Leave Salary Calculator UAE
Updated for 2026 — Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021
This leave salary calculator UAE tool works out exactly how much you are owed for unused annual leave, whether you are estimating an annual leave payout at the end of a contract or just checking how much unused leave salary has built up so far. Enter your basic salary and days of unused leave below to see the daily rate and total leave salary payable, calculated under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 — the same law that governs gratuity in the UAE.
Try the UAE Leave Salary Calculator Online
The UAE leave salary calculator online below applies Article 29 automatically, so the full breakdown is already calculated and visible — even before you change a single input. Adjust the basic salary, unused leave days and context to match your own situation.
Leave salary payable
| Daily leave rate | basic salary ÷ 30 | AED 300.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Basis used | Art. 29 pays leave salary on basic salary at termination; full salary is informational only during employment | Basic salary only |
| Leave salary payable | daily rate × unused leave days | AED 3,000.00 |
Legal basis
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 29
Accrued leave days by service length
Under 6 months: 0 days · 6–12 months: 2 days/month · 1+ year: 30 days/year, prorated.
Accrued leave days
How the leave salary calculator works
The calculation has two steps. First, a daily leave rate is derived by dividing the relevant monthly salary by 30. Second, that daily rate is multiplied by the number of unused leave days to give the total leave salary payable.
The salary used for the daily rate depends on the context. If you are calculating the payout owed on termination of the employment relationship, Article 29 uses basic salary only — the same base used for gratuity, excluding housing, transport and other allowances. If you are estimating leave paid during active employment, the calculator uses the full salary (basic plus allowances) as an informational reference, since leave actually taken while working is ordinary salary continuing through the time off, not a termination settlement. Cashing out leave days in lieu of time off is generally only available when the contract ends.
Worked example: AED 10,000 basic salary
Take an employee on an AED 10,000 basic salary whose contract ends with 15 unused annual leave days still owed.
- Daily leave rate = AED 10,000.00 ÷ 30 = AED 333.33
- Basis used = basic salary only, because the payout is calculated on termination (Article 29)
- Leave salary payable = AED 333.33 × 15 days = AED 5,000.00
Legal reference: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 29.
Annual leave days accrued by length of service
Annual leave accrues at different rates depending on how long an employee has been in continuous service. Below 6 months, no leave is accrued; between 6 and 12 months, 2 days accrue per month worked; from 1 year onward, the entitlement is 30 calendar days per year, prorated for partial years.
| Months of service | Leave days accrued |
|---|---|
| 3 months | 0 days |
| 6 months | 12 days |
| 9 months | 18 days |
| 12 months | 30 days |
| 18 months | 45 days |
| 24 months | 60 days |
| 36 months | 90 days |
| 60 months | 150 days |
Leave salary payout by basic salary — common cases
The table below assumes 30 unused leave days — a full year's unused entitlement — paid out on termination, so the basis used is basic salary only. Because 30 days equals a full 30-day month, the leave salary payable in this scenario equals exactly one month of basic salary.
| Basic salary | Daily rate | Leave salary (30 days unused) |
|---|---|---|
| AED 5,000 | AED 166.67 | AED 5,000.00 |
| AED 10,000 | AED 333.33 | AED 10,000.00 |
| AED 15,000 | AED 500.00 | AED 15,000.00 |
| AED 20,000 | AED 666.67 | AED 20,000.00 |
| AED 30,000 | AED 1,000.00 | AED 30,000.00 |
Leave salary vs. gratuity: what's the difference?
Leave salary and gratuity calculator UAE results are often confused because both are calculated on basic salary and paid out as part of the same final settlement. They differ on service requirement, cap and how the entitlement builds up.
| Leave salary | Gratuity | |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation base | Basic salary (on termination) | Basic salary |
| Minimum service | 6 months (partial accrual); 1 year for full 30 days/year | 1 year continuous service |
| Cap | None — daily rate × unused days accrued | 24 months of basic salary |
| Legal basis | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 29 | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Art. 51 |
| Payment deadline | Within 14 days of end of employment (Art. 53) | Within 14 days of end of employment (Art. 53) |
What happens to unused leave when a contract ends?
