Notice Period Calculator UAE: Know Your Last Working Day

Calculate your exact last working day and notice buyout cost in seconds. This tool handles the 14-day probation rule, standard 30-day notices, and buyout math for UAE employees.

Last Working Day
Select a date to begin
Calculation Breakdown
Enter your details and click Calculate to see the full breakdown.
30
Days statutory minimum notice
14
Days notice during probation
90
Days legal maximum notice
÷ 30
Daily rate for buyout cost

About This Tool

Why Trust This Notice Period Calculator?

This calculator is built on the rules defined by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. It applies the correct logic for both standard employees and those on Probation Period.

Many online tools still use the old UAE labour law tiers (30, 60, or 90 days based on service length). Those tiers were abolished. Under the current law, the minimum is 30 days for everyone, up to a maximum of 90 days if your contract specifies it. This tool reflects the current, accurate law.

It also calculates your Notice Buyout cost down to the fils, based on your daily wage, so you know exactly what it costs to leave early.

Decree-Law No. 33 Compliant
Updated May 2026
Important Law Update
Old Law
Tiered Notice (30 / 60 / 90 Days) Notice length used to increase based on years of service. This is no longer valid.
New Law
Flat Minimum (30 Days) Under Decree 33, the minimum is 30 days for all employees regardless of service length, up to a 90-day contractual maximum.

Step-by-Step Guide

How the Notice Period is Calculated in the UAE

Calculating your notice period depends on your probation status and your contract. Here is the exact method this calculator uses to determine your last working day.

1

Check Your Probation Status

If you are within your first 6 months, you are on probation. The notice period is a fixed 14 days. If you are past probation, the minimum is 30 days.

2

Identify Contractual Notice Days

Check your employment contract. It will state the notice period. It must be at least 30 days, but can be up to 90 days. If it is silent, 30 days applies by default under MOHRE rules.

3

Calculate Your Last Working Day

Add the notice days to your resignation date. The UAE uses calendar days. If your final day falls on a weekend or public holiday, it typically rolls to the next working day.

4

Calculate the Buyout Cost

If you want to leave earlier, divide your monthly gross salary by 30 to get your daily rate. Multiply that by the days you want to buy out. This is your Payment in Lieu of Notice amount.

Calendar Days vs Working Days

Under UAE Labour Law, notice periods are counted in calendar days, not working days. This means weekends (Friday and Saturday in most UAE companies) and public holidays are included in the count. Your last working day is the final calendar day of the notice period, unless it falls on a weekend or official holiday, in which case it usually moves to the next working day.

Notice Period vs Notice Pay

A notice period is the time you must serve. Notice Pay is the money you earn during that time. If you work your full notice, you receive your standard Gross Salary. If you buy out part of the notice, you pay the daily wage for those unserved days to the employer, but you still earn full pay for the days you actually worked.

See the Formula in Action

Notice Period Calculation Examples

The examples below show how leaving early changes your final settlement. Both use a monthly gross salary of AED 15,000 and a 30-day notice period.

Standard Exit Serving Full 30 Days
Monthly Gross SalaryAED 15,000
Notice Period Served30 Days
Buyout CostAED 0
Pay During NoticeFull Gross Salary
Net Cost to EmployeeAED 0
Early Exit Buying Out 15 Days
Monthly Gross SalaryAED 15,000
Daily Rate (15,000 / 30)AED 500
Days to Buy Out15 Days
Buyout Amount (500 x 15)AED 7,500
Net Cost to EmployeeAED 7,500

You pay the buyout amount directly to the employer, or they deduct it from your final settlement via the WPS.

Understanding Your Rights

Statutory vs Contractual Notice Period

Statutory notice is the minimum legal period set by UAE Labour Law. It is 30 days. Contractual notice is what you and your employer agreed to in your employment contract.

Your contract can require more than 30 days, up to a maximum of 90 days. However, it can never require less than 30 days. If your contract says 14 days and you are not on probation, the 30-day statutory rule overrides it.

If you are on a Non-Compete Clause, your notice period might also include Garden Leave, where you are paid your full gross salary but restricted from starting a new job until the notice ends.

ScenarioOld LawNew Law (Decree 33)
Standard Notice30, 60, or 90 days based on serviceMinimum 30 days for everyone
Maximum Notice90 days90 days (cannot exceed)
Probation NoticeVague / Not definedStrict 14 days for both parties
Buyout RuleAllowedAllowed (Daily Wage x Days)

Notice Period for Limited vs Unlimited Contracts

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the distinction between limited-term and unlimited-term contracts no longer affects your notice period. Both contract types now follow the same rule: a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days. The old rule where unlimited contract holders had to serve 30, 60, or 90 days depending on their tenure has been removed.

