Free tool
UAE leave salary calculator
Work out leave salary under the UAE labour law: annual leave you take is paid at the full wage, basic salary plus contract allowances, while unused days paid out when you leave are paid on basic salary only. Employees earn at least 30 days a year.
Leave salary
AED 0
Daily wage (basic + allowances) ÷ 30
Days
Leave earned for your service
Leave you take is paid at the full wage. Unused days paid out at exit are paid on basic salary only.
Estimates for general information, using rules checked 31 October 2026. Not tax or legal advice. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How it is worked out
Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, employees are entitled to annual leave with full wage of at least 30 days for each year of service, and 2 days for each month when service is more than 6 months but less than a year. The law defines the wage as the basic wage plus the cash allowances and in-kind benefits in the contract, so leave you take is paid on basic salary plus allowances.
When an employee leaves before using their leave, they are paid for every unused day, and pro rata for part of the last year, on the basic wage (Article 29(9)). One day is the monthly amount ÷ 30, since the law counts a month as 30 days: AED 8,000 basic and AED 4,000 allowances make AED 400 a day of leave, and AED 267 a day for unused leave at exit.
Leave can be carried forward with the employer's approval, and the employer may not stop an employee using leave built up over more than two years. Public holidays during annual leave count as part of the leave, unless the contract gives more. Contracts can be more generous than the law, never less.
Sources · checked 31 October 2026
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers, worked out with the same rules as the calculator above.
How is leave salary calculated in the UAE?
Annual leave is paid at the full wage: basic salary plus the cash allowances in the contract, under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. With AED 8,000 basic and AED 4,000 allowances, 30 days of leave are paid AED 12,000.
Is leave salary paid on basic or gross salary in the UAE?
For leave you take, on the full wage: the law defines "wage" as the basic wage plus the cash allowances and in-kind benefits in the contract. For unused leave paid out when you leave the company, on the basic wage only (Article 29(9)).
How many days of annual leave do UAE employees get?
At least 30 days for each full year of service, and 2 days for each month when service is more than 6 months but less than a year. Leave is also earned for part of the last year if employment ends before the balance is used.
How is unused annual leave paid at the end of service?
On the basic wage, for every unused day, whatever the leave duration, and pro rata for part of the last year. With AED 8,000 basic and 12 unused days: AED 3,200.
Can annual leave be carried forward in the UAE?
Yes, with the employer's approval and under the company's rules. The employer may not stop an employee taking leave that has built up for more than two years, unless the employee chooses to carry it forward or take a cash allowance for it.
Do public holidays count as annual leave days?
Public holidays that fall during annual leave are counted as part of the leave, unless the contract or company rules give the employee something better.
Why does the calculator divide by 30?
The labour law counts a month as 30 days (Article 67), so one day of salary is the monthly amount ÷ 30.