United Arab Emirates migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes

How many people move to United Arab Emirates, where they come from and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore United Arab Emirates on the interactive migration map.

Inbound corridors · United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates - who is arriving

The most migrant-dependent large economy on earth: roughly 88% of the UAE's ~11.3M residents are foreign-born, overwhelmingly on employer-sponsored (kafala) work permits with no historical path to permanent residence or citizenship. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Egypt supply the bulk of the labour force, while new 10-year Golden Visas and 5-year Green Visas add a self-sponsored top layer for investors, talent and skilled professionals.

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88.5%

foreign-born share

of ~11.3M residents

11.3M

total population

2024

158k

Golden Visas issued

Dubai, 2023

#1 India

4.39M residents

~38% of population

$38.5B

remittances outflow

2023, 2nd-largest sender globally

Where they come from

Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)

India

4.39M

Pakistan

1.94M

Bangladesh

850k

Philippines

800k

Iran

550k

Egypt

490k

Nepal

360k

Sri Lanka

360k

Who arrives each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

India

~300k/yr

Pakistan

~150k/yr

Bangladesh

~120k/yr

Philippines

~80k/yr

Egypt

~60k/yr

Nepal

~50k/yr

Corridor facts

NO PR HISTORICALLYResidence is tied to an employment contract; there is no birthright citizenship and no traditional permanent-residence route. Renewal is perpetual but conditional.

GOLDEN VISA BOOMDubai issued 158k Golden Visas in 2023, nearly double 2022's 79.6k and triple 2021's 47k; in 2024 the AED 1M property down-payment rule was scrapped.

GREEN VISAA 5-year self-sponsored residence for skilled workers (AED 15k+ salary, bachelor's), freelancers and investors, decoupling residency from a single employer.

REMITTANCE SUPERHUB$38.5B flowed out in 2023, the world's second-largest outflow after the US, reflecting a workforce that sends earnings home rather than settling.

INDIA CORRIDORThe India-UAE corridor is among the largest bilateral migration corridors on earth, with ~4.4M Indians, ~38% of all UAE residents.

What visa categories they use

Share of the annual flow, by destination

India

Pakistan

Bangladesh

Philippines

Egypt

Nepal

Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other

Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time

Corridor	Volume	Primary / secondary categories	Govt cost	Time	Apply
India	~300k/yr	Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits Golden Visa (investor/talent), Green Visa (skilled)	AED 3-8k, employer-paid	2-6 weeks	Apply ›
Pakistan	~150k/yr	Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits Green Visa (skilled, self-sponsored)	AED 3-8k, employer-paid	2-6 weeks	Apply ›
Bangladesh	~120k/yr	Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits Mostly low-wage construction/services	AED 3-8k, employer-paid	2-6 weeks	Apply ›
Philippines	~80k/yr	Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits Domestic-worker & services visas	AED 3-8k, employer-paid	2-6 weeks	Apply ›
Egypt	~60k/yr	Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits Golden/Green Visa (professionals)	AED 3-8k, employer-paid	2-6 weeks	Apply ›
Golden Visa (10-yr)	158k in 2023 (Dubai)	Investors, entrepreneurs, specialised talent AED 2M property or talent nomination; self-sponsored	AED 2,800-4,000 gov fees	2-4 weeks	Apply ›

Key insightThe UAE runs on imported labour at a scale no other high-income state approaches: ~88% foreign-born, almost entirely on employer-paid work permits that never convert to citizenship. The fee pool is enormous but employer-borne and fast; the new Golden and Green visas open the first self-sponsored, multi-year layer for skilled and wealthy migrants.

Sources: UN DESA 2024 · UAE FCSC 2024 · Dubai GDRFA 2023 · World Bank 2023 · u.ae · Global Media Insight 2026. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Outbound corridors · United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates - where they emigrate

Emirati emigration is negligible. UAE nationals are ~11-12% of the population and rarely settle abroad long-term; outbound movement is dominated by education, government scholarships, medical travel and business, not permanent migration.

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~1.4M

Emirati nationals

~11.5% of population

very low

permanent emigration

Emiratis rarely settle abroad

students

main outflow driver

scholarships to US/UK

Where they live

Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)

Data not available.

Where they go each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

Data not available.

Corridor facts

SCHOLARSHIP-LEDMost Emirati time abroad is government-funded study (US, UK, Australia) with an expectation of return to public-sector or family roles.

Key insightOutbound is a rounding error against inbound: the UAE is a destination state, not a source of emigrants.

Sources: UN DESA · UAE FCSC 2024. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Frequently asked

How many immigrants live in United Arab Emirates?

88.5% - foreign-born share. Source: UN DESA 2024 / GMI 2026.

Where do most people migrate to United Arab Emirates?

The largest origin countries are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.

What visas do United Arab Emirates migrants use for the India corridor?

Employer-sponsored work (kafala) permits.

Key United Arab Emirates migration corridors

Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.

India → United Arab Emirates~2M/yr Pakistan → United Arab Emirates~620k/yr Philippines → United Arab Emirates~420k/yr Egypt → United Arab Emirates~298k/yr Bangladesh → United Arab Emirates~217k/yr

See it on the map

Compare United Arab Emirates against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.

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Figures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26, compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.