Qatar Leave Salary & Encashment Calculator
Work out the value of your unused annual leave — instantly, per Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Article 79
Leave salary calculator
Quick answer
In Qatar, unused annual leave is paid out on your basic wage: encashment = (basic monthly salary ÷ 30) × number of unused leave days. Annual-leave entitlement is 3 weeks (21 days) a year for the first 5 years of service and 4 weeks (28 days) a year from 5 years, earned in proportion to the time you have worked (Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Art. 79). Article 72 sets the leave wage on the basic salary, so allowances are excluded from the statutory payout.
At a glance
- Entitlement
- 21 days/year (<5 yrs), 28 days/year (5 yrs+)
- Encashment base
- Basic wage only (÷30)
- Accrual
- In proportion to service (Art. 79)
- Law
- Labour Law 14/2004, Art. 79 & 72
What "leave salary" means in Qatar
"Leave salary" is used in two senses. The first is the pay you receive while you are actually on annual leave. The second — the one most people are calculating — is the cash value of annual leave you did not take, paid to you when your employment ends. This is often called leave encashment or leave settlement.
Under Article 79 of Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, a worker who leaves before taking accrued leave is entitled to be paid for it in proportion to the time served. Article 72 provides that the annual-leave wage is calculated on the basic salary, so the statutory encashment excludes housing, transport and other allowances. Some employers pay leave on the full wage as a matter of policy — check your contract.
How much annual leave you accrue
- •First 5 years of service: 3 weeks — 21 days — a year, which is 1.75 days for each month worked.
- •5 completed years or more: 4 weeks — 28 days — a year, about 2.33 days for each month.
- •Leave is earned in proportion to service, so you accrue a balance even within your first year; it is normally taken after one continuous year but is paid pro-rata on leaving.
Leave salary calculation in Qatar
The calculation has two independent halves, and confusing them is where most Qatari settlements go wrong. Article 79 sets how many days you have earned — 21 a year under five years’ service, 28 from five years, accruing in proportion to the months you have worked. Article 72 sets what each of those days is worth: the basic salary, not the full package.
So a worker on QAR 12,000 total with QAR 7,000 basic and four years’ service who has taken no leave has accrued 84 days, worth 7,000 ÷ 30 × 84 = QAR 19,600 — not the QAR 33,600 the full wage would suggest. Where an employer pays leave on the full wage, that is a contractual benefit above the statutory minimum, not the law.
| Continuous service | Annual leave | Accrual per month |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 3 weeks (21 days) | 1.75 days |
| 5 years or more | 4 weeks (28 days) | 2.33 days |
Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Art. 79. The leave wage itself is the basic salary (Art. 72), so encashment = (basic ÷ 30) × unused days.
What Article 72 of the Qatar Labour Law covers
Article 72 is the provision that fixes the wage used for annual leave: the basic salary. That is why statutory leave encashment excludes housing, transport and other allowances, even though those allowances count as wage for other purposes — pay in lieu of notice in Qatar, for instance, is calculated on the full wage.
Article 79 is its companion. It entitles a worker whose service ends before they have taken their accrued leave to be paid for the balance in proportion to the time served. Read together, the two give the formula this calculator uses: accrued days under Article 79 × the daily basic wage under Article 72.
How leave encashment is calculated
- 1
Find your accrued leave
Apply the entitlement rate to your months of service — 1.75 days per month for the first 5 years, then about 2.33 days per month.
- 2
Subtract leave already taken
Deduct the annual-leave days you have used to get your unused balance.
- 3
Work out the daily wage
Divide your monthly basic salary by 30 to get the daily rate used for encashment.
- 4
Multiply
Unused days × daily basic wage = your leave encashment amount.
Worked examples
QAR 6,000 basic, 3 years, 15 days taken
- Accrued: 1.75 × 36 months = 63 days
- Unused: 63 − 15 = 48 days
- Daily wage: 6,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 200
- 48 × 200 = QAR 9,600
QAR 9,000 basic, 7 years, 0 days taken
- First 5 years: 1.75 × 60 = 105 days
- Next 2 years: 2.333 × 24 = 56 days
- Total accrued: 161 days · daily wage 9,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 300
- 161 × 300 = QAR 48,300
Frequently asked questions
Is leave salary calculated on basic or total salary in Qatar?
The statutory leave wage is calculated on the basic salary (Qatar Labour Law 14/2004, Art. 72), so housing, transport and other allowances are excluded from the legal minimum. Some employers pay annual leave on the full wage by policy — check your contract, but the law only requires the basic wage.
How many annual leave days am I entitled to in Qatar?
Three weeks (21 days) a year for your first five years of service, rising to four weeks (28 days) a year once you complete five years (Art. 79). Leave is earned in proportion to the time you have worked.
How is unused leave paid when I leave a job in Qatar?
Your unused annual-leave balance is multiplied by your daily basic wage (basic ÷ 30) and paid as part of your final settlement, whether you resign or your contract ends (Art. 79).
Do I get leave salary if I resign in Qatar?
Yes. Payment for accrued but unused annual leave is due whether you resign or are terminated — unlike end-of-service gratuity, it is not reduced for resignation.
Does the leave rate really rise after 5 years?
Yes — this is the point people miss. For the first five years the rate is 21 days a year; from the start of your sixth year it is 28 days a year. Only the years beyond five earn at the higher rate.
Does this apply to workers in Doha and across Qatar?
Yes. Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 is a national law applied by the Ministry of Labour across Doha and the whole of Qatar. The main exception is the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), which has its own employment regulations — check your contract if you work under the QFC.
How is leave salary calculated in Qatar?
Multiply your accrued but unused annual-leave days by your daily basic wage. Days accrue at 21 a year under five years’ service and 28 a year from five years (Art. 79); the daily wage is your basic monthly salary ÷ 30 (Art. 72). Allowances are excluded from the statutory figure.
What does Article 72 of the Qatar Labour Law say about leave pay?
It sets the wage payable for annual leave at the basic salary, which is why statutory leave encashment excludes housing, transport and other allowances. Article 79 is its companion: it sets how many leave days you accrue and entitles you to be paid for any unused balance when your service ends.
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