Correction, 7 October 2026: This guide has been revised to remove unsupported salary-band calculations, automatic old/new-law splits and assumptions that DIFC and ADGM share the same benefits system.
Prepare your documents before your employment ends so you can check the settlement and follow up even if you leave the UAE.
Before the contract ends
Confirm notice and the contract end date; collect the contract, salary amendments, payslips, leave records and written settlement proposal. Ask HR for the wage basis and recognised service. Keep your own copies somewhere you can still access after the employer closes your account.
At settlement
Compare the itemised amounts, verify which payments actually reached your account and distinguish an acknowledgement of calculation from a receipt for money. Do not sign a statement confirming funds you have not received or facts you disagree with; ask the relevant authority about the correct process.
Visa and departure are separate checks
Follow MoHRE or the relevant free-zone authority’s current work-permit process and ICP or GDRFA residence requirements. Do not assume visa cancellation can only occur after every dispute is resolved. Keep complaint references, employer details and an accessible contact method, and obtain advice promptly if deadlines or enforcement are unclear.
The standard federal calculation
For a foreign full-time employee under federal private-sector law, Article 51 uses the last basic wage: 21 days for each of the first five qualifying years, then 30 days for each additional year. After one year of continuous service, fractions of a year are counted proportionately. Unpaid absence is excluded from the gratuity service calculation. Housing and transport allowances are not part of the basic-wage calculation. The statutory ceiling is two years’ wage; keep the distinction between basic wage and total contractual wage clear.
Check which rules apply before using a calculator
DIFC’s DEWS or another qualifying scheme, ADGM employment regulations and the federal alternative Savings Scheme have distinct rules. Part-time work needs its contractual hours ratio; domestic, government and pension-covered employment are outside this standard calculation. Use the free-zone comparison to identify your arrangement.
Compare an itemised breakdown
Use the Final Settlement Checker for a standard federal monthly-paid case. Ask HR for the wage basis, qualifying service, unused leave, notice position, earned pay and each proposed deduction. A calculator estimate is a starting point for questions, not a decision on your legal entitlement.
Reviewed 7 October 2026. General information, not personalised legal advice. If the contract, service continuity, salary change or deduction is disputed, confirm the facts with the relevant authority or a qualified employment adviser.