UAE annual leave calculator

01

How many days of annual leave do I get in the UAE?

At least 30 calendar days of paid annual leave for each full year of service, once you have worked for more than one year.

The rule comes from Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the UAE Labour Law, and applies to full-time employees in the private sector.

Thirty days is the minimum. Your contract or company policy can give you more, and if it does, the more generous figure applies.

For example, if you started on 1 March 2025, by 1 March 2026 you have completed one full year and have earned 30 days.

If you work in the DIFC or ADGM, a separate employment law applies, so check your own free zone rules.

02

How is annual leave worked out in my first year?

Once you pass six months of service, you earn 2 days for each month you have worked, counted from your start date.

Before six months, the law does not guarantee annual leave, although your employer can still allow it.

Between six months and one year, the 2 days apply to every month of service, not just the months after month six.

For example, if you started on 1 January 2026, by 1 September 2026 you have eight months of service. That gives you 8 × 2 = 16 days, before taking off any leave you have already used.

Ten months gives 20 days. At your first anniversary, the full-year rule takes over.

03

Do I get 24 or 30 days after my first year?

You get 30 days for a completed year. The 2 days a month only applies while your service is between six months and one year.

People often multiply 2 days by 12 months and expect 24 days. That is not how the rules work.

The 2-day rule covers the part of the first year before your anniversary. Once you complete one full year, your entitlement for that year is 30 days.

Do not add the two together either. They are not separate allowances for the same year. Start from 30 days, then take off any leave you have already used in that year.

04

Does annual leave build up at 2.5 days a month?

After your first year, yes in effect. Thirty days a year works out at 2.5 days for each month.

This is useful for working out leave for part of a year, such as the months since your last anniversary, or the months you worked in the year you leave.

For example, four months into a new service year works out at 4 × 2.5 = 10 days.

Do not use 2.5 days a month in your first year. Until you complete one year of service, the rate is 2 days a month.

05

Are annual leave days calendar days, and do public holidays count?

Annual leave is counted in calendar days, and public holidays that fall inside your leave count as leave days, unless your contract is more generous.

So 30 days of leave means 30 calendar days, not 30 working days. Weekends inside your leave period are part of it.

The same goes for public holidays. If one falls during your leave, it is counted as a day of leave rather than added on top, unless your contract or company policy says otherwise.

If your employer records leave in working days, ask HR which unit they use before comparing it with this calculator. A working-day balance and a calendar-day balance cannot be compared number for number.

06

Can I take annual leave during probation?

Only if your employer agrees. Leave is not guaranteed until you have worked for more than six months.

An employer can approve annual leave during probation. That is a choice the employer makes, not a right you can rely on in your first months.

If you do take leave early, it is normally taken from the leave you build up later. Check how it appears on your HR record before working out what is left, so the same days are not subtracted twice.

07

Can I carry unused leave into next year?

With your employer’s agreement, you can carry up to half of a year’s leave into the next year. For a 30-day entitlement, that is 15 days.

The limit comes from Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, which sets out how the Labour Law applies in practice. Anything above the limit depends on your employer’s policy.

Your employer also cannot stop you taking your annual leave for more than two years in a row.

To check your balance, use this simple sum:

For example, 30 days earned and 12 days taken leaves 18 days. Of those, up to 15 can be carried into next year with your employer’s agreement.

08

Does unpaid leave or part-time work change my leave?

Yes. Unpaid leave does not count as service for building up annual leave, and part-time workers earn leave in proportion to their hours.

Unpaid leave

Days of unpaid leave are not counted as service when your annual leave is worked out. If you took unpaid leave, your leave builds up more slowly than a simple count from your start date suggests. Enter those days in the calculator and it takes them off your service.

Part-time work

Part-time workers build up leave based on their contracted hours compared with a full-time week. The calculator on this page is for full-time employees, so if you work part time, check the figure with your contract.

09

What happens to my unused leave when I leave a job?

You are owed leave for the part of your final year you worked, as well as any balance you have not used.

The law recognises leave for a fraction of the final year, so your entitlement does not stop at your last work anniversary.

To check it, set “calculate up to” to your last working day and choose yes for leaving the job. The calculator then counts the months of your final part-year as well.

Unused leave is usually settled with the rest of your end of service money. To work out what your unused days are worth, use our leave salary calculator.

In short: 2 days a month between six months and one year, 30 days for each full year after that, and up to half a year’s leave carried forward with your employer’s agreement.

Sources: Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022.