Any annual leave days an employee has accrued but not taken by their last working day do not disappear. Article 29 requires the employer to pay them out in cash, calculated on the basic salary, as part of the final settlement alongside gratuity, notice pay and any outstanding wages. This payout is due within 14 days of the end of the employment relationship, per Article 53.
If the employee has taken more leave than accrued — for example, resigning shortly after a full block of annual leave — the excess is typically deducted from the final settlement instead, though the exact treatment can depend on the employment contract.
Basic salary or full salary — which one applies?
This distinction trips up a lot of employees, because "leave salary" is used loosely to describe two different payments. When leave is actually taken during active employment, the employee simply continues to receive their normal monthly pay — basic salary plus housing, transport and any other allowances — since they remain employed throughout. There is nothing to "calculate" in that case beyond normal payroll.
The calculation this page focuses on applies specifically when leave has not been taken and the employment relationship is ending. In that scenario, Article 29 sets the payout at the basic salary rate only — allowances are excluded, mirroring the gratuity calculation. That is why the calculator defaults to the "on termination" context and why the worked example above uses basic salary alone.
Legal basis
Annual leave and leave salary in the UAE private sector are governed by Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law), with final-settlement payment timing set by Article 53. Read more legal detail in our 2026 UAE gratuity law update or the step-by-step gratuity guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many annual leave days am I entitled to in the UAE?
After completing 1 year of continuous service, employees are entitled to 30 calendar days of annual leave per year, prorated for partial years worked. Employees with 6-12 months of service accrue 2 days of leave per month worked. Under 6 months, no leave entitlement accrues, per Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
Is leave salary calculated on basic salary or full salary?
Leave salary paid out for unused annual leave at the end of employment is calculated on the basic salary only, the same base used for gratuity. Leave actually taken while the contract is active is normally paid at the full wage (basic plus allowances), since it is ordinary salary continuing during time off rather than a termination payout.
Can unused annual leave be carried over or paid out?
Employers and employees can agree to carry unused leave over to the following year. Cashing out leave in lieu of time off is generally only permitted when the employment relationship ends — at that point, any unused leave days accrued must be paid in cash based on the basic salary.
What happens to unused leave days when my contract ends?
Any annual leave days accrued but not taken by the last working day must be paid out as leave salary within 14 days of the end of employment, alongside gratuity and any other dues, per Article 53. The payout equals the daily basic-salary rate multiplied by the number of unused days.
Do I accrue annual leave before completing one year of service?
Yes. Between 6 and 12 months of continuous service, an employee accrues 2 days of annual leave for every month worked. Below 6 months, no annual leave is accrued under Article 29. Once a full year is reached, accrual switches to 30 days per year, prorated for any partial year.
Is there a cap on how much leave salary can be paid out?
No. Unlike gratuity, which is capped at 24 months of basic salary, Article 29 sets no ceiling on the leave-salary payout — it is simply the daily basic-salary rate multiplied by every unused leave day actually accrued, however many days that is.
How is the daily leave rate calculated?
The daily rate is the relevant monthly salary divided by 30 — basic salary only for a termination payout, or basic salary plus allowances for leave taken during active employment. That daily rate is then multiplied by the number of leave days to get the total leave salary.
What is the difference between leave salary and gratuity?
Both are calculated on basic salary and paid within 14 days of the end of employment, but leave salary has no minimum service requirement beyond the 6-month accrual threshold and no cap, while gratuity requires at least 1 year of continuous service and is capped at 24 months of basic salary.
Can my employer refuse to pay unused leave salary?
No. Leave salary for accrued, unused annual leave is a statutory entitlement under Article 29 and must be settled together with other end-of-service dues within 14 days of the contract ending. An employee who is not paid can file a complaint with MOHRE.
Does unpaid leave affect my annual leave accrual?
Unpaid leave is not continuous paid service, so periods spent on unpaid leave do not generate further annual leave accrual for that time. Only actively worked months count toward the 2-days-per-month (6-12 months) or 30-days-per-year (1+ year) accrual set out in Article 29.