When a job ends, the final settlement (“full and final”) adds every amount due to you, then takes off what you owe. The rules below are from Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and apply in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and every other emirate.
The deadline: 14 days
Your employer must pay your wages and all your other entitlements under the law, your contract and the company rules within 14 days of the date the contract ends (Article 53). The article says 14 days, not working days. If your contract ends on 30 November, the settlement is due by 14 December.
Your work permit is cancelled only after your employer confirms to MOHRE that it has paid you all your dues (Executive Regulations, Article 7(3)(d)).
What is added
1. End of service gratuity (Article 51). For foreign full-time workers with one full year of continuous service: 21 days of basic salary for each of the first five years, 30 days for each year after. Parts of a year count in proportion. The cap is two years’ wage. Unpaid absence does not count as service. Article 51 has no reduction for resigning and no exception for dismissal without notice under Article 44. UAE nationals get end-of-service benefits under the pension law instead (Article 51(1)). See how UAE gratuity is calculated.
2. Unused annual leave (Article 29). Leave you earned and did not take, paid at your basic salary (Executive Regulations, Article 19). See the annual leave guide.
3. Unpaid salary. Days you worked but were not paid for, usually in your last month. The law defines “wage” as basic plus cash allowances (Article 1), so this uses your total wage. Daily rate = monthly wage ÷ 30 is the usual convention; the law does not state it.
4. Notice allowance, if your employer cut the notice short (Article 43). Notice is 30 to 90 days as set in your contract, or 14 days to one month in probation (Article 9). If your employer does not let you serve the full notice, it pays your total wage for the days not served.
5. Overtime and other dues. Unpaid overtime (Article 19) and anything your contract or the company rules promise, such as a bonus or commission.
6. Your trip home. Your employer pays your return to where you were recruited from, or another agreed place, unless you have joined another employer or the reason the contract ended is due to you (Article 13(12)).
What is taken off
Notice you did not serve. If you resign and leave before your notice ends, you owe the employer your wage for the days not served (Article 43, clause 3). The Executive Regulations do not list this among amounts that may be deducted from gratuity, so the employer may need to claim it rather than deduct it.
Lawful deductions. Only what the law allows: loans you agreed to (without interest), amounts paid to you by mistake, approved pension and insurance contributions, approved fines, court debts and damage you caused (Article 25). From the gratuity it may deduct amounts due by law or a court judgment, listed in Executive Regulations Article 29. Ask for a written breakdown of any deduction.
Two examples
| Line | Resigned after 3 years, 20 notice days short | Employer ended after 8 years, no notice given |
|---|---|---|
| Salary (basic + allowances) | 6,000 + 3,000 | 10,000 + 5,000 |
| Gratuity | 3 × 21 days × 200 = 12,600 | (5 × 21 + 3 × 30) = 195 days × 10,000 ÷ 30 = 65,000 |
| Unused leave | 10 days × 200 = 2,000 | 12 days × 10,000 ÷ 30 = 4,000 |
| Unpaid salary | 15 days × 300 = 4,500 | 10 days × 500 = 5,000 |
| Notice | −20 days × 300 = −6,000 | +30 days × 500 = 15,000 |
| Overtime and bonus | 0 | 1,250 + 2,000 = 3,250 |
| Loan repayment | 0 | −3,000 |
| Total (AED) | 13,100 | 89,250 |
Daily rates are the monthly salary ÷ 30.
Which salary for which line
| Line | Salary used | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Gratuity | Basic | 51 |
| Unused leave | Basic | 29, Exec. Regs 19 |
| Unpaid salary | Basic plus allowances | 1 |
| Notice allowance | Basic plus allowances (last wage received) | 43 |
When no notice allowance applies
- The contract ended by written agreement or the fixed term expired (Article 42).
- You were dismissed without notice for one of the reasons in Article 44, such as false documents or more than seven days’ unexplained absence in a row.
- You left without notice under Article 45, for example because the employer did not meet its obligations after MOHRE was told. You keep your rights on termination, but the article does not say whether a notice allowance is also due.
If it is late or wrong
Apply to MOHRE. It examines the dispute and works towards a settlement, and if that fails, refers it to court (Article 54). A claim cannot be heard more than two years after your job ends (Article 54(9)). The steps are in what to do when gratuity is not paid.
Calculate yours
The UAE final settlement calculator adds every line for your dates and salary.
Official text: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 · Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 · DIFC Employment Law · ADGM FAQs on the Employment Regulations 2024
Your contract may give more than the legal minimum.
Checked against the official text on 4 October 2026. Articles 13, 29, 51, 53 (also in the Arabic text) and 54 and Executive Regulations Article 7 re-read on 7 November 2026.
Common questions
Is final settlement the same in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Yes for the private sector: one federal law covers every emirate (Article 3). DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi have their own employment laws. DIFC gives 14 days to pay and can add a penalty of a day's wage for each day late (DIFC Employment Law, Article 19); ADGM gives 21 calendar days (ADGM Employment Affairs Office FAQs).
What do I get if I leave before one year?
No gratuity, because it needs one year of continuous service (Article 51). You still get your unpaid salary, unused leave you have earned (2 days a month once you have worked more than six months, Article 29(1)(b)), and notice pay where it applies.
Is unused leave part of the gratuity?
No. It is a separate line: the days you earned and did not take, paid at your basic salary (Executive Regulations, Article 19).
Should I sign the papers before I am paid?
To cancel your work permit, your employer must confirm to MOHRE that it has paid you all your dues (Executive Regulations, Article 7(3)(d)). Check the breakdown against your own figures before you sign anything that says you have been paid.
Work out your own figure
Enter your own numbers to see the result and the working.
Open the calculatorarrow_forwardThis guide is general information, not legal advice. Check your own entitlement with MOHRE or a qualified adviser. See our Disclaimer.
