UAE Annual Leave Calculator
Work out your annual leave balance and what it is worth in cash under the UAE Labour Law (Article 29), in seconds.
Housing, transport and other regular allowances; counted where the law uses the full wage.
Total annual-leave days you have used over your whole service.
🔒 Worked out in your browser — nothing is sent to a server
Unused leave pay
18,666.67 AED
70 unused days × 266.67 AED
Breakdown
| Current annual entitlement (days) | 30 |
| Days accrued over your service | 90 days |
| Days taken | 20 days |
| Unused balance | 70 days |
| Daily rate for cashing out | 266.67 AED |
| Daily pay while on leave | 333.33 AED |
How it's calculated
Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, a worker is entitled to fully paid annual leave of at least 30 days for each year of service, two days for each month once service exceeds six months but is under a year, and nothing before six months are completed.
While on leave the worker receives the full wage (basic plus allowances). If the employment ends before the balance is used, the remaining days and the fraction of the final year are paid in cash, and that cash-out is calculated on the basic wage alone (Article 29(9)).
Leave should be taken in the year it is earned; with the employer's consent and under company policy, up to half the balance may be carried forward to the following year, or a cash allowance agreed instead. The calculator divides the monthly wage by 30 to get the daily rate.
- Before six months of service: no annual leave accrues
- From six months to a year: two days for each month of service
- After one year: 30 days per year (2.5 days per completed month)
- Daily pay on leave = full wage ÷ 30; cash-out of unused days = basic wage ÷ 30 × days
Worked example
An employee with a basic salary of 8,000 AED and 2,000 AED in allowances has 3 years of service and has taken 20 days of leave.
- Days accrued: 3 years × 30 days = 90 days
- Unused balance: 90 − 20 = 70 days
- Daily rate for cashing out (basic only): 8,000 ÷ 30 = 266.67 AED
- Unused leave pay: 70 × 266.67 = 18,666.67 AED
The employee is owed 18,666.67 AED for the balance when the employment ends under Article 29, while days actually spent on leave are paid at the full wage: 333.33 AED a day (10,000 ÷ 30).
FAQ
Do allowances count towards annual leave pay in the UAE?
While on leave, yes: Article 29 grants annual leave with full pay, meaning basic salary plus allowances. The cash allowance for unused leave at the end of service, however, is calculated on the basic salary alone (Article 29(9)).
When do I become entitled to annual leave?
After six months of service you earn two days for each month, and after completing a year you earn 30 days for each year (Article 29). Nothing accrues before six months, although the law sets minimums and your contract may grant more.
Can I carry my leave balance forward to the next year?
Only with the employer's consent and under the rules in force at the company, for no more than half the annual balance, or you may agree on a cash allowance instead (Article 29). Under the Executive Regulations, the employer may not stop you from using accrued leave for more than two years.
I resigned or my contract was terminated. Is my leave balance paid out?
Yes. Article 29 entitles the worker to a cash allowance for the leave days not taken when leaving the job, whatever the reason the contract ended, plus the fraction of the final year in proportion to the period worked, all calculated on the basic salary. Entitlements must be settled within 14 days of the contract ending (Article 53).
Can my employer decide when I take my leave?
Yes, according to work requirements and in agreement with the worker, or in rotation to keep the business running, provided the worker is notified of the leave date at least one month in advance (Article 29).
How does the calculator work out the daily rate?
By dividing the monthly wage by 30, the convention used in practice. While on leave the full wage is divided; for cashing out the balance the basic salary is divided. In our example that is 10,000 ÷ 30 = 333.33 AED on leave and 8,000 ÷ 30 = 266.67 AED for the cash-out.
Related tools
Sources
✓ Reviewed September 2026- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations — UAE Legislation portal
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
Statutory articles this calculator applies
- UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 29 — annual leave and its pay
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (in force 2022-02-02) and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulations)