Speaking to Gulf Today on July 22, Major General Khalaf Al Ghaith, Assistant Director General for Entry Permits at GDRFA Dubai, disclosed that more than 29,000 visit visas for friends and relatives were approved between January and June 2026. The numbers highlight sustained demand for family-linked travel even as regional security tensions continue to disrupt some commercial routes. The visa can be issued for 30, 60 or 90 days – extendable up to 120 days – and is available as a single- or multiple-entry permit. Applicants upload documents via the GDRFA website, the Dubai Now super-app or Amer typing centres, with most approvals processed inside 48 hours. Digitalisation, Al Ghaith stressed, is allowing the authority to handle surging volumes without compromising security checks. For global mobility teams, the statistics reinforce Dubai’s attractiveness as a hub where expatriate staff can easily host family members – a non-salary benefit that aids retention. Companies should nevertheless remind employees that kinship proof is mandatory and that overstays after the 120-day cap incur daily fines. Analysts note that Dubai’s ‘friends and relatives’ visa complements the national Golden Visa and Green Visa pathways, creating a layered system that supports both long-term residency and short-term social visits, thereby strengthening the emirate’s soft-power appeal.
Source: Gulf Today
