Knowing how to calculate annual leave matters more than most people in the UAE realise. Whether you are planning a trip home, saving days for the holidays, or simply checking that your employer is not short-changing you, the maths behind your leave balance is straightforward once you understand the rules. The UAE Labour Law sets out a clear formula, and it works the same way for nearly every private-sector employee in the country.
This guide walks you through that formula with worked examples: how leave accrues month by month, how it changes after your first year, how part-time contracts differ, and what happens to public holidays that fall inside your leave. By the end, you will be able to work out your own balance with a calculator and a pay slip.
Quick Answer
How to calculate annual leave in the UAE: if you have completed one year of service, you earn 30 days of annual leave per year, which works out to 2.5 days for every month worked. If you have worked between 6 and 12 months, you earn 2 days per month. Multiply the monthly rate by the number of months you have worked to get your balance. Public holidays and weekends do not count against your leave days.
How Annual Leave Accrues in the UAE
Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), every private-sector employee is entitled to paid annual leave once they complete six months of service. The accrual works on a two-tier system:
- 6 to 12 months of service: 2 days of leave for each month worked.
- After 1 full year of service: 30 days of leave per year, which equals 2.5 days for each month worked.
These are minimum entitlements. Your employment contract or company policy may offer more generous terms, so check what you signed before doing the maths. The detailed legal framework behind these figures is covered in our annual leave rules explained guide.
How to Calculate Annual Leave: The Standard Formula
The formula itself is simple:
Leave balance = monthly accrual rate × months worked
For a full-time employee who has completed more than a year:
2.5 days × number of months = leave balance
For a full-time employee in their first year (after probation):
2 days × number of months = leave balance
A few points that trip people up:
- Months are calendar months of service, not pay periods. If you joined on 10 March, your first “month” of service runs until 10 April.
- Leave is counted in calendar days, not working days, under the law. A two-week holiday from Monday uses 14 days of your balance, not 10, though some employers apply company-specific conventions — check your HR policy.
- Unpaid leave days do not count toward accrual, and neither do unauthorised absences.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Employee with 18 months of service
Ahmed joined his company in April 2025. By October 2026 he has completed 18 months. His calculation runs in two parts:
- First 12 months (of which he was entitled from month 6): the standard approach in most UAE companies is to credit the full annual entitlement once the first year is complete. So months 1–12 give him 30 days (2.5 × 12), and months 13–18 give 2.5 × 6 = 15 days.
- Total accrued: 45 days. If he took 20 days in his first year, his remaining balance is 25 days.
Example 2: New joiner with 8 months of service
Fatima joined in February 2026. By October 2026 she has completed 8 months. Because she has not yet reached 12 months, the first-year rate applies:
- 2 days × 8 months = 16 days accrued.
- If she has taken 5 days, her balance is 11 days.
Example 3: Long-serving employee mid-year
Ravi has worked at his company for 4 years. In October 2026, 10 months into his current leave year, his accrual is:
- 2.5 days × 10 months = 25 days for the year so far.
- Plus any carried-over balance from the previous year (see below).
Public Holidays and Weekends Do Not Count
This is the most commonly missed part of the calculation. If an official public holiday falls during your annual leave, those days are not deducted from your leave balance. Similarly, if you fall ill during your leave and report it properly, the sick days can be treated separately under your sick leave entitlement rather than eating into your holiday.
In practice, this means a holiday trip booked across a public holiday like Eid costs you fewer leave days than the calendar suggests. When planning time off, always line your request up against the published holiday calendar — it is free leave, effectively.
Carry-Over and Unused Days
Leave you do not use does not simply vanish on 31 December, but it does not pile up forever either. The law allows unused leave to be carried forward, and on termination of employment you are entitled to payment in lieu of leave days you have not taken, calculated on your basic wage. For the full picture — including how cash-in-lieu is calculated — read our guide on what happens to unused annual leave. This also connects to your end-of-service benefits, since leave pay and gratuity are settled together when you leave a job.
How Part-Time Contracts Differ
Part-time employees are entitled to annual leave in proportion to their working hours. The calculation is:
Leave days = full-time entitlement × (your weekly hours ÷ standard full-time weekly hours)
For example, if full-time staff work 40 hours a week and you work 20, you accrue half the standard entitlement: 15 days a year instead of 30, or 1.25 days per month. The same principle applies to job-share and flexible arrangements — the ratio is what matters, not the job title.
Checking Your Own Balance
Doing the maths is useful, but it should match what your HR system shows. If it does not, the first step is not an argument — it is a check. Compare your calculation against your payslip, the company’s HR portal, and your joining date. Our guide on how to check your leave balance shows where to look and what to do if the numbers disagree. Keeping your own spreadsheet of dates taken, alongside payslips, makes any dispute much easier to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many annual leave days do I get per month in the UAE?
After one year of service, you accrue 2.5 days per month (30 per year). During your first year — once you pass six months of service — you accrue 2 days per month. Most UAE employers quote the 2.5-day figure because it applies to the majority of staff.
Do weekends count against my annual leave balance?
Under the UAE Labour Law, annual leave is counted in calendar days, so weekends within your leave period are included in the count. However, official public holidays that fall during your leave are excluded and do not reduce your balance.
Can I calculate leave for a partial month?
Companies handle partial months differently — some credit a full month, others pro-rate by the day. For a pro-rata calculation, divide your monthly rate (2.5) by 30 to get the daily accrual (about 0.083 days per calendar day) and multiply by days worked. Ask your HR department which method your company uses.
Does probation affect my leave calculation?
You can only take leave after completing six months of service, but many companies count the probation period toward accrual. If your employer terminates you during probation, you may still be owed payment for accrued leave days under the law.
Is the calculation different in free zones?
Most UAE free zones follow the federal Labour Law, so the 2.5-day formula applies. Some zones, like the DIFC and ADGM, have their own employment regulations with slightly different leave structures — check your specific zone’s rules and your contract.
Can I split my annual leave into multiple trips?
Yes. There is no rule requiring you to take all 30 days at once, and most employees split their leave across the year — a long trip home plus a few short breaks. Each request is handled separately, so submit them one at a time and keep your running balance updated after each approval. Splitting also makes it easier to line individual trips up with public holidays.
What wage is used when leave is cashed out?
Payment in lieu of untaken leave is calculated on your basic wage, not your total salary including allowances. This is why knowing the difference between basic wage and gross salary matters — it is the figure used in both leave cash-out and gratuity calculations.
The Bottom Line
Calculating your annual leave in the UAE comes down to one simple formula: 2.5 days per month once you have completed a year, 2 days per month during your first year. Add up the months, subtract the days you have taken, and remember that public holidays inside your leave do not count. Run the numbers yourself before trusting your HR portal — and if the figures do not match, you now have the worked examples to make your case.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Paxi, covering driving, visas, banking, insurance and everyday UAE life. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Paxi is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.