Dubai Golden Visa Statistics 2026: How Many Are Issued and What the Property Route Costs

How many golden visas does Dubai issue?

GDRFA Dubai granted 66,078 golden visas in the first six months of 2026. That covers every category, from investors and entrepreneurs to scientists, outstanding students and creative talent, so it is not a count of property buyers alone. In the same half year GDRFA issued 10,51,978 new residence permits of all kinds, which puts golden visas at roughly one in sixteen new residencies.

The longer series shows how fast the scheme grew. GDRFA issued 47,150 golden visas in 2021, 79,617 in 2022 and about 158,000 in 2023, the last full year for which it has published a total. We could not find an official full-year figure for 2024 or 2025. The first-half 2026 count, if repeated in the second half, would put this year near 1,32,000, below the 2023 peak, but that is our arithmetic, not a GDRFA forecast.

Note what the numbers include. A golden visa granted to a spouse or child counts as a golden visa, so the totals mix principal applicants and dependants.

How many golden visas go to property investors and their families?

GDRFA does not publish a split of golden visas by route, but its family figures give a useful proxy. From 2021 to the first quarter of 2026 it issued 1,00,286 golden residencies to family members of real estate investors. Families of specialised talents received more, 1,67,124, and families of scientists and specialists 70,247.

So property is one of the two largest feeders of the scheme. Every family visa in the property line sits behind at least one owner holding AED 2 million of Dubai real estate, which tells you the route is used at scale and not just by a handful of very rich buyers.

What does the AED 2 million property rule say?

The Dubai Land Department states the rule plainly: a buyer whose property, or properties, had a purchase value of AED 2 million or more can apply for a 10-year renewable residence permit. That is ₹5.17 crore at the FBIL reference rate of ₹25.8703 per dirham on 16 October 2026. The property must be wholly owned in the applicant's name, more than one property can be combined to reach the figure, and the applicant must be inside the UAE when applying.

A mortgaged property can qualify. DLD asks for a no-objection letter from the bank showing the amount paid and the balance, and its service description says the letter must show AED 2 million paid. In practice that means the equity, not just the price, has to reach the threshold.

Duration is where official sources differ. DLD describes a 10-year permit. The federal portal u.ae lists investors in real estate at 5 years and investors in public investments at 10 years, both with a minimum capital of AED 2 million. Dubai property applications go through DLD and GDRFA, so the 10-year description is the one Dubai buyers meet, but confirm before you buy for that reason alone.

The feature that matters most to an Indian family is the absence rule. An ordinary UAE residence visa lapses if you stay out of the country for more than six months; u.ae confirms golden visa holders can stay outside longer and keep the visa, and can sponsor a spouse and children. That makes it an option you can hold from Gurgaon, not a commitment to move. It is a renewable residence permit, though, not citizenship, and it rests on keeping the qualifying property. Sell it and the basis for the visa goes with it.

For Indian buyers the threshold lines up with the market. The average Dubai residential sale in Q3 2026 was AED 2.13 million, about ₹5.51 crore, on Property Monitor data published by betterhomes. Off-plan sales averaged AED 1.90 million (₹4.92 crore) and secondary sales AED 2.70 million (₹6.98 crore), so a typical off-plan unit falls short on its own while a typical resale clears it.

What changed for the two-year investor visa in 2026?

On 29 April 2026 the Dubai Land Department removed the AED 750,000 minimum for sole owners applying for the two-year property investor visa. A buyer who fully owns a registered property of any value can now apply. For jointly owned property each owner needs a share worth at least AED 400,000, about ₹1.03 crore.

This matters for golden visa numbers because it creates a ladder. A buyer can enter on the two-year visa with a modest flat and move to the golden route once holdings reach AED 2 million. The golden threshold itself did not change.

How important is the golden visa to Dubai property demand?

Anarock found that 21% of Dubai home buyers in 2025 bought to qualify for the golden visa. Own use was the largest motive at 38%, rental income was 28% and capital preservation 13%. The same Anarock report put Indians at 22% of buyers by nationality in 2025, the largest single group.

No official source breaks golden visa holders down by nationality, and we have not found a GDRFA or ICP figure for Indians specifically. Anyone quoting a precise Indian share of golden visas is estimating. What can be said is that Indians are the largest buyer nationality and roughly a fifth of all buyers cite the visa, so Indians are very likely a large group of property-route holders.

Can a resident Indian fund a golden visa purchase in one year?

Not alone. RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme lets each resident individual send up to USD 2,50,000 abroad per financial year, April to March, for permitted current and capital account purposes. At FBIL rates of 16 October 2026 that is about ₹2.38 crore, or roughly AED 9.18 lakh, under half of the AED 2 million threshold.

Family members who are co-owners can club their LRS limits for property bought abroad, which is how most Indian families reach the figure. Two or three relatives as joint owners, a developer payment plan spread across financial years, or funds already held abroad are the usual routes. Tax collected at source applies to large remittances too, and that is recoverable at filing, but it has to be funded at the time.