The 14-Day Rule

Notice Period Rules During Probation

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the rules for resigning or being terminated during the probation period are strictly defined. The notice period is fixed at 14 calendar days.

👤

Employee Resigns

If you resign during probation, you must provide 14 days of written notice. If you leave without serving this, you may be liable to pay 14 days of salary to your employer as compensation.

🏢

Employer Terminates

The 14-day rule applies symmetrically. If your employer terminates you during probation without notice, they must pay you 14 days of salary in lieu of notice.

🇦🇪

Moving to Another UAE Employer

If you are hired by a new UAE employer during probation, you must still give 1 month notice to your current employer, and the new employer must compensate the current employer for recruitment costs.

⚠️

Gross Misconduct

If an employer terminates an employee for Gross Misconduct (Article 44), no notice period or payment in lieu is required. The dismissal is immediate.

Leaving Early

How to Calculate Your Notice Buyout

A notice buyout, formally known as Payment in Lieu of Notice, allows you to leave your job before the notice period ends. You pay your employer for the un-served days.

The formula is simple. Divide your monthly gross salary by 30 to get your daily rate. Multiply the daily rate by the number of days you are not serving.

If your daily rate is AED 500 and you buy out 20 days of a 30-day notice, you owe your employer AED 10,000. This amount is usually deducted from your final settlement.

Notice Buyout Formula
Step 1
Calculate Daily Rate Divide your monthly gross salary by 30.
Step 2
Multiply by Unserved Days Multiply the daily rate by the number of days you will not work.
Example
AED 15,000 Salary / 30 = AED 500 Daily Rate Buying out 15 days: AED 500 x 15 = AED 7,500 buyout cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Notice Period FAQs

Common questions about UAE notice periods, buyout rules, and probation — answered based on Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the minimum notice period in the UAE is 30 calendar days for all employees, regardless of their length of service. The maximum contractual notice period cannot exceed 90 days. If your contract specifies less than 30 days, the statutory minimum of 30 days overrides it.
You can leave without serving the full notice period by paying your employer for the unserved days. This is called a notice buyout or Payment in Lieu of Notice. The cost is calculated as: (Monthly Gross Salary ÷ 30) × Number of Unserved Days. Leaving without notice and without paying the buyout is a breach of contract and can result in a labour ban of up to one year.
The notice buyout is calculated by dividing your monthly gross salary by 30 to get the daily rate, then multiplying the daily rate by the number of days you are not serving. For example, if your salary is AED 15,000 and you buy out 15 days: AED 15,000 ÷ 30 = AED 500 daily rate. AED 500 × 15 days = AED 7,500 buyout cost.
Yes. Under UAE Labour Law, notice periods are counted in calendar days, which means weekends (Friday and Saturday for most companies) and public holidays are included. If your last day falls on a weekend or official holiday, it typically rolls forward to the next working day.
During the probation period (up to 6 months from the joining date), both the employee and employer must give 14 calendar days of written notice. This is a strict rule under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. If you leave without serving the 14-day notice during probation, you may owe your employer 14 days of salary as compensation.
Yes. An employer can choose to waive the notice period entirely, meaning you can leave immediately without any buyout cost. This is at the employer’s discretion and should be confirmed in writing. When waived, the employer still must pay your full salary up to your last working day.
No. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the distinction between limited-term and unlimited-term contracts no longer affects the notice period. Both contract types follow the same rule: a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days, as stated in the employment contract.
If you resign during probation to join a new UAE employer, you must give 1 month (30 days) of written notice to your current employer — not 14 days. Additionally, the new employer must compensate the current employer for recruitment costs, unless both employers agree otherwise. This is a specific rule under Article 9 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33.
If your employer terminates you without providing the required notice period (and it is not a gross misconduct dismissal under Article 44), they must pay you salary in lieu of notice. This is equal to your daily rate multiplied by the number of notice days that should have been served. You can file a complaint with MOHRE if this payment is not made.
No. Under UAE Labour Law, the notice period cannot exceed 90 days even if the employment contract states a longer period. Any contractual clause requiring more than 90 days of notice is unenforceable under the law. Both parties can mutually agree to extend the serving period, but it cannot be a unilateral contractual requirement.