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UAE Annual Leave Entitlement Calculator

Work out how many annual-leave days you have accrued — instantly, per UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29

Annual leave calculator

Based on UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29

Optional — to show your remaining balance.

Enter your details and press Calculate to see your result.

Quick answer

In the UAE, you earn 30 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 2.5 days for every month of service, once you complete one year. Between six and twelve months you accrue 2 days a month; below six months there is no statutory entitlement. This annual leave calculator works out how many leave days you have accrued and how many remain after leave you have already taken (Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 29).

At a glance

After 1 year
30 days/year (2.5/month)
6–12 months
2 days/month
Under 6 months
No statutory leave
Law
Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 29

How UAE annual leave accrues

Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets annual-leave entitlement in three bands. To find your balance, this calculator applies the band to your completed months of service and subtracts any annual leave you have already taken.

  • •Less than 6 months of service: no statutory annual-leave entitlement.
  • •Between 6 and 12 months: 2 days of leave for each month worked.
  • •1 full year or more: 30 days a year, equivalent to 2.5 days for each month of service.

Your final year and carried-forward leave

Leave does not stop accruing at your last work anniversary. Article 29 gives you leave for the fraction of your final year, so the completed months since your anniversary count towards your balance.

Leave can be carried into the next year with your employer's approval. Carried-forward days stay in your balance, and any you have not used by the time you leave are paid out. That payout is worked out on your basic salary, which the leave salary calculator does for you.

UAE leave salary calculator

How your leave balance is worked out

  1. 1

    Count your service months

    From your start date to today (or your leaving date), in completed months.

  2. 2

    Apply the entitlement rule

    2.5 days per month after one year, or 2 days per month for 6–12 months.

  3. 3

    Subtract leave taken

    Deduct the days you have already used.

  4. 4

    Read your balance

    The result is your remaining accrued annual leave.

Worked examples

2 years of service, 10 days taken

  • Accrued: 2.5 × 24 = 60 days
  • Remaining: 60 − 10 = 50 days
Remaining leave50 days

9 months of service

  • 6–12 month band: 2 days/month
  • Accrued: 2 × 9 = 18 days
Accrued leave18 days

Frequently asked questions

How many annual leave days am I entitled to in the UAE?

Thirty calendar days a year once you complete one year of service, which is 2.5 days for each month. Between six and twelve months of service you accrue two days a month; below six months there is no statutory entitlement.

Do I get leave in my first six months?

There is no statutory annual-leave entitlement below six months of service, though your contract may grant more.

Are weekends and public holidays counted in annual leave?

UAE annual leave is set in calendar days, so rest days inside your leave count towards it. Article 29 also treats an official holiday that falls during your leave as part of the leave, unless your contract or company rules are more generous.

Does this follow MOHRE's annual leave rules?

Yes. It applies Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the law MOHRE administers for the private sector: 30 days a year after one year and 2 days a month from six to twelve months. It is an independent calculator, not an official MOHRE annual leave calculator.

What happens to leave I don’t take?

Unused leave is paid out on your basic wage when you leave. Use the leave salary calculator for that amount.

Does this apply in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the free zones?

Yes for onshore employers and most free zones, which follow the federal MOHRE law of 30 days a year across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and every emirate. The two financial free zones (DIFC and ADGM) set their own minimum, commonly 20 working days a year, so check your contract if you work there.

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