Dubai issued 66,000 Golden Visas in six months: GDRFA statistics for H1 2026
Dubai’s residency authority reported its first-half 2026 numbers: about 66,000 Golden Visas, over 1.05 million residence visas issued and more than 910,000 renewals. What the figures say about long-term resident inflows — and housing demand.
Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) published its statistics for the first half of 2026, and for the housing market these are numbers of immediate consequence: about 66,000 Golden Visas issued, more than 1.05 million residence visas processed, and over 910,000 renewals.
The half-year in numbers
- ~66,000 Golden Visas — for investors, entrepreneurs and high-skill professionals. The Golden Visa is a ten-year residency untied to an employer; for property investors the threshold is AED 2 million.
- Over 1.05m new residence visas — people who gained the right to live in Dubai this half-year.
- Over 910,000 renewals — possibly the most underrated line in the report: a renewal is a vote to stay.
How to read the figures
The Golden Visa marks the quality of the inflow. Sixty-six thousand in six months means people with capital or in-demand professions, each of whom either already bought property (a condition of the investor route) or is a prime prospective buyer: a ten-year horizon makes buying more rational than renting.
The ratio of new visas to renewals speaks to market maturity: Dubai not only attracts but retains. For housing, retention matters more than attraction — it is the resident in their fifth year who makes the market's key transaction: switching from tenant to owner.
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What it means for housing
- Purchase demand is underwritten by visa policy. The investor Golden Visa ties residency directly to a purchase from AED 2m — a visible share of transactions in that budget happens partly for the visa.
- A million new residents in six months is rental demand. The overwhelming majority of arrivals start in rented housing: GDRFA statistics are a leading indicator of rental demand for the next year.
- The AED 2m threshold shapes the market. Units that "reach" the visa threshold sell and price differently: factor it in when buying — and when reselling later.
Based on data from Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).