From 2021 through the first quarter of 2026, Dubai has issued over 167,000 long-term Golden Visas to family members of skilled professionals, according to data from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA Dubai).
According to GDRFA Dubai, a total of 167,124 residence permits were issued to families of specialized talent during this period. Another 100,286 residency permits were issued to families of real estate investors, 70,247 to family members of scientists and specialized experts, 37,022 to relatives of major investors, and 3,259 to families of foreign retirees. In addition, thousands of additional visas were issued to relatives of entrepreneurs, outstanding students, and figures in the humanities.
Statistics show that family relocation is becoming one of the key areas of Dubai’s migration policy. The emirate is focusing not only on attracting individual specialists, investors, and entrepreneurs, but also on securing their families’ long-term presence in the country. According to local authorities, the increase in the number of family residence permits reflects foreigners’ confidence in Dubai’s social infrastructure, education, healthcare, and digital government services.
Based on the structure of issued permits, the most active groups of foreigners in this segment remain skilled professionals and their families, real estate investors, scientists and experts, as well as major investors. A separate large category is specifically linked to the real estate market: over 100,000 residence permits for families of real estate investors indicate that home purchases remain one of the key channels for long-term relocation to Dubai.
By nationality, the official statistics from the GDRFA Dubai do not disclose the distribution of family Golden Visas in the published data. However, the demographic structure of the UAE as a whole remains predominantly expat-driven: foreigners account for about 88.5% of the country’s population, and the largest communities are traditionally represented by people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Iran, Egypt, and other countries in the region and Asia.
The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residency visa that allows foreign talent, investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, professionals, students, and other categories to live, work, or study in the country.
For Dubai, the program has become a tool for competing for capital and human resources, as well as a way to retain wealthy and highly sought-after foreign nationals along with their families.
