Key takeaways
- Annual leave is at least 30 days a year, or 2 days a month after 6 months’ service in the first year, on full pay (Decree-Law Art. 29).
- You can carry forward up to half your annual leave, or agree to be paid for it. When the job ends, unused leave is paid on your basic salary (Regulation Art. 19).
- Maternity leave is 60 days: 45 on full pay and 15 on half pay, plus extra time if mother or child is ill or the child has a disability (Art. 30).
- Sick leave after probation is up to 90 days a year: 15 days on full pay, 30 on half pay, the rest unpaid (Art. 31). No paid sick leave during probation.
- Parental leave: 5 working days for the father or the mother, within 6 months of the birth (Art. 32).
- Mourning leave: 5 days for a spouse, 3 days for a parent, child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent (Art. 32).
- Study leave: 10 working days a year for exams, after 2 years’ service (Art. 32).
This chapter covers every kind of leave in the labour law: annual, maternity, sick, mourning, parental, study and unpaid leave. We go through each article in order: a short quote from the official text, then what it means in simple words.
This page explains what the law says, article by article. For a practical walk-through of leave balances and how to request leave, see: UAE annual leave entitlement guide.
Annual leave
Annual leave: 30 days a year
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“Thirty days for each year of his extended service.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29(1)(a)
In plain English
- Full-time workers get at least 30 days of paid annual leave for each year of service.
- Between 6 months and 1 year of service: 2 days for each month.
- If the job ends before you use your leave, you get leave for the part of the final year you worked.
- Part-time workers get leave based on the hours they actually work (see Regulation Article 18 below).
- Leave may be taken during probation if the employer agrees.
- Leave should be taken in the year it is earned. The employer can set the dates for work reasons, but must give at least one month’s notice of them.
- With the employer’s approval and under company policy, leave can be carried forward to the next year.
- Official rest days that fall during your leave count as part of it, unless your contract or company rules say otherwise.
- The employer may not stop you taking your leave for more than two years, unless you choose to carry it forward or take cash instead under company rules.
- If you leave before using your leave, you are paid for the days owed.
Example
Hana joined in January and resigns in October after 9 months. She has taken no leave. She is owed 18 days (2 days × 9 months), paid in her final settlement.
Keep a record of the leave you have taken. Unused leave owed at the end of your job is part of your final settlement, alongside the gratuity.
Annual leave for part-time workers
Cabinet Resolution 1/2022
“with a minimum limit of five working days per annum for annual leaves”Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 18
In plain English
Part-time workers earn leave in proportion to their hours. The percentage is: your yearly part-time hours ÷ full-time hours × 100. That percentage is applied to the legal leave entitlement. Days are counted at a maximum of 8 hours, and part of a day counts as a full day. Whatever the result, a part-time worker gets at least 5 working days a year.
Example
Noor works 20 hours a week where full-time is 40. That is 50%, so she gets 50% of 30 days: 15 days of annual leave a year.
Even a very small part-time role earns at least 5 working days of leave a year.
Carrying leave forward, or taking cash instead
Cabinet Resolution 1/2022
“he shall be entitled to receive a cash equivalent of the balance of his annual leaves due by law in accordance with his basic salary.”Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 19(2)
In plain English
- You can carry forward up to half of your annual leave into the next year, or agree with the employer to be paid for it at your wage when the leave falls due.
- When your service ends, unused leave owed under the law is paid at your basic salary.
Example
Tom has 30 days of leave this year and wants to save some. He can carry forward up to 15 days into next year.
Leave paid out when you leave is worked out on the basic salary, not the full package. If your basic is a small part of your pay, it is usually better to take the leave while employed.
Maternity and sick leave
Maternity leave: 60 days, and protection from dismissal
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“It is not permissible to terminate the service of a female Worker or to give her notice because of pregnancy, or because she has obtained maternity leave”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 30(8)
In plain English
| Leave | Length | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | 60 days | 45 days full pay, then 15 days half pay |
| Extra absence if mother or child is ill from pregnancy or birth | Up to 45 days, all at once or in parts | Unpaid (medical certificate needed) |
| Child born sick or with a disability needing constant care | 30 days, plus a further 30 if requested | First 30 days full pay; extension unpaid |
| Nursing breaks after returning | 1 or 2 breaks a day, totalling up to 1 hour, for 6 months from the birth | Rest periods during the working day |
- Leave can start from the last day of the month before the expected due month, with a medical certificate.
- It also applies to a birth after 6 months or more of pregnancy, even if the baby is stillborn or dies after birth.
- A woman cannot be dismissed or given notice because of pregnancy, maternity leave or these absences.
- Working for another employer during the leave allows the employer to withhold or recover the leave pay.
- The extra unpaid absence does not count towards gratuity service.
Example
Aisha gives birth and takes 60 days of maternity leave: 45 days fully paid and 15 days at half pay. Back at work, she can take up to an hour of nursing breaks a day until her baby is six months old.
