Annual Leave Calculator UAE
Quick answer:30 days a year after one year of service — and unused days are cashed out on basic salary, not gross. Free tool, no sign-up.
The mistake that inflates most leave-salary estimates
Leave salary is paid on basic salary. The UAE government portal states it twice — once for days carried over with your employer’s consent, and again for the balance paid when employment ends: both are “calculated on the basis of his/her basic salary”. Housing, transport and other allowances do not enter the figure.
That matters because on a typical UAE package basic pay is roughly half of gross. A calculator that quietly uses your total package can double the number you are expecting, which is a painful thing to discover at final settlement. This tool asks for basic salary and says so on the field.
The daily rate here is basic salary divided by 30 — the same basis our gratuity calculator uses, so the two never disagree about the same employee at the same exit.
Leaving a job in the UAE?
Three numbers land together: your leave balance above, your end-of-service gratuity, and — if the job ended involuntarily — an ILOE insurance claim you have only 30 days to file.
4 Steps
How to use the calculator
Enter your basic salary
Use the basic salary from your contract, not the gross package. Leave salary is calculated on basic pay, so allowances are excluded.
Add your joining date
The tool works out your length of service and which rule applies: 2 days per month between six and twelve months, or 30 days a year once you pass one year.
Enter days taken and any carried over
Subtract the leave you have already used this year, and add days your employer agreed to carry over from last year.
Read the balance and its value
The tool shows the days owed, the daily wage on basic salary divided by 30, and what the unused balance is worth in cash.
Common Questions
UAE Annual Leave — FAQ
How many annual leave days am I entitled to in the UAE?
Thirty days of fully paid annual leave once you have completed one year of service. If your service is more than six months but less than a year, you are entitled to two days of leave for each month of service. Under six months, the Labour Law sets no annual-leave entitlement, though your contract may be more generous.
Is leave salary calculated on basic salary or gross salary in the UAE?
On basic salary. The UAE government portal is explicit that payment for unused annual leave — both days carried over with your employer's consent and the balance paid when you leave — is calculated on the basis of basic salary. Housing, transport and other allowances are excluded, which is why online estimates based on gross pay come out too high.
Do I get paid for unused annual leave when I resign?
Yes. If your employment ends before you have taken your leave, you are entitled to payment for any unused annual leave regardless of how many days it is, plus leave accrued for the fraction of the last year you worked — all calculated on basic salary.
Can I take cash instead of annual leave while still employed?
Not as a right. The law is built around actually taking the leave: your employer may not stop you using accrued leave for more than two consecutive years, unless you choose to carry it over or to take cash compensation in line with company policy and the Implementing Regulations. Payment for unused days is the normal position when employment ends.
Can unused annual leave be carried over to the next year in the UAE?
Only with your employer's consent and in line with the company's regulations. Where leave is carried over, you are entitled to payment for those unused days calculated on your basic salary. Carry-over is not automatic, which is why this calculator asks you to enter carried days rather than assuming them.
Do public holidays count as annual leave in the UAE?
Yes. Public holidays or agreed leave days that fall within your annual leave period are treated as part of the annual leave, unless your employment contract or company policy gives you something better. If you are required to work on a holiday, you are compensated with another rest day or paid your normal wage plus at least 50 per cent of your basic wage for that day.
Sources
- Entitlement, encashment on basic salary, carry-over with employer consent, and public holidays inside leave — UAE Government portal (u.ae) — Types of leaves in the private sector, verified September 2026.
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships, Article 29 (annual leave) and Article 28 (working on holidays), with its Implementing Regulations.
- Daily wage basis (basic salary ÷ 30) matches our end-of-service gratuity guide.
- An estimate, not a final settlement. Contracts and company policies may be more generous than the law, and free zones such as DIFC and ADGM run their own employment regimes. Confirm your figure with your employer or MOHRE.
Running payroll for a UAE team?
Leave accrual, gratuity provisioning and WPS all have to agree with each other. We will review how your contracts and payroll handle them before an exit puts it to the test.