Dubai Issues Over 1 Million Residence Permits, Releases Detailed Report
- The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai issued 1,051,978 new residence permits in just six months
- Dubai also renewed 910,552 existing residence permits during the same period, with processing taking no more than four minutes on average
- The Golden Residency programme remained open to investors, skilled talents, entrepreneurs, scientists, and outstanding graduates
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Dubai's immigration authority issued more than one million brand-new residence permits in six months, according to a report released by the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai).
The figures, covering the first half of 2026, show that the Directorate granted 1,051,978 new residence permits and renewed a further 910,552 existing ones.
Source: UGC
Beyond residency, the authority also processed 5,078,078 entry permits during the same six-month window, bringing the total volume of transactions well past seven million.
The average processing time for these services was reported at under four minutes, with a customer satisfaction rate of 95%.
Who Qualifies for Dubai Residence Permits
The Directorate continued to operate its Golden Residency scheme, which targets a broad range of eligible categories.
These include investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, specialists, artistic and sporting talents, outstanding students and graduates, and humanitarian pioneers.
Those who qualify receive long-term renewable residency, the ability to sponsor spouses and children, and self-sponsorship rights.
Family members are also permitted to remain in the country in the event of the sponsor's death.
Dubai also continued to offer retirement residency for those who meet the approved criteria, positioning the emirate as a long-term destination for people looking to settle beyond their working years.
Work Bundles Streamline the Residency Process
For those relocating for employment, the GDRFA Dubai has developed integrated service bundles that combine multiple government procedures into a single application.
The Work Bundle, which covers nine linked services including health insurance, work permit issuance, medical fitness examination, and Emirates ID registration, recorded 521,216 transactions in the first half of 2026.
UAE speaks about its visa entry
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that United Arab Emirates released a list of 107 countries whose citizens were required to obtain a visa before travelling to the country.
The authorities said travellers from the listed countries had to secure the appropriate visa in advance unless they qualified for another entry exemption.
Source: Legit.ng
