33 of 2021 governs leave entitlements for over 5.3 million private-sector workers across the UAE (MOHRE, 2026). MOHRE processes leave-related labour complaints every year, with a significant share stemming from miscalculated leave salaries or incorrect accrual periods.
In 2026, Federal Law No. 33 of 2021 governs leave entitlements for over 5.3 million private-sector workers across the UAE (MOHRE, 2026). MOHRE processes leave-related labour complaints every year, with a significant share stemming from miscalculated leave salaries or incorrect accrual periods. UAE employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year after completing 12 months of service, and 2 days per month between the 6-month and 12-month mark. The MOHRE annual leave calculator at mohre.gov.ae is the official tool to verify those figures instantly. Whether you're an HR manager reconciling payroll or an employee checking your balance before resignation, this guide covers every entitlement, formula, and official portal you need. For businesses also managing salary compliance, see the wage protection system UAE guide before your next payroll cycle.
Annual Leave Entitlement Under UAE Labour Law
Under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, UAE employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year after completing 12 months of continuous service. Between 6 and 12 months, leave accrues at 2 days per month. Leave salary includes basic salary plus housing allowance as specified in the employment contract.
What Is Annual Leave Entitlement in UAE
Annual leave in the UAE is a statutory right under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29, not a discretionary benefit your employer can choose to offer or withhold. That distinction matters. Your employer can postpone your leave for operational reasons, but only with written notice. They cannot cancel it entirely.
The core rules for annual leave UAE are:
30 calendar days per year after 12 months of continuous service (Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29)
2 calendar days per month accrual between months 6 and 12 of service
Zero entitlement in the first 6 months of employment
Employer must provide at least 30 days advance written notice before requiring an employee to take leave at a specific time
Unused leave carries forward with employer agreement, or is paid out on termination
An employee who joined on 1 January 2025 and completes 12 months by 31 December 2025 is entitled to the full 30 days from 1 January 2026 onwards. That's straightforward. The accrual window between months 6 and 12 is where most disputes arise, so track that date carefully.
Annual Leave Days UAE - When Does Entitlement Start
The 6-month mark triggers accrual, not full entitlement. You're building leave at 2 days per month from month 6 to month 12. Full 30-day entitlement only kicks in after 12 months of continuous service.
One detail many employees miss: leave is counted in calendar days, not working days. That means weekends and public holidays within your leave period count toward your total. If you take a 30-day annual leave in August and a UAE public holiday falls within that period, the holiday does not add an extra day, the 30-day count runs continuously. Plan your leave dates with that in mind.
For a full breakdown of how MOHRE handles leave-related queries, the MOHRE inquiry system UAE guide covers the complaint and inquiry process in detail.
How to Use the MOHRE Annual Leave Calculator
The MOHRE annual leave calculator is available at mohre.gov.ae under Tools. Enter your joining date, last working date, and basic salary to calculate your leave entitlement in days and leave salary in AED. The calculator applies Federal Law No. 33 of 2021 accrual rules automatically and produces an instant result.
Step-by-Step: Using the MOHRE Leave Calculator at mohre.gov.ae
Here's how to run the leave calculator UAE calculation from start to finish:
Open mohre.gov.ae and navigate to the "Tools" section in the main menu
Select "Annual Leave Calculator" from the tools list
Enter your employment start date in day/month/year format
Enter the calculation end date, either today's date or your last working day
Enter your basic monthly salary in AED (do not include allowances here, the tool calculates that component separately)
Worked example: an employee with a joining date of 15 March 2023, calculating to 14 March 2026 (exactly 3 years), with a basic salary of AED 8,000 per month. The MOHRE annual leave calculator returns 90 calendar days of leave entitlement and AED 24,000 in basic leave salary. Add your housing allowance manually to get the full leave salary figure.
33 of 2021: 30 annual leave days, 90 sick leave days, 60 maternity leave days, and 5 paternity working days. UAE Leave Entitlements at a Glance - 2026 30 Annual Leave Days after 12 months service Art. 29, Fed. Law 33/2021 90 Sick Leave Days per year (3 pay tiers) Art. 31, Fed. Law 33/2021 60 Maternity Leave Days 45 full pay + 15 half pay Art. 30, Fed. Law 33/2021 5 Paternity Leave Days paid, within 6 months Art. 32, Fed. Law 33/2021
Annual Leave Calculation Scenarios - UAE 2026
Employee Scenario | Days Entitled | Leave Entitlement and AED Payout |
|---|---|---|
6 months service | 12 days accrued (2 days/month Ã- 6) | AED 10,000 basic + AED 2,500 housing = AED 12,500/month. Daily rate: AED 416.67. Leave salary: AED 5,000 |
12 months service | 30 days full entitlement | AED 10,000 basic + AED 2,500 housing = AED 12,500/month. Daily rate: AED 416.67. Leave salary: AED 12,500 |
2 years service | 60 days (30 days Ã- 2 years) | AED 10,000 basic + AED 2,500 housing = AED 12,500/month. Daily rate: AED 416.67. Leave salary: AED 25,000 |
3 years service | 90 days (30 days Ã- 3 years) | AED 10,000 basic + AED 2,500 housing = AED 12,500/month. Daily rate: AED 416.67. Leave salary: AED 37,500 |
18 unused days on termination | 18 days unused leave payout | AED 10,000 basic + AED 2,500 housing = AED 12,500/month. Daily rate: AED 416.67. Payout: AED 7,500 |
What the MOHRE Leave Calculator Does Not Cover
The MOHRE annual leave calculator gives you a baseline figure using your basic salary. It does not automatically add your housing allowance, you need to pull that from your employment contract and add it manually to get the correct leave salary figure.