Dismissal because of pregnancy or maternity leave is unlawful. Keep your medical certificates. They support both the leave and any later claim.
Sick leave: up to 90 days a year after probation
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“The first fifteen (15) days with full pay. … The following thirty (30) days with half pay. … The following period shall be unpaid.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3)
In plain English
- Tell the employer you are ill within 3 working days and give a medical report from a recognised medical authority.
- During probation there is no paid sick leave, though the employer may give unpaid sick leave on a medical report.
- After probation: up to 90 days a year, all at once or in parts: 15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, then unpaid.
- No pay for illness caused by the worker’s misconduct (see Regulation Article 20).
- If the worker still cannot return after using all sick leave, the employer may end the contract, paying all dues.
Example
After probation, Imran is off sick for 20 days in a year. The first 15 are fully paid and the next 5 are at half pay.
Report sickness within 3 working days with a proper medical report. Late notice is a common reason sick days are refused. Article 46 also stops an employer ending your contract for ill health before you have used your sick leave.
No paid sick leave for illness caused by misconduct
Cabinet Resolution 1/2022
“If the illness is a result of the Worker’s misconduct such as the consumption of alcohols or use of drugs.”Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 20(1)(a)
In plain English
There is no paid sick leave if the illness comes from:
- the worker’s misconduct, such as alcohol or drug use, proven by a report from the competent authorities; or
- breaking safety instructions, such as crisis and disaster rules, road and traffic rules, or the company’s own safety rules that the worker acknowledged.
Example
A worker is injured in a road accident while driving far over the speed limit. Under Article 20(1)(b), the employer does not have to pay sick leave for that time off.
For alcohol or drug-related illness, the employer needs an official report proving the cause. It cannot simply assume it.
Other leave
Mourning, parental, study and national service leave
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“Parental leave for a period of (5) five working days, for the Worker (whether the father or the mother) who has a child”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 32(1)(b)
In plain English
| Leave | Length | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning: spouse | 5 days, paid | From the date of death |
| Mourning: mother, father, son, brother, sister, grandson, grandfather or grandmother | 3 days, paid | From the date of death |
| Parental (father or mother) | 5 working days, paid | Taken in one go or in parts within 6 months of the birth |
| Study (exams) | 10 working days a year | Enrolled at an approved UAE institution; at least 2 years’ service |
| National and reserve service | Full time, paid | UAE nationals |
| Other leave | As the Cabinet decides | — |
Proof from the concerned authority is needed for each.
Example
Karim’s daughter is born in March. He can take his 5 working days of paid parental leave any time until September, all together or a day at a time.
Parental leave is for fathers and mothers, and a mother can take it on top of maternity leave. The Regulation confirms mourning, parental, annual and unpaid leave can be combined.
The proof needed, and combining leaves
Cabinet Resolution 1/2022
“It is permissible to combine the mourning, parental, annual, and unpaid leaves.”Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 21(5)
In plain English
- Study leave: you need an academic acceptance from an accredited UAE institution showing the course and its length. The employer may ask for proof of exam dates.
- National and reserve service: full-time leave for UAE nationals, under the national service laws.
- Mourning leave: starts from the date of death; bring proof of the death when you return.
- Parental leave: bring proof of the child’s birth.
- Mourning, parental, annual and unpaid leave can be combined.
Example
After her father dies abroad, Priya takes her 3 days of mourning leave followed by 10 days of annual leave to travel home for the funeral.
Keep the death certificate or birth certificate. You will need it when you return to work for the leave to be recorded as paid.
Unpaid leave, not coming back after leave, and notice during leave
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“the period of warning agreed upon in the employment contract shall not start to take effect, except as of the day following the scheduled return of the Worker from leave”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 35
In plain English
- Article 33: unpaid leave needs the employer’s approval. It does not count towards service (for gratuity) or pension contributions.
- Article 34: a worker who does not come back after leave without a legitimate reason is not paid for the days of absence.
- Article 35: if either side gives notice to end the contract while the worker is on leave, the notice period only starts the day after the worker is due back, unless both agree otherwise.
Example
Sam is on two weeks’ annual leave when his employer sends him a resignation acceptance with 30 days’ notice. The 30 days start the day after his leave ends, not while he is away.
Unpaid leave shortens your gratuity service, so agree to it only when you need it. Absence after leave without a good reason can also count towards the absence limits for dismissal in Article 44.
Leave pay calculator
Sick leave, maternity leave and unused annual leave are each paid differently. Enter your figures to see all three.
Your resultExample
Sick leave after probation: 15 days on full pay, 30 days on half pay, then unpaid, up to 90 days a year. Unused annual leave paid out when the job ends uses the basic wage.
AED 4,667sick leave pay for 20 sick days
The daily rate is the monthly figure ÷ 30.
- Sick days: full / half / unpaid
- 15 / 5 / 0
- Sick leave pay
- AED 4,667
- Unused annual leave, paid out when the job ends (basic wage)
- AED 1,667
File check AED 100 (5% VAT included), credited to your fee if you go ahead.
