July 2026 – News – Onboard Residency

Dubai
Golden Visa

More than 66,000 Golden Visas in six months in Dubai

The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) has published its figures for the first half of 2026. From January to June, 66,078 Golden Visas were issued.

European Union
Schengen
Travel

ETIAS start uncertain – no official start date yet

In April 2026 the Commission still planned to launch ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, in the last quarter of 2026. In July several outlets reported that the launch may slip to 2027.

Caribbean
Citizenship
European Union

The EU asks five Caribbean states to phase out citizenship by investment

The European Commission has written to the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia, asking them to phase out their citizenship-by-investment programmes by 1 June 2028. The states concerned have agreed on coordinated diplomatic action.

Residence permit
Digital nomad
Settlement

Spanish statistics 2025: 18% fewer non-lucrative residence permits

On 6 July 2026 the Permanent Immigration Observatory (OPI) of the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published its analysis of the residence documents issued to foreign nationals in 2025. The total number of documents issued rose, but the number of non-lucrative residence permits and of permits under Law 14/2013 fell.