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Under the UAE's Federal Decree-Law on Domestic Workers, the employer of a live-in maid, nanny or driver carries specific duties beyond paying wages. As a general rule, the employer must provide suitable accommodation, food and access to medical care unless the contract expressly provides otherwise, must pay the agreed wage on time, and must treat the worker with dignity and not subject them to forced labour. The employer also cannot confiscate the worker's passport or personal documents. Recruitment must be arranged through a licensed Tadbeer centre, and the relationship must be governed by the unified MOHRE-registered contract that records exactly what the household provides. The precise scope of each obligation — and any items that can be varied by agreement — is set by the decree and its executive regulations, so confirm the current detail with MOHRE rather than relying on custom or verbal understandings. Putting everything in the registered contract protects both sides. For tailored advice on drafting or reviewing these terms, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI.

End-of-service in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is handled differently from mainland UAE. The DIFC Employment Law introduced a funded savings approach: instead of a lump sum calculated only at the end, employers make ongoing monthly contributions into a qualifying scheme — most commonly the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings (DEWS) plan or another certified alternative — for eligible employees. This means an employee's end-of-service entitlement accrues over time into a managed account rather than being paid solely on departure. Eligibility, the contribution basis and how earlier service is treated are defined by the DIFC Employment Law and the scheme rules, and these can be updated, so confirm the current details with your employer and the DEWS administrator rather than assuming a fixed rate. When you leave, you generally claim your accumulated savings through the scheme, alongside any other final dues. Because the DIFC framework is distinct from federal gratuity rules, review your specific position with a verified UAE legal professional on LEXAI familiar with DIFC employment matters.

Employees in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) take their leave entitlements from the DIFC Employment Law, which is separate from the mainland federal labour law. The DIFC law provides for paid annual (vacation) leave that accrues with service, paid sick leave subject to defined conditions, public holidays, and family-related leave such as maternity and other parental entitlements, each with its own qualifying rules. The precise number of annual-leave days, the amount and pay structure of sick-leave entitlement, and the conditions attached are all fixed in the DIFC Employment Law and can be amended, so confirm the current figures directly against the law and your contract rather than assuming they match onshore rules. Your contract may grant more generous terms than the statutory minimum, but not less. Because the DIFC operates its own regime, reading the DIFC Employment Law itself is the reliable source. For a review of your specific leave entitlements, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI who handle DIFC employment matters.

End-of-service benefits for employees in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) are governed by the ADGM Employment Regulations, which operate independently of the UAE's onshore federal gratuity rules. In general terms, an eligible employee who completes qualifying service is entitled to an end-of-service gratuity calculated by reference to their length of service and a defined measure of pay, with the precise method, eligibility period and any treatment of partial years set out in the Regulations. ADGM has also moved toward funded end-of-service arrangements for certain employees, so how your benefit accrues and is paid may depend on the current framework in force. Because the calculation basis, qualifying thresholds and any funded-scheme requirements are fixed in the ADGM Employment Regulations and have been updated over time, confirm the current rules against the Regulations and your contract rather than relying on a fixed formula. For an accurate calculation of what you are owed on leaving an ADGM employer, a verified UAE legal professional on LEXAI experienced in ADGM employment can review your service record and contract.

Unlimited contracts have been phased out in the UAE. Since the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) took effect, all private-sector employment is on fixed-term (limited) contracts, and existing unlimited contracts had to be converted, so the old unlimited-versus-limited distinction no longer changes how gratuity is calculated. Today, regardless of your original contract type, gratuity is based on your basic wage: 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years of continuous service and 30 days' basic wage for each year beyond five, provided you have completed at least one year. The total is capped at two years' wages. Crucially, the reduced-gratuity penalty that used to apply when an employee resigned from an unlimited contract before five years has been abolished — resignation and termination now produce the same gratuity. Use your basic salary, not your full package, in the calculation. MOHRE offers an official online calculator. If you are unsure how your converted contract affects continuity of service, you can compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI.

