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The Gulf Expat

Can my employer hold my final pay in the UAE?

No. Your employer must pay your wages and all your other dues within 14 days of the contract ending (Art. 53).

Checked 21 October 2026

That covers everything you are owed when the job ends. It includes your gratuity, unpaid wages, notice pay where it applies, and unused leave.

The 14 days run from the end of the contract. Put that date in your phone now, so you know the day your employer is late.

Was my final pay late?

Official page: MoHRE website.

What to do now

  1. Write down the date your contract ended and the date 14 days later. The second date is your employer's deadline.
  2. Work out what you are owed in the leaving plan, so you can check what arrives.
  3. If the deadline passes, contact MoHRE through its website or its app.
See an example plan
Example only: an expat whose employer ended the job, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026. Tap it to build your own.

What to ask HR

  1. On what date will my final settlement be paid?
  2. Can I have a written breakdown of my gratuity, wages, notice pay and leave?
  3. Are you deducting anything, and under which rule?
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Also happening to you?

What your employer may take off

Your employer can deduct from your gratuity only amounts owed under the law or under a court judgment (Art. 51(7)).

Unpaid ILOE fines are one deduction the law allows. They can be taken from your gratuity (Cabinet Resolution 97/2022, Art. 8).

Your employer may say it will pay only after something else, such as a handover. Ask MoHRE whether that is allowed. Keep any message that says so.

If the 14 days pass

Complain to MoHRE. It tries to settle the dispute with your employer first (Art. 54).

For claims up to AED 50,000, MoHRE can decide the dispute itself, and its decision can be enforced. Either side can challenge it in court within 15 working days.

Larger claims that do not settle are sent to court. You then have 14 days to register the case there.

If wages are withheld during a dispute, MoHRE can order them paid for up to 2 months.

Court fees are waived for claims up to AED 100,000 (Art. 55). You have 2 years from the end of your job to bring a claim.

Before you sign anything

Compare it with your own figures for gratuity, wages, notice and leave. If a line is missing or wrong, ask for it to be corrected first.

Keep a copy of what you sign, your contract and your last payslips. They are your evidence if you need to complain.