits — 5,078,078. These are single-purpose entry documents: tourism, business visits, employees' initial arrivals before residence conversion, transit, etc. Passing the five-million mark in six months reflects a large-scale inbound flow by regional standards.
- New residence permits — 1,051,978. In just one half-year, Dubai granted residency for the first time to more than one million people — new workers, investors, specialists and their family members.
- Residence-permit renewals — 910,552. This indicates that Dubai's existing expat base is holding steady: almost a million visas were renewed.
- Golden Visa — 66,000. Over six months, 10-year residencies were granted to investors, specialists, talents and entrepreneurs.
66,000 Golden Visas — what the number really means
The UAE Golden Visa is a 10-year long-term residency without a mandatory sponsor, available to qualifying investors, specialists with recognised credentials, top graduates, talents in science, culture and sports, and entrepreneurs behind innovative projects. GDRFA's report gives only the aggregate half-year figure — 66,000 Golden Visas issued — without a category breakdown (real-estate investor, specialist, talent, etc.). That averages roughly 11,000 Golden Visas per month — a substantial flow compared to previous years, and the programme itself continues to expand thresholds and categories year on year. The key 2026 changes to Golden Visa eligibility (new categories, financial thresholds, renewal rules) are covered in our dedicated piece UAE Golden Visa 2026: changes to eligibility, categories and renewals.
More than 5 million entry permits — what sits behind the number
The figure of 5,078,078 entry permits for the half-year covers every category: tourism, business visits, transit, employees' initial arrivals before residence conversion and business trips. It is not the number of unique tourists or border crossings — one person can receive several permits during a half-year. Even so, passing the five-million mark reflects the workload on Dubai's immigration system and reinforces the emirate's status as the region's transit and business hub.
Speed and digital delivery: 4 minutes and 95% satisfaction
According to Lt Gen Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, GDRFA-Dubai's key strategic priority is to “cut red tape” — through smart-transformation initiatives and innovation-driven projects. The reported customer-satisfaction rate is 95% and average service turnaround is 4 minutes. In practice, this is the result of years of moving visa and residence procedures into digital channels — the GDRFA mobile app, AMER service centres, and applications through the Dubai Now portal. For expats and employers, this means that entry procedures, visa renewals, Emirates ID replacement and new residency applications keep getting faster.
What this means for business and expats
For investors and entrepreneurs
66,000 Golden Visas in a half-year is a clear signal that the programme is now perceived by the market as a working long-term-residency tool, not a theoretical option. For a prospective applicant there are two practical takeaways. First — Golden Visas are being issued at scale; blanket refusals are not the trend. Second — competition within the same profile (for example, real-estate investor from AED 2 million) is higher than it was in 2023–2024: the expanded categories have brought in more candidates.
For employers
More than a million new residence visas in a half-year are largely employer-sponsored staff. For HR, this means processing speed becomes part of the talent competition: any delay with the visa is a delay in the employee starting work, so it pays to optimise the flow through specialised consultants and GDRFA's digital channels.
For expat families
910,552 renewals show that Dubai's resident base is expanding sustainably — more people are arriving than leaving. For families, this effectively means that infrastructure (schools, health insurance, rentals, banking services) continues to adjust to growing demand. A full breakdown of all UAE residence-visa types, who qualifies for each and how to choose between them is covered in our piece UAE residence visas: a complete guide to types, terms and renewal rules.
Strategic context
The GDRFA H1 2026 report is part of the regulator's consistent messaging about the scale of the emirate's migration activity. Themes that recur in senior officials' public statements: (1) a course toward digitalisation and “zero red tape” — cutting the share of manual procedures; (2) encouraging long-stay residency (Golden Visa, investor schemes); (3) maintaining service levels as workload multiplies. For the market this means that in the medium term migration procedures will keep simplifying and turnaround times will keep shortening, while — at the same time — expectations around documentation discipline and data quality will keep rising.
Bottom line
Between January and June 2026, GDRFA-Dubai processed over 5 million entry permits, more than 1 million new residence permits, around 911 thousand renewals, and 66,000 Golden Visas — at a 4-minute average service turnaround and a reported 95% customer-satisfaction rate. The numbers confirm that Dubai remains one of the region's largest migration hubs, and that the Golden Visa has moved from a “premium option” into a mainstream, working instrument of long-term residency.
This material is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Please verify the exact requirements and application procedures for each visa type on the official GDRFA-Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae) and Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (icp.gov.ae) websites and with a qualified consultant.