Since the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) made all private-sector contracts fixed-term, the gratuity calculation is the same for everyone and does not depend on contract type. Administered by MOHRE, the rule requires at least one continuous year of service to qualify. The benefit is 21 days' basic wage for each of the first five years of service and 30 days' basic wage for each subsequent year, calculated on your basic salary only — allowances are excluded. The total cannot exceed two years' wages, and unpaid leave days do not count toward your service period. Under the previous law, fixed-term (limited) and unlimited contracts were treated differently on early exit, but that split has been removed; whether you resign or are terminated, you now receive the full gratuity once you pass one year. Non-renewal of a fixed-term contract at its natural end does not reduce gratuity either. MOHRE provides an official calculator that applies these rules. For a complex situation, you can compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI.

No. Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), administered by MOHRE, you must complete at least one full year of continuous service to be entitled to end-of-service gratuity. If you leave — by resignation or termination — before reaching one year, no gratuity is payable for that incomplete period. Once you pass the one-year mark, gratuity begins to accrue and partial years beyond the first full year are pro-rated. It is worth distinguishing gratuity from your other final-settlement entitlements: even if you have not earned gratuity, you should still be paid any outstanding basic wage, accrued-but-untaken annual leave, and other dues owed up to your last working day. Time spent on probation generally counts toward your continuous service once you are confirmed, so the clock does not necessarily restart after probation. If your employer withholds dues you are owed, you can file a complaint with MOHRE. For a borderline case near the one-year mark, you can compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI to confirm what you are owed.

In the UAE, once you have completed your first full qualifying year, additional partial years are pro-rated. Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), enforced by MOHRE, gratuity accrues at 21 days' basic wage per year for the first five years and 30 days per year afterward. For a fraction of a year, you take the relevant daily entitlement and apply it proportionally to the months and days worked. For example, for service in the first-five-years band, you can calculate the full-year amount (21 days' basic wage) and then take the portion corresponding to the extra months — so half a year would attract roughly half of that year's entitlement. The exact day count is based on your actual completed service, and unpaid leave days are excluded from that total. Because the precise pro-rating depends on your exact start and end dates and basic wage, MOHRE's official online calculator is the most reliable way to get the figure. If your employer rounds down unfairly or ignores partial-year service, you can challenge it with MOHRE or compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI.

A final settlement in the UAE is broader than gratuity alone. Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), administered by MOHRE, your end-of-service settlement should typically include: any unpaid basic salary and allowances up to your last working day; payment for accrued but untaken annual leave; your end-of-service gratuity (if you completed at least one year); any payment in lieu of notice where applicable; and reimbursement of any amounts the employer owes you under the contract. Gratuity itself is calculated on basic wage at 21 days per year for the first five years and 30 days per year thereafter, capped at two years' wages. Lawful deductions — such as amounts you genuinely owe the employer — may be applied, but arbitrary deductions are not allowed. Your employer should settle these dues promptly after your employment ends; if payment is delayed or incomplete, you can file a complaint with MOHRE. To make sure nothing is missed in a complex package, you can compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI for a review of your settlement.

Yes. Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), administered by MOHRE, total end-of-service gratuity is capped at two years' wages. No matter how many years you have served, the gratuity payable cannot exceed the equivalent of two years of pay. In practice this cap only affects employees with very long tenure relative to their basic wage, because the standard accrual — 21 days' basic wage per year for the first five years and 30 days per year thereafter — takes a long time to reach the ceiling. The calculation still uses basic salary only, with allowances excluded and unpaid leave days not counted. There is no separate dirham ceiling set in the law beyond this two-years'-wages limit, so the cap scales with your own salary. MOHRE's official calculator applies the limit automatically. If you believe your gratuity has been wrongly capped, reduced, or calculated on the wrong wage figure, you can file a complaint with MOHRE or compare verified UAE employment lawyers on LEXAI to review the numbers.