What is the minimum and maximum notice period in the UAE?

After probation, the notice period is whatever your employment contract states, but the law sets a floor of 30 days and a ceiling of 90 days. A contract clause shorter than 30 days or longer than 90 days is not enforceable beyond those limits.

Can my employer end my contract without making me work the notice?

Yes, if they pay in lieu: your employer can release you immediately and pay compensation equal to your full wage for the unserved notice days. The same applies in reverse — if you resign and don't serve your notice, you owe the employer the wage of the unserved part. Dismissal for gross misconduct under Article 44 is a separate, stricter route.

Am I paid normally during the notice period?

Yes. The employment contract stays fully in force during notice — you work as usual and your employer must pay your full wage and keep all contractual benefits until the last working day.

Does the notice period apply if I resign, or only if I'm terminated?

It applies both ways. Whether you resign or your employer terminates, the same contractual notice period (30–90 days after probation) must be respected by the party ending the contract, or compensated with payment in lieu.

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. Individual contracts, free-zone rules and special cases vary, so confirm your exact position with MOHRE or your employer.

UAE Labour Law · Free

UAE Notice Period Calculator

Check the notice you must give or receive — and the payment in lieu if it isn’t served — under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Free, instant, no sign-up.

Quick Answer

How long is the notice period under UAE labour law?

MakeMyCV's free UAE notice period calculator shows the notice you must give or receive under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021). After probation, notice is whatever your contract states within 30 to 90 days. During probation it is 14 days if the employer terminates, 30 days if you resign to join another UAE employer, and 14 days if you are leaving the UAE. No sign-up.

No sign-up · No email · No ads · Nothing stored

Your situationWho is ending the contract?Notice period in your contract (days)The law allows 30–90 days; values outside that range are clamped.Full monthly salary (AED)Total salary including allowances — notice pay in lieu uses the full wage (Art. 43), unlike gratuity which uses basic.Notice days you’ll actually serveLeave 0 if no notice will be worked at all.Notice starts on (optional — shows your last working day)

Required notice

30 days

Estimate only, for the standard private-sector case under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Articles 9 & 43). Dismissal for gross misconduct under Article 44 and some free-zone contracts differ. Confirm your exact position with MOHRE or your employer.

Why our calculators use different salaries on purpose: end-of-service gratuity and unused-leave encashment are paid on your basic wage (Articles 51 & 29), while notice payment in lieu is paid on your full wage including allowances (Article 43). It’s a legal distinction, not an inconsistency — enter the salary each tool asks for.

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)
Notice pay (if applicable) — on the full wage, either direction (Art. 43) (this calculator)
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 the UAE notice period works

After probation, your notice period is whatever your employment contract says, within the statutory range of 30 to 90 days (Article 43). It applies equally whether you resign or your employer terminates, and the contract stays fully in force — normal work, full pay — until the last day.

During probation (Article 9), the rules are fixed: an employer terminating must give 14 days’ written notice; an employee resigning to join another employer inside the UAE must give 30 days’; an employee resigning to leave the UAE must give 14 days’.

If the notice isn’t served, the party cutting it short compensates the other with the wage of the unserved days — payment in lieu. It is calculated on your full wage (basic plus allowances) at your last received rate, with the daily figure being the monthly wage divided by 30. That’s different from end-of-service gratuity, which uses basic salary only.

Worked examples

Resigning with a 30-day contract notice, AED 12,000 full salary, serving 0 days

Daily wage = 12,000 ÷ 30 = AED 400. Unserved days = 30. Compensation owed to the employer: 30 × 400.

= AED 12,000

60-day contract notice, AED 9,000 full salary, employer releases you after 45 days

Daily wage = 9,000 ÷ 30 = AED 300. Unserved days = 60 − 45 = 15. Employer pays in lieu: 15 × 300.

= AED 4,500

Probation, employer terminates — AED 6,000 full salary

Required notice is 14 days. If the employer releases you immediately instead: 14 × (6,000 ÷ 30) = 14 × 200.

= AED 2,800

Figures are illustrative estimates for the standard case. Article 44 gross-misconduct dismissals and some free-zone contracts differ — confirm your exact position with MOHRE.

UAE notice period — questions, answered

What is the minimum and maximum notice period in the UAE?: After probation, the notice period is whatever your employment contract states, but the law sets a floor of 30 days and a ceiling of 90 days. A contract clause shorter than 30 days or longer than 90 days is not enforceable beyond those limits.
What is the notice period during probation?: During probation, an employer terminating the contract must give at least 14 days' written notice. An employee resigning to join another employer inside the UAE must give 30 days' notice, and an employee resigning to leave the UAE must give at least 14 days' notice.
Is notice pay based on basic salary or full salary?: Payment in lieu of notice is based on your full wage — basic salary plus allowances — calculated at your last received rate, with the daily figure being the monthly wage divided by 30. This differs from end-of-service gratuity, which uses basic salary only.
Can my employer end my contract without making me work the notice?: Yes, if they pay in lieu: your employer can release you immediately and pay compensation equal to your full wage for the unserved notice days. The same applies in reverse — if you resign and don't serve your notice, you owe the employer the wage of the unserved part. Dismissal for gross misconduct under Article 44 is a separate, stricter route.
Am I paid normally during the notice period?: Yes. The employment contract stays fully in force during notice — you work as usual and your employer must pay your full wage and keep all contractual benefits until the last working day.
Does the notice period apply if I resign, or only if I'm terminated?: It applies both ways. Whether you resign or your employer terminates, the same contractual notice period (30–90 days after probation) must be respected by the party ending the contract, or compensated with payment in lieu.
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. Individual contracts, free-zone rules and special cases vary, so confirm your exact position with MOHRE or your employer.

Annual Leave Calculator Entitlement plus unused-leave payout.Gratuity Calculator Estimate your end-of-service benefit next.Build your ATS-ready CV Moving jobs? Free UAE CV builder — no sign-up.Check your CV against UAE ATS 60+ UAE-tuned checks in ~30 seconds.