How Many UAE Leave Days Can You Carry Over or Encash?
October 23, 2026
The statutory entitlement is 30 fully paid annual leave days after one year of service. Whether unused days carry over into the next year, and up to what limit, is typically set by the individual employment contract or company policy, within whatever bounds the law and the contract allow.
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Open the UAE Leave Encashment Calculator →What's Usually Contractual, Not Statutory
The exact carryover cap (for example, a policy allowing only 15 unused days to roll into the following year) is commonly a company-level HR policy choice rather than a single number fixed uniformly by law for every employer — this is a detail worth confirming in your specific contract or employee handbook rather than assuming a UAE-wide standard.
Why Encashment at Exit Is the More Reliable Number
Regardless of a specific employer's carryover policy during active employment, the leave balance actually accrued and unused at the time of exit is what gets encashed in the final settlement — making the exit-time balance the figure that matters most for a departing employee's final payout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a single UAE-wide limit on leave carryover?
The specific carryover cap is typically set by individual employer policy or contract, within the bounds of the law, rather than one fixed number applying uniformly to every employer.
Where should I check my carryover limit?
Your employment contract or employee handbook — this is commonly a company-specific policy detail.
Does carryover policy affect what gets encashed at exit?
The balance actually accrued and unused at exit is what's encashed, regardless of carryover rules that applied during active employment.
What's the base statutory annual leave entitlement?
30 fully paid days after one year of service, which carryover and encashment policies build on top of.