Probation end date calculator for the UAE
- Art. 9 of the UAE Labour Law: probation period
- Read against the statuteSeptember 2026
UAE
Art. 9 of the UAE Labour Law: probation period
Next step
To check this, or for anything official:
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisationmohre.gov.ae
See the last day inside probation, the first day after it, and whether your contract stays inside the legal ceiling.
Enter the day you started work and the probation days written in your contract. The tool works out the last day inside probation and the first day after it, and checks the length against what Art. 9 allows: six months from your first day of work, with no extension. Your first day of work is day one of probation.
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Nothing leaves your device
- Cites the article
How is the probation end date calculated?
- Last day inside probation = start date + days − 1
- First day after probation = last day inside + 1
- The ceiling is 180 days, and it cannot be extended
- Days applied = the lower of the agreed period and the ceiling
Symbols
- day one
- The first day of work itself, not the day after it, which is where the usual one-day error comes from
- days applied
- The lower of what your contract says and 180 days, because anything above the ceiling does not count however the contract is worded
When does a probation starting 1 January 2026 end?
An employee who started on 1 January 2026 with ninety days of probation:
- Day one of probation is 1 January itself
- Days counted: 90
- Last day of probation: 31 March 2026
- First day after probation: 1 April 2026
- Statutory limit: 180 days, not extendable
Ending the contract on 31 March falls inside probation; on 1 April it falls outside, under different rules. Had the contract stated a longer period than the ceiling, the result would be worked out on the ceiling.
What if your contract exceeds the legal ceiling?
Your first day of work is day one of probation, not the day after. That is one day, but it is the difference between a termination falling inside probation and outside it, and between a notice period being owed and not.
Art. 9 sets a fixed ceiling of six months from the first day of work. There is no extension, written or otherwise: anything past that ceiling does not stand, and the tool works to the statutory limit rather than to the contract.
Once probation ends the rules for ending the contract change: notice becomes due, and end-of-service gratuity is calculated over the whole of your service including the probation period itself.
- First day of work = day one of probation
- Last day of probation = start date + days minus 1
- The statutory limit is six months, or 180 days, from the first day of work
- No extension is permitted, and anything past the ceiling does not stand
- Probation counts towards service when gratuity is calculated
Questions about probation
Why does ninety days end on 31 March and not 1 April?
Because the start date itself is day one of probation. Counting from the following day would make it ninety-one days. The last day of probation equals the start date plus the number of days minus one.
Can probation be extended?
No. Art. 9 sets a fixed ceiling of six months from the first day of work and does not allow it to be extended, by agreement or otherwise. Any clause past that ceiling does not stand, and the tool works to the statutory limit.
My contract states a longer probation than the ceiling. What happens?
The excess is void and has no effect. The tool caps the period at the statutory 180 days and works the date out on that, because a clause that conflicts with the law does not bind you. Have the wording reviewed if the gap is large.
Does probation count towards end-of-service gratuity?
Yes. Service runs from your first day of work including probation, so a full 180-day probation is 6 months of service that count and none of it is deducted. Use the end-of-service gratuity calculator for the amount.
What changes once probation ends?
The main change is notice: ending the contract after probation requires notice or payment in lieu, 30 to 90 days as your contract sets. Work out your notice and your last working day on the dedicated calculator.
Sources
Read against the statuteReviewed September 2026- Art. 9 of the UAE Labour Law: the probation period and its fixed six-month ceiling
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships
Statutory articles this calculator applies
- Art. 9 of the UAE Labour Law: probation period
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)