Do You Get Gratuity If You Resign in the UAE?

Yes. If you are a foreign full-time worker who has completed at least one year of continuous service, you are entitled to end of service gratuity when you resign, using the same formula as any other way your employment ends.

What the law says

Article 51 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets the gratuity for foreign full-time workers “upon the end of his service”. It does not distinguish between resignation, termination or the end of a fixed-term contract, and it does not scale the amount down for resignation. The formula is:

• 21 days of basic wage for each of the first five years
• 30 days of basic wage for each year after that
• parts of a year counted in proportion
• a cap of two years’ wage

See how UAE gratuity is calculated for worked examples.

What about being dismissed?

Article 39 lists dismissal as one of the disciplinary sanctions an employer may apply, and describes it as “dismissal from service while preserving the Worker’s right to end-of-service gratuity”. So even a dismissal for misconduct does not remove the right to gratuity under the law’s text.

Dismissal without notice is allowed only in the cases listed in Article 44, and the employer must follow the required procedure. If you believe a dismissal was handled wrongly, see the section on unpaid gratuity.

Resigning and your notice period

Resigning means giving written notice of 30 to 90 days as agreed in your contract (Article 43), and you stay employed and paid during it. Your service for gratuity counts until the notice period ends. If you do not serve the notice, you may owe a notice allowance equal to your wage for the unserved days, which your employer may deduct in line with the law. The notice period calculator shows the amount.

What your employer can deduct

Your employer may deduct from your gratuity only amounts due under the law or a court judgment (Article 51, clause 7). The Executive Regulations (Article 29) list them: unpaid loans or overpayments, pension and insurance contributions you owe, penalties under the approved penalty list, court debts, and damage you caused through your own mistake.

When it must be paid

Within 14 days of the end of the contract, along with your wages and other entitlements (Article 53).

Check your number

Use the gratuity calculator with your dates and basic salary. Keep a copy of the result to compare with your settlement.

Official text: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 · Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022

Checked against the official text on 1 October 2026. General information, not legal advice. If your case is unusual, ask MOHRE or a qualified adviser.