Law text checked 1 Oct 2026 (uaelegislation.gov.ae). Estimate, not legal advice; the authority's payment screen and decision are final.
Full breakdown
| Sick days: full / half / unpaid | 15 / 5 / 0 |
|---|---|
| Sick leave pay | AED 4,667 |
| Maternity leave pay (60 days) | AED 14,000 |
| Unused leave, if taken as paid leave | AED 2,667 |
| Unused leave, if paid out when the job endsbasic wage, Regulation Article 19 | AED 1,667 |
Sources
Save or share
Based on Decree-Law Articles 30 (45 days full pay, 15 half pay) and 31 (15 days full, 30 half, then unpaid, up to 90 days a year), and Regulation Article 19 (unused leave paid at exit on the basic salary). The daily rate is the monthly figure ÷ 30. An estimate, not a ruling on your case.
Expecting a baby: the leave timeline
- Earliest startLast day of the month before the due monthMaternity leave can start then, with a medical certificate (Art. 30).
- 60 daysMaternity leave45 days on full pay, then 15 days on half pay.
- If neededUp to 45 more days, unpaidIf the mother or child is ill from the pregnancy or birth, with a medical certificate. This time does not count towards gratuity service.
- Within 6 months of the birth5 working days of parental leaveAvailable to the father or the mother, in one go or in parts (Art. 32).
- Until the baby is 6 months oldNursing breaksOne or two breaks a day, up to an hour in total (Art. 30).
- Taking leave is usually worth more than cashing it at exit. Leave taken while employed is paid leave. Leave paid out when the job ends is paid on the basic salary (Regulation Art. 19). On a package of AED 8,000 with a basic of AED 5,000, each unused day paid at exit is worth about AED 167 instead of about AED 267.
- Sick leave pay runs out quickly. Only 15 days a year are on full pay. Day 16 to day 45 are half pay, and from day 46 the time is unpaid. Report sickness within 3 working days with a medical report, or the days can be refused (Art. 31).
- Notice cannot run while you are on leave. If either side gives notice during your leave, the notice period starts the day after you are due back (Art. 35). Plan resignations around this.
Quick reference: the numbers in this chapter
| Leave | Entitlement | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | 30 days a year; 2 days a month between 6 and 12 months | Decree-Law Art. 29(1) |
| Carry forward | Up to half of annual leave | Regulation Art. 19(1) |
| Part-time annual leave | Pro rata, minimum 5 working days | Regulation Art. 18 |
| Maternity | 60 days: 45 full pay, 15 half pay | Decree-Law Art. 30(1) |
| Sick (after probation) | 90 days: 15 full, 30 half, 45 unpaid | Decree-Law Art. 31(3) |
| Report sickness | Within 3 working days | Decree-Law Art. 31(1) |
| Parental | 5 working days within 6 months of birth | Decree-Law Art. 32(1)(b) |
| Mourning | 5 days (spouse); 3 days (close relatives) | Decree-Law Art. 32(1)(a) |
| Study | 10 working days a year after 2 years’ service | Decree-Law Art. 32(2) |
Leave under UAE labour law: frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave in the UAE private sector?
60 days under Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021: 45 days on full pay and 15 days on half pay, plus up to 45 unpaid days if mother or child is ill from the pregnancy or birth.
Is there paternity leave in the UAE?
Yes. Article 32(1)(b) gives parental leave of 5 working days to the father or the mother, taken in one go or in parts within 6 months of the child’s birth.
How many days of bereavement leave do you get in the UAE?
Five days for the death of a spouse, and three days for the death of a mother, father, son, brother, sister, grandson, grandfather or grandmother (as listed in the official English translation), from the date of death (Article 32(1)(a)).
Can I carry forward my annual leave in the UAE?
Yes, up to half of your annual leave, or you can agree to be paid for it instead (Regulation Article 19). The employer cannot stop you taking your leave for more than two years (Article 29(8)).
Is unused leave paid when I leave my job in the UAE?
Yes. Unused leave owed under the law is paid in cash at your basic salary when your service ends (Regulation Article 19(2); Decree-Law Article 29).
Do I get paid sick leave during probation in the UAE?
No. Article 31(2) says there is no paid sick leave during probation, although the employer may grant unpaid sick leave on a medical report.
Is unused annual leave paid on basic salary in the UAE?
Yes, when the job ends. Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022, Article 19, says unused leave owed at the end of service is paid on the basic salary. Leave taken while employed is paid leave.
Can my notice period run while I am on annual leave in the UAE?
No. Under Article 35, if notice is given while the worker is on leave, the notice period starts the day after the worker is due back, unless both sides agree otherwise.
Please note. Quotes are from the official English translation on the UAE Legislation portal, checked on 1 October 2026; the Arabic text in the Official Gazette prevails. Examples use invented names and are illustrative. This page is general information, not legal advice; MOHRE’s or a court’s decision on your own case is final.
