UAE workers’ and residents’ rights: every guide in one place

Every one of our guides to workers’ and residents’ rights in the UAE, in one place. Each is written from the UAE government portal or the responsible authority, and names its source and the date it was checked.

Pay, hours and leave

• Working hours and overtime in the UAE: the legal limits
  Normal hours are capped at 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime is limited to 2 hours a day and paid at least 25% extra, or 50% between 10pm and 4am. Weekend and public-holiday work earns a day off or 50% extra.
• Salary not paid on time in the UAE? The rules and what to do
  Private-sector salaries are due on the 1st of each month through the Wage Protection System. From the 5th day late the employer is blocked from new work permits, and from the 16th a labour dispute is opened automatically.
• How many days of annual leave do you get in the UAE?
  At least 30 days of paid leave for each year of service, and two days a month if you have worked more than six months but less than a year. Unused days are paid when you leave.
• How much sick leave do you get in the UAE?
  Up to 90 days a year after probation: 15 days on full pay, 30 on half pay, the rest unpaid. There is no paid sick leave during probation, and you must tell your employer within three working days.
• Maternity and parental leave in the UAE: how many days?
  60 days of maternity leave: 45 on full pay and 15 on half pay, plus 5 working days of parental leave for either parent. Nursing breaks of up to an hour a day for six months.
• UAE summer midday break: no outdoor work from 12:30 to 3pm
  From 15 June to 15 September each year, work directly under the sun and in open places is not allowed between 12:30pm and 3pm, under Ministerial Resolution No. 44 of 2022.

Starting a job and your contract

• UAE work permits: the 13 types, validity and cost
  Working in the UAE private sector needs a Ministry work permit. There are 13 types, most valid for two years; issuing or renewing one costs AED 250 to 3,450 depending on the company’s A, B or C rating.
• UAE employment contracts: fixed term, work models and non-compete
  Private-sector contracts are fixed-term and can be renewed; renewals count towards gratuity. The law recognises six work models, and a non-compete clause can last at most two years after the contract ends.
• Probation period in the UAE: how long, and how to leave
  Probation can last up to six months and happen only once per employer. Your employer needs 14 days’ written notice to end it; you need a month to move to another UAE job, or 14 days to leave the country.
• Notice period in the UAE: 30 to 90 days, and what you are owed
  The notice period is set in your contract, between 30 and 90 days, and must be the same for both sides unless it favours the worker. You are paid in full throughout, and whoever skips it pays the other side.

When a job ends

• Dismissal without notice and arbitrary dismissal in the UAE
  An employer may dismiss without notice only in the ten cases of Article 44, after a written investigation. A dismissal for a valid complaint or lawsuit is arbitrary, and the court can award up to three months’ wages.
• Leaving a UAE job without notice and keeping your gratuity
  Article 45 lets a worker leave without notice and keep end-of-service entitlements in four cases, such as an employer who does not fix a breach 14 working days after the Ministry is told.
• UAE job loss insurance (ILOE): cost, payout and who qualifies
  Employees pay AED 5 or 10 a month. If they lose their job for a reason other than resignation, they get 60% of their salary for up to 3 months, capped at AED 10,000 or 20,000 a month. Not subscribing costs AED 400.
• How to file a labour complaint in the UAE, step by step
  Complain to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation first. If there is no settlement within 14 days it goes to court, and you then have 14 days to register the case.

Safety, injury and housing

• Health and safety at work in the UAE: what employers and workers must do
  UAE employers must protect workers from occupational risks, train them and report any injury or death at work to MoHRE within 48 hours. Workers must use the protective equipment provided.
• Work injury in the UAE: medical care, pay and compensation
  The employer pays all treatment. You get full pay for up to six months and half pay for six more. Permanent total disability or death is compensated at 24 months of basic salary, between AED 18,000 and 200,000.
• Labour accommodation in the UAE: who must provide it and the standards
  UAE establishments with 50 or more workers earning AED 1,500 a month or less must house them. Rooms allow at least 3 m² per person and no more than 8 to 10 people, with no triple bunks.
• Domestic workers in the UAE: rights, employer duties and complaints
  A domestic worker in the UAE is entitled to wages within 10 days of the due date, a paid day off a week, 12 hours’ rest a day, 30 days’ annual leave, a ticket home every two years and to keep their own passport.

Residency, visas and documents

• UAE Golden Visa: who qualifies, and for how long
  A renewable 5- or 10-year residence visa with no sponsor, for investors, entrepreneurs, exceptional talent, outstanding students and humanitarian pioneers. The categories and main requirements from the official portal.
• UAE family visa: who you can sponsor, and the salary you need
  An expatriate resident earning at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, can sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs.
• UAE retirement visa: 5 years at 55, and the money you need
  A 5-year visa for retirees aged 55 or over with 15 years of work: either AED 1 million in property plus AED 1 million in savings, or an income of AED 180,000 a year (AED 240,000 to apply in Dubai).
• UAE remote work visa: live in the UAE, work for a company abroad
  The virtual work visa lets you live in the UAE while working for a company outside it. You need health insurance, a medical test, proof of the job and a salary of at least USD 3,500 a month.
• UAE student visa: sponsorship by a parent or by the university
  Students can stay on a resident parent’s sponsorship or the university’s. Sons can be sponsored up to 25, and beyond with proof of higher education; daughters until they marry.
• Emirates ID: renewal, late fine, lost card and your rights
  Renew up to six months before expiry. Renewing more than a month after expiry costs AED 20 a day, up to AED 1,000. Report a lost card within 7 days, and no employer may keep your card.
• UAE overstay fine: AED 50 a day, grace periods and how to pay
  Overstaying a UAE visit, tourist or residence visa costs AED 50 a day under ICP’s current fees. Residents get grace periods of up to 6 months after cancellation or expiry, depending on their category.
• Exchange a foreign driving licence in Dubai: eligible countries, fees and steps
  Holders of a valid licence from one of 60 eligible countries and territories can exchange it for a Dubai licence without lessons or a road test. RTA fees total AED 1,050 including the eye test.

Calculators built on these rules

• End-of-service gratuity calculator
• Final settlement calculator
• Job loss insurance checker
• Dubai rent increase calculator
• UAE public holidays

Each guide lists its own official sources and review date. General information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy.