UAE Leave Entitlements: Annual, Sick, Maternity, Parental, and More

Paid leave is one of the clearest, best-documented parts of UAE employment law — and one of the parts employees most frequently get wrong. This guide sets out every leave type recognised by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021: annual, sick, maternity, parental, bereavement, study and public holidays, plus Hajj leave and the rules on encashing untaken leave at the end of a contract. It is written from the employee's perspective and assumes federal private-sector employment; DIFC and ADGM operate separate regimes flagged where they diverge. If you joined a UAE employer before February 2022 on an older unlimited contract, your entitlements have moved across to the 2021 Law.

At a Glance

Annual Leave

The 2021 Law grants 30 calendar days per year — calendar days, not working days, so weekends and public holidays falling within the leave window count towards the total. An employee booking a full month uses their 30-day entitlement; an employee taking ten working days across a fortnight uses around 12 calendar days.

30 calendar days/year after one year of service

Full annual leave accrues once you complete twelve months of continuous service with the same employer. Most UAE employers run leave year-by-year aligned to the company's financial year for accounting convenience, but the legal entitlement is anchored to your start date.

Pro-rated for part-year

If you have worked between six and twelve months, you accrue annual leave at the rate of two days per month worked. Below six months — typically during probation — you cannot take annual leave as of right, although the employer may agree to grant leave from your balance, and if you do not pass probation you are paid for the balance left (Article 29(3)). After twelve months, the full 30-day entitlement applies and is renewed each completed year of service.

Carry-over rules

Employees can carry over up to half of their annual leave (15 days) into the next leave year by mutual agreement. Many employers operate a stricter "use it or lose it" policy as an internal HR rule — this is not the legal default: the employer may not stop you taking your leave for more than two years unless you choose to carry it over or take cash for it, and any leave still unused when you leave is paid out, whatever the balance (Article 29(8) and (9)).

Leave during notice period

You cannot use accrued annual leave to shorten your notice period unless the employer agrees. The 2021 Law does not say whether leave taken during a running notice period extends it, so agree that in writing; if notice is given while you are on leave, it starts only on the day after your scheduled return, unless you both agree otherwise (Article 35). Any untaken accrued leave at departure must be paid out as cash on basic salary — see termination and resignation for the wider exit timetable.

Sick Leave

The UAE's sick-leave regime is generous in length but tiered in payment, which is the source of most misunderstandings. The ceiling is 90 days per year of service, but only the first 15 are fully paid.

90 days/year after probation

Statutory sick leave is available after probation — typically after six months of service. During probation, employees have no right to paid sick leave; the employer may grant unpaid sick leave on a medical report stating that it is necessary (Article 31(2)), but that is the employer's decision, not an entitlement. The 90-day annual entitlement resets each year of service, not each calendar year.

Pay tiers: 15 fully paid + 30 half-paid + 45 unpaid

The first 15 sick days in any year are paid at full wage; the next 30 at half wage; the remaining 45 are unpaid, and the employer may not dismiss you or give you notice while you are on sick leave. Once the 90 days are used up, the employer may end your contract if you are still unable to return to work, provided you receive all your financial entitlements (Article 31(5)).

Medical certificate requirement

You must tell your employer that you are ill within three working days and submit a medical report on your condition issued by the medical entity (Article 31(1)). Sick leave is not paid when the illness results from your own misconduct, such as alcohol or drug use, or from breaking safety instructions (Article 31(4) and Article 20 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022).

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave under the 2021 Law totals 60 days, structured to support both pre-delivery rest and post-natal recovery.

60 days (45 fully paid + 15 half-paid)

The first 45 days are paid at full wage; the next 15 at half wage. An employee may begin maternity leave up to 30 days before the expected delivery date and take the balance after birth. The clinical context — antenatal appointments, hospital choice, post-natal care — is covered in the maternity in the UAE guide.

Eligibility: any female employee, regardless of length of service

Maternity leave applies to any female employee, including those still in probation and those with under one year of service. There is no qualifying period. The same applies to private-sector and free-zone employees under federal labour law; DIFC and ADGM mothers have separate but broadly comparable entitlements.

Stillbirth and miscarriage provisions

If pregnancy ends in stillbirth, full maternity leave still applies. A miscarriage after six months of gestation is treated identically. Article 30 does not cover a pregnancy that ends before six months; ask your employer how the absence will be treated, and keep the medical report that sick leave requires (Article 31). If the child is born sick or with a disability and, on a medical report, needs a constant companion, the mother is entitled to a further 30 days on full pay after maternity leave, extendable by 30 days unpaid (Article 30(4)).

Breastfeeding hours: 1 hour/day for 6 months

For six months after delivery, a returning mother is entitled to one hour of paid breastfeeding time per working day in addition to ordinary breaks. This can be taken as a single hour or split into two half-hours, by agreement. The hour is part of paid working time — pay is not reduced and the hour does not need to be made up.

Parental Leave (introduced 2020)

Parental leave was introduced by the 2020 amendment to the older labour law, which the UAE Government portal describes as making the UAE the first Arab country to grant parental leave to private-sector employees. The 2021 Law preserved and consolidated the entitlement.

5 working days for both parents

Each parent — mother and father — is entitled to five working days of parental leave. For mothers, this sits alongside (not instead of) the 60-day maternity entitlement; for fathers, it is the only statutory leave around the birth of a child.

Within first 6 months of birth

Parental leave must be taken within six months of the child's birth. It can be taken in a single block or split across the window — for example, two days at the time of birth and three when the partner returns to work. It is an entitlement, but the law sets no notice period for it, so agree the dates with your employer.

Fully paid

The five days are paid at full wage. The law ties the leave to the birth of your child, and you must provide proof of the birth (Article 21(4) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022).

Other Leave Types

Bereavement (5 days for spouse; 3 days for parent/child/sibling)

An employee is entitled to five days of paid leave on the death of a spouse and three days on the death of a parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, counted from the date of death rather than the funeral (Article 32(1)(a)). The leave is paid at full wage, and you must submit proof of the death when you return to work (Article 21(3) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022).

Hajj (up to 30 days unpaid, once per employer)

Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 does not name Hajj leave. The UAE Government portal states that an employee may be granted special leave for Hajj that is unpaid, may not exceed 30 days, and is granted only once during employment with the same employer; any other unpaid leave needs the employer's approval (Article 33). Some employers grant Hajj leave on full pay as a matter of policy — a benefit, not a legal entitlement.

Study leave (10 days/year for accredited UAE institutions, after 2 years)

An employee enrolled in an accredited UAE educational institution may be granted ten working days of paid study leave per year for sitting examinations (Article 32(2)). The provision applies after at least two years' service with the employer, who may ask for proof of the exam dates (Article 21(1) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022). The law refers to educational institutions approved in the State, so check your institution's accreditation before applying.

Sabbatical (UAE national reservists; otherwise contract-dependent)

The 2021 Law provides paid sabbatical leave for UAE national employees called up for military or reserve service. For non-UAE-national employees, sabbatical leave is not statutory and is only available if the contract or company policy provides for it.

Public holidays (paid)

All employees are entitled to UAE public holidays as paid days off. If you are required to work on a public holiday, the employer must give you another day off for each holiday day worked, or pay you that day's normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage (Article 28(2)) — see labour law rights for the overtime and public-holiday pay rules.

Leave Encashment and Untaken Leave

Untaken annual leave at end of contract: must be paid out

On termination, resignation, or contract expiry, any accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid in cash. The calculation is based on basic salary, not the total package (Article 19(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022), for the number of accrued unused leave days; the law does not set the daily-rate formula, so check how your employer calculates it. Leave for the part of the last year you worked is added in proportion (Article 29(1)(c)). This payment is separate from end-of-service gratuity and any pay in lieu of notice. See salary and payslips for the daily-rate mechanics.