The tool also doesn't account for mid-service salary changes. If your basic salary increased from AED 7,000 to AED 9,000 during your employment, run the calculator using your current basic salary for termination leave calculations. That's the figure MOHRE applies.
It won't calculate mohre sick leave, maternity leave, or public holiday compensation either, those are separate entitlements covered below. For disputes, you can file a complaint directly via mohre.gov.ae under the Complaints section, or visit a MOHRE Tasheel centre in person.
How the MOHRE Annual Leave Calculator Works - Step by Step
A visual guide for employees and HR managers using the leave calculator UAE tool at mohre.gov.ae.
Step 1: Go to mohre.gov.ae and open the Tools menu
Step 2: Select "Annual Leave Calculator"
Step 3: Enter joining date and calculation end date
Step 4: Enter basic monthly salary in AED (exclude allowances)
Step 5: Add housing allowance manually from your contract
Step 6: Result shows leave days and basic leave salary in AED
Suggested alt text: Step-by-step flowchart showing how to use the MOHRE annual leave calculator at mohre.gov.ae, including input fields and output interpretation under UAE Labour Law 2026.
Annual Leave Calculation - How Many Days Are You Entitled To
UAE employees are entitled to 2 calendar days per month between 6 and 12 months of service, and 30 calendar days per year after 12 months. The formula for partial-year entitlement is: (days worked divided by 365) multiplied by 30. This applies to both resignation and termination scenarios under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021.
Annual Leave Entitlement Formula and Worked Example
For full-year employees, the calculation is simple: 30 days per year, which works out to a 2.5-day-per-month accrual rate. For partial years, the formula is: (days worked in the year divided by 365) multiplied by 30.
Here's a concrete scenario. An employee with 2 years of service, AED 10,000 basic salary, and AED 3,000 housing allowance has 60 days of leave entitlement. Leave salary calculation: (60 divided by 30) multiplied by AED 13,000 = AED 26,000. That's the figure payable before the employee starts their leave.
Leave Salary UAE - What Components Are Included
Leave salary equals basic salary plus housing allowance, as stated in your employment contract. Transport allowance, food allowance, and phone allowance are excluded unless your contract explicitly states otherwise. This is a common point of dispute, check your contract wording carefully.
The daily rate formula: (basic salary plus housing allowance) divided by 30, multiplied by the number of leave days. Example: an employee on AED 8,000 basic plus AED 2,000 housing taking 15 days leave. Daily rate = AED 10,000 divided by 30 = AED 333.33. Leave salary = AED 333.33 multiplied by 15 = AED 5,000.
Worth flagging: leave salary must be paid before the employee starts their leave. That's a legal requirement under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29 (MOHRE, 2021). Employers who delay payment are in breach. For businesses tracking payroll deadlines, the company compliance calendar UAE is a useful reference.
Sick Leave Entitlement Under UAE Labour Law
Under UAE Labour Law, employees are entitled to 90 days mohre sick leave per year: the first 15 days at full pay, days 16 to 45 at half pay, and days 46 to 90 at no pay. Sick leave cannot be taken during the probation period. A medical certificate from an approved UAE health authority is required for all sick leave claims.
Sick Leave Days and Pay Tiers - 2026 Rules
The sick leave uae law tiers under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31 are:
Days 1 to 15: full basic salary paid
Days 16 to 45: half basic salary paid
Days 46 to 90: no pay
After 90 consecutive days of sick leave, the employer may terminate the employment contract. Critically, that termination does not forfeit the employee's end-of-service gratuity entitlement, full gratuity is still payable.
Worked example: an employee on AED 9,000 basic salary who takes 45 days sick leave receives 15 days at AED 300 per day (AED 4,500 full pay), plus 30 days at AED 150 per day (AED 4,500 half pay). Total sick leave salary: AED 9,000. A medical certificate from a UAE-approved facility is required, and the employer can request a second medical opinion.
Sick Leave During Probation - What the Law Says
Employees cannot take paid sick leave during the probation period. This is a firm rule under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, not a grey area. Any time off during probation due to illness is subject to employer discretion and is typically unpaid.
An employee on a 6-month probation who falls ill in month 3 has no legal right to paid sick leave. The employer also has the right to terminate without notice if the employee is unable to perform their duties during probation. Sick leave entitlement begins only after the probation period ends. The probation maximum is 6 months under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, any extension beyond that is unlawful.
