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The Gulf Expat

Do I get gratuity if I resign in the UAE?

Yes. Once you have completed 1 year of continuous service, resigning does not reduce your gratuity at all (Art. 51).

Checked 21 October 2026

The law gives the same gratuity whether you resign or your employer ends the job. What matters is your basic pay and your years of service.

Is it worth waiting to resign?

What to do now

  1. Check your start date. Close to your first anniversary? Your last working day, after your notice, must complete a full year. Check the date.
  2. Put your notice in writing and keep a signed copy.
  3. Build your leaving plan to see your final pay date.
See an example plan
Example only: an expat who resigned, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026. Tap it to build your own.

What to ask HR

  1. What notice period does my contract set?
  2. What basic pay will my gratuity be based on?
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How much you get

  • 21 days' basic pay for each of your first 5 years.
  • 30 days' basic pay for each year after that.
  • Part years count in proportion.
  • The total is capped at 2 years' wage (Art. 51(6)).

It is worked out on basic pay, not allowances. Our figures take a day's pay as your monthly basic divided by 30.

Say your basic pay is AED 10,000 and you resign after 6 years. Your first 5 years give 105 days. Year 6 gives 30 days.

That is 135 days at about AED 333 a day, or AED 45,000 in total.

If you have under 1 year

If you resign before you complete 1 year, no gratuity is due. Probation counts towards that year (Art. 9).

Your notice

Give your notice in writing. Your contract sets the length, between 30 and 90 days (Art. 43).

If you leave without working your notice, you owe your employer the wage for the days you skip.

Resigning during probation has its own rules. Moving to another UAE employer needs at least 1 month's written notice. Leaving the UAE needs at least 14 days.

When it is paid

Your employer must pay your gratuity with your other dues within 14 days of the contract ending (Art. 53).

ILOE does not pay after a resignation, so plan for the gap before your next salary (Cabinet Resolution 97/2022, Art. 9).

Things that do not change it

  • Why you left: resigning gives the same figure as your employer ending the job.
  • Your allowances: housing and transport are not in the gratuity, though they raise the cap.
  • Probation: it counts towards your years of service.

Unpaid ILOE fines are one deduction to watch for. They can be taken from your gratuity.

Keep your payslips and contract. They show the basic pay your gratuity should use.