Mid-contract encashment: not standard but possible by agreement

Mid-contract leave encashment — being paid for unused leave while still employed — is not a default entitlement. The 2021 Law expects leave to be taken as rest. However, mutual agreement can authorise encashment in particular cases, typically where operational needs prevented the employee taking leave. Some employers run an annual encashment programme — check your contract.

UAE Public Holidays (annual list)

UAE public holidays follow a recurring calendar fixed by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The list combines fixed Gregorian dates with rotating Islamic dates against the Hijri calendar, so the same Islamic holiday falls on a slightly different Gregorian date each year. Under the recurring calendar fixed by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024, the total is 12 or 13 paid days per year, depending on Ramadan’s length — see the full UAE public holidays calendar for dates and long-weekend planning.

Isra and Mi'raj and Commemoration Day (30 November) are marked nationally but are not paid public holidays under the current list. Islamic holiday dates are confirmed by moon sighting shortly before each holiday, and the Cabinet occasionally transfers a holiday to the start or end of a week to create a longer break. Where a public holiday falls on a weekend, there is no automatic substitute day. Annual leave often gets used for international relocation visits and school transitions covered in relocating with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much annual leave do I get in my first year?

During the first six months of service you cannot take annual leave as of right: the employer may agree to grant leave from your balance during probation, and if you do not pass probation you keep the right to be paid for the balance left (Article 29(3)). Once your service passes six months you are entitled to two days for each month of service, and once you complete twelve months the full 30-calendar-day entitlement applies and renews each year of service.

What if I'm sick during probation?

There is no paid sick leave during probation. The employer may grant unpaid sick leave on a medical report stating that it is necessary, but that is the employer's decision, not an entitlement. Once probation completes, the full 90-day tiered sick leave (15 fully paid, 30 half-paid, 45 unpaid) becomes available.

Is maternity leave fully paid?

The first 45 days of the 60-day maternity entitlement are paid at full wage; the remaining 15 days are at half-wage. Some employers, particularly in financial services, banking, and government-related entities, top this up to 60 days at full pay as a matter of policy — check your contract. Maternity leave applies to all female employees regardless of length of service, including those still in probation.

Do fathers get parental leave in the UAE?

Yes. Since 2020 (and confirmed in the 2021 Labour Law), both parents are entitled to five working days of fully paid parental leave to be taken within the first six months of the child's birth. This applies to fathers as well as mothers, and is granted in addition to maternity leave for the mother.

Can I take leave during notice period?

Annual leave can be taken during notice only with employer agreement, and the law does not say whether those days extend the notice period, so agree it in writing. If notice is given while you are on leave, it starts only on the day after your scheduled return, unless you both agree otherwise (Article 35). Any accrued but untaken leave at the date of departure must be paid out as cash on basic salary. See termination and resignation for the wider exit process.

Can I cash in unused annual leave?

At the end of the contract, yes — and it is mandatory: any accrued unused leave must be paid out as cash on basic salary. Mid-contract, leave encashment is not a statutory right; the 2021 Law expects leave to be taken as rest. Some employers operate voluntary annual encashment of a few days, but this is by agreement, not entitlement.

What public holidays does the UAE have?

12 or 13 paid public holidays per year, under the recurring calendar fixed by Cabinet Resolution No. 27 of 2024. The fixed Gregorian dates are New Year's Day (1 January) and Eid Al Etihad, UAE National Day (2-3 December). The rotating Islamic dates are Eid Al Fitr (3-4 days), Arafat Day plus Eid Al Adha (4 days), Hijri New Year (1 day), and Prophet Mohammed's Birthday (1 day). Working a public holiday entitles the employee to another day off or that day's normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.

How does Hajj leave work?

Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 does not name Hajj leave. The UAE Government portal states that an employee may be granted special Hajj leave of up to 30 days, unpaid, once during employment with the same employer; other unpaid leave needs the employer's approval. Some employers grant it on full pay as a matter of policy — a benefit, not a legal entitlement.