How many sick leave days am I entitled to under UAE Labour Law?
You're entitled to 90 sick leave days per year under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31. The first 15 days are at full basic salary, days 16 to 45 at half pay, and days 46 to 90 at no pay. A UAE-approved medical certificate is required for all claims, and sick leave is not available during the probation period.
Public Holidays in UAE - How They Affect Leave
The UAE has 11 official public holidays per year declared annually by the UAE Cabinet. If a public holiday falls within an employee's annual leave period, it does not extend the leave, the holiday is absorbed into the 30-day count. Public holidays falling on a rest day are compensated with an additional day off on the following working day.
2026 UAE Public Holidays and Leave Planning
The UAE Cabinet declares 11 public holidays annually, with exact dates for Islamic holidays varying based on the lunar calendar. Check uaecabinet.ae each year for the confirmed schedule, don't rely on prior-year dates for Islamic observances like Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha.
The absorption rule catches many employees off guard. If Eid Al Adha falls during a 10-day annual leave, those 4 Eid days count within the 10-day total. The leave does not automatically extend to compensate. Plan your leave dates with this in mind, especially around the major Islamic holidays.
If an employer requires an employee to work on a public holiday, the minimum compensation is 125% of the daily wage (UAE Cabinet, 2026). That's not optional, it's a statutory minimum. For a structured view of all annual compliance dates including public holiday obligations, see the company compliance calendar UAE.
Leave During Probation Period
Employees in the UAE cannot take paid annual leave during the probation period, which is capped at 6 months under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021. Unpaid leave may be granted with employer approval. Sick leave is also not available during probation. Leave accrual begins from month 6 onward.
Probation Leave Rules - Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Unpaid Leave
Here's how leave during probation UAE works across each leave type:
Annual leave: no legal entitlement during probation, accrual begins at the 6-month mark
Sick leave: not available during probation, employer discretion only, typically unpaid
Unpaid leave: permissible with explicit written employer approval
Leave accrual rate from month 6 to month 12: 2 days per month
Probation maximum: 6 months under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 9, any extension is unlawful
Practical example: an employee on a 6-month probation ending 30 June 2026 begins accruing 2 days of leave per month from 1 July 2026. By 31 December 2026, they've accrued 12 days of leave. The full 30-day annual entitlement kicks in from 1 January 2027, when they complete 12 months of continuous service.
For questions about probation terms and MOHRE registration requirements, the MOHRE inquiry system UAE guide explains the process for submitting formal queries.
Maternity and Paternity Leave UAE
UAE maternity leave is 60 calendar days: the first 45 days at full pay and the remaining 15 days at half pay. A further 45 days of unpaid leave may be taken for pregnancy-related illness. Paternity leave is 5 working days of paid leave, to be taken within 6 months of the child's birth.
Maternity Leave Entitlement - 60 Days Breakdown
The 60-day maternity leave structure under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 30 works as follows:
45 calendar days at full pay, mandatory, cannot be waived by either party
15 calendar days at half pay, immediately following the first 45 days
Additional 45 days unpaid leave for illness connected to pregnancy or delivery, requires a medical certificate
Maternity leave can begin up to 30 days before the expected delivery date
Employer cannot terminate an employee during maternity leave, doing so is unlawful under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021
Worked example: a female employee with AED 12,000 basic salary plus AED 3,000 housing allowance on maternity leave. Full pay phase: 45 days multiplied by (AED 15,000 divided by 30) = AED 22,500. Half pay phase: 15 days multiplied by (AED 7,500 divided by 30) = AED 3,750. Total maternity pay: AED 26,250.
Paternity Leave UAE - 5 Working Days
Paternity leave in the UAE is 5 paid working days under Federal Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 32. It applies to all private-sector male employees, both UAE nationals and expatriates. The leave must be taken within 6 months of the child's birth, giving fathers flexibility on timing.
A male employee whose child is born on 10 February 2026 can take his 5 working days any time between 10 February and 10 August 2026. Paternity leave is completely separate from the annual leave balance, it cannot be deducted from annual leave entitlement under any circumstances. For payroll compliance questions related to maternity and paternity pay, the wage protection system UAE guide covers WPS reporting obligations.
What Happens to Unused Annual Leave in UAE
Unused annual leave in the UAE must be paid out on termination or resignation after completing 12 months of service. The payout is calculated on basic salary plus housing allowance. Employees who resign between 6 and 12 months of service are paid for accrued leave at 2 days per month.
Unused Leave Payout Formula and Calculation
The unused leave salary UAE payout formula:
Calculate your daily rate: (basic salary plus housing allowance) divided by 30
Multiply by the number of unused leave days
This figure is payable on termination or resignation, it's a legal right, not subject to employer discretion
Worked example: an employee with 18 unused leave days, AED 10,000 basic plus AED 2,500 housing. Daily rate = AED 12,500 divided by 30 = AED 416.67. Unused leave payout = AED 416.67 multipl
References
MOHRE, 2021 (mohre.gov.ae)
