The present invention relates to water dispersible polyisocyanate mixtures prepared from aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic and/or aromatic diisocyanates and having a) an average isocyanate functionality of at least 2.0, b) a content of 5.0 to 25.0 wt. %, based on resin solids, of isocyanate groups (calculated as NCO; molecular weight=42) and c) a content of 2 to 50 wt. %, based on resin solids, of ethylene oxide units calculated as C2H2O; molecular weight 44) incorporated within polyether chains containing an average of 5 to 35 ethylene oxide units, wherein at least 60 mole % of the polyether chains are connected via allophanate groups to two polyisocyanate molecules which are each prepared from at least two diisocyanate molecules. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of these water dispersible polyisocyanate.