UAE Labour Law · Free
UAE Annual Leave Calculator
Your leave entitlement — and what unused days are worth at end of service — under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Free, instant, no sign-up.
Quick Answer
How is annual leave calculated in the UAE?
MakeMyCV's free UAE annual leave calculator covers both entitlement and leave salary under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021). Full-time private-sector employees earn 30 calendar days of paid leave per completed year, or 2 days per month once they pass six months of service. Unused days at end of service are paid at basic salary ÷ 30 per day. Free, no sign-up.
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Leave salary (encashment)
What your unused leave days are worth at end of service.
Enter your basic salary and unused days to see the estimate.
Annual leave entitlement
Days accrued from your length of service — and what’s left.
Enter your length of service to see the estimate.
Estimates only, for the standard full-time private-sector case under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Article 29) and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Article 19). Contracts and free-zone rules can be more generous, and encashment during employment (for carried-forward leave) is by agreement. Confirm your exact figures with MOHRE or your employer.
Your full final settlement is more than this one number
- End-of-service gratuity — 21/30 days of basic pay per year
- Unused annual-leave encashment — cannot be forfeited — no minimum service (Art. 29) (this calculator)
- Notice pay (if applicable) — on the full wage, either direction (Art. 43)
- Plus — any unpaid salary days, and a one-way repatriation ticket if you’re leaving the UAE and not joining another employer here.
Everything above is due within 14 days of your last working day (Article 53). Paid less than the law says? Filing a MOHRE complaint is free — call 600 590 000 or use the MOHRE app.
How UAE annual leave and leave salary are calculated
A full-time private-sector employee earns 30 calendar days of paid annual leave for each completed year of service. Between six months and one year, the entitlement is 2 days per month of service. Fractions of the final year accrue pro-rata. While on leave, you receive your normal full wage.
Unused leave doesn’t vanish when you leave the job. At end of service, accrued but untaken days are paid out at your basic daily rate — basic monthly salary divided by 30 — including the fraction of your final year. This leave salary is paid on top of your end-of-service gratuity.
During employment, up to half of a year’s leave can be carried forward, and the carried-forward portion can be encashed by written agreement. Subtract the days you have already taken from any entitlement figure — the calculator estimates what you have accrued, not what remains.
Worked examples
Leave salary — 15 unused days, AED 9,000 basic
Daily rate = 9,000 ÷ 30 = AED 300. 15 × 300.
= AED 4,500
Leave salary — 30 unused days, AED 12,000 basic
Daily rate = 12,000 ÷ 30 = AED 400. 30 × 400.
= AED 12,000
Entitlement — 8 months of service
Between 6 and 12 months you accrue 2 days per month of service: 8 × 2 = 16 days. If you left with all of them unused on AED 6,000 basic: 16 × 200.
= 16 days (worth AED 3,200)
Figures are illustrative estimates for the standard case. Contracts and free-zone rules can be more generous — confirm your exact figures with MOHRE.
UAE annual leave — questions, answered
- How many days of annual leave do I get in the UAE?
- A full-time private-sector employee earns 30 calendar days of paid annual leave for each completed year of service. Between six months and one year of service, the entitlement is 2 days for every month worked. Under six months, statutory annual leave hasn't started yet for full-time staff.
- Is leave salary based on basic or full salary?
- Both rules exist, for different situations. While you are actually on annual leave, you receive your normal full wage. But when unused leave is cashed out at the end of service, the allowance is calculated on your basic salary only — (basic ÷ 30) × unused days — unless your contract is more generous.
- What happens to my unused leave days when I leave the job?
- You are paid for them. At end of service the employer must pay a cash allowance for all accrued but untaken leave days, including fractions of the final year, at your basic daily rate (basic monthly salary divided by 30). This is separate from, and on top of, your gratuity.
- Can I carry leave forward or encash it while still employed?
- Partly. The law lets you carry forward up to half of your annual leave into the next year, and — by written agreement with your employer — receive a cash allowance for the carried-forward portion instead. The default position, though, is that leave should actually be taken.
- Does my service before six months count for anything?
- Yes. Those months count toward reaching the six-month threshold and your first anniversary — the 2-days-per-month entitlement applies once you complete six months, and the full 30-day entitlement from one year. Whether you can take leave earlier is up to your employer's policy.
- Can my employer decide when I take annual leave?
- The employer can schedule annual leave according to work requirements and in coordination with you, and many companies set notice rules for booking it. What they cannot do is take away leave you have legally accrued — untaken days must either be carried forward within the legal limits or paid out.
- Is this calculator free and is the figure official?
- The calculator is completely free with no sign-up. The result is an estimate to help you plan — not an official ruling. Contracts and free-zone rules can be more generous, so confirm your exact figures with MOHRE or your employer.