Guide · updated 02.09.2026 · 9 min read · Lucent Legal team

Annual leave and sick leave in the UAE: your days and your pay

Annual Leave and Sick Leave UAE Law 2026

Key points

  • One full year of service earns 30 calendar days of paid annual leave — Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021.
  • Between 6 months and 1 year of service, leave accrues pro rata: 2 days for every month worked.
  • Sick leave after probation runs to 90 days a year: the first 15 days at full pay, the next 30 days at half pay, the remaining 45 days unpaid (Article 31).
  • You must notify the employer of illness within 3 days and provide a medical report from an authorised medical facility.
  • Unused leave is paid out in cash on termination (leave encashment), separately from gratuity, using "basic monthly salary ÷ 30 × unused days" — the full end-of-service calculation is in the gratuity guide.

The short answer: a full year of service earns 30 calendar days of paid annual leave. Sick leave runs to 90 days a year on a 15/30/45 split — 15 days at full pay, 30 at half pay, 45 unpaid. Those are Articles 29 and 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021.

How many days of annual leave you get: 30 after a year

Work a full year for one employer and you get 30 calendar days of paid annual leave. That is the baseline in Law No. 33/2021 (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Labour Relations). It covers mainland companies and most free zones. DIFC and ADGM run their own employment law, where the figures can differ, so check your contract there.

Leave pay is calculated on the full contractual wage, not on the basic rate alone. That differs from gratuity, where only basic salary goes into the base; for leave, sources point to the full wage. If your employer pays leave on basic salary only, read the contract terms and take a discrepancy to a lawyer.

Pro rata leave between 6 and 12 months

More than 6 months of service but less than a year still earns leave, just less of it. The law gives 2 days for each full month worked. Eight months of service comes to 16 days; ten months comes to 20.

Below 6 months of service the law guarantees no paid leave. Many employers grant it under company policy, but that is voluntary rather than a legal duty. If you are leaving in your first six months and counting on leave pay, check the contract text rather than general expectations.

Sick leave: 90 days and three pay tiers

After probation, sick leave gives up to 90 days a year, taken consecutively or in blocks. The pay comes in three tiers:

  1. First 15 days — 100% pay.
  2. Next 30 days — 50% pay.
  3. Remaining 45 days — unpaid.

This is Article 31 of Law No. 33/2021, and the u.ae portal sets out the same 15/30/45 split. During probation there is no paid sick leave. The employer may grant unpaid sick leave at its discretion if a medical report supports it.

How to notify your employer

Report the illness to the employer within 3 days of falling ill and attach a medical report or certificate from an authorised medical facility. Skip that step and you risk losing the right to be paid. Single-day sick days are handled differently from company to company — that is internal policy rather than a legal requirement, so check the staff rules.

Notify late without a good reason and the employer can formally refuse to count the days as paid sick leave. What counts as a "good reason" is read differently by different sources, and there is no clear answer in borderline cases — another point for a lawyer.

Cashing out unused leave when you leave

Unused leave days at termination must be paid out in cash (leave encashment). The formula from the sources: (basic monthly salary ÷ 30) × unused days. There is a real difference here from ordinary leave. While you work, leave pay is calculated on the full wage. The payout for unused days on termination is calculated on basic salary, the same base as gratuity.

That payout is its own line in the final settlement, not part of gratuity. Salary, leave encashment and gratuity must all be paid within 14 days of the employment ending. Arguing over the number of unused days, or over a delayed payment? The procedure and what to do about stalling is in the termination rights guide. If the salary itself stays unpaid past the deadline, see the guide on unpaid salary in the UAE.

Unpaid leave and what it does to your gratuity

Leave without pay does not count towards service for gratuity. Unpaid days are deducted from the total service period when the end-of-service benefit is calculated. A typical case is extended personal leave agreed with the employer on top of the normal annual quota.

Work 11 months, then take a month unpaid, and the continuous paid service falls short of a full year. That year is the threshold at which any right to gratuity arises at all. The gratuity formula, its base and its ceiling are set out in the separate gratuity guide. If your record contains unpaid leave and termination is close, have a lawyer recalculate the service — the sum can shift noticeably.

What to do if the employer breaks these rules

Leave refused, split without your consent, or sick pay that ignores the 15/30/45 tiers — each is grounds for a labour complaint to MOHRE, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. A dispute normally starts with internal talks and a complaint through the MOHRE app or call centre. With no resolution, the case goes to the labour court. The general sequence when employment rights are breached, including non-payment and unlawful dismissal, is described in the termination rights guide.

FAQ

How many days of annual leave does UAE law give?

After a full year of service, 30 calendar days of paid annual leave. Between 6 and 12 months of service, leave accrues pro rata at 2 days per month worked. Below 6 months of service the law guarantees no paid leave.

Is sick leave in the UAE paid in full?

No, the pay is tiered: the first 15 days of sick leave in a year are at 100% of salary, the next 30 days at 50%, and the remaining 45 days (out of the 90-day maximum) are unpaid. This applies to employees who have completed probation.

How many sick days a year can you take in the UAE?

Up to 90 days a year, consecutive or split, starting after probation ends. The pay split — 15 full, 30 half, 45 unpaid — is set in Article 31 of Law No. 33/2021.

Can I take annual leave as cash while still employed in the UAE?

Leave is normally meant to be taken rather than converted to cash during the contract. Cash payment for unused days (leave encashment) is due at termination. Any exception agreed with the employer is worth checking with a lawyer.

What happens if I do not notify my employer of sick leave in time?

The law requires notice within 3 days plus a medical report from an authorised facility. Notify late without a good reason and the employer can formally decline to pay those days as sick leave, although sources read "good reason" differently and there is no single standard.

How many days of unpaid leave can you take in the UAE?

The law fixes no single limit for unpaid leave — it is a matter of agreement with the employer on top of the annual leave quota. Remember that unpaid days do not count towards continuous service for gratuity, which can push back the right to an end-of-service payment or reduce the final amount.

Sources

Topic: UAE Labour Law 2026

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.