The UAE's current Domestic Workers Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, does not set a gratuity rate. Article 22 leaves the method to a Cabinet decision, and we have not found a published one. MOHRE was reported in November 2022 to apply 14 days' basic wage per year after one year of service, the same figure as the old law, Federal Law No. 10 of 2017, which the 2022 law repealed. Confirm the figure for your case with MOHRE (600 590 000).
⚡ Quick Facts
| ⚖️ Current law | Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 (in force 15 December 2022) |
| 💰 Gratuity rate | Not set. Art. 22: the Council of Ministers "may approve" the method |
| 📜 Old rule | 14 days' basic wage per year after 1 year (Federal Law 10/2017, repealed) |
| ⏱️ Final dues | Within 10 days of the contract ending (Art. 19) |
| 📞 MOHRE | 600 590 000 |
📜 What the 2022 law says
Article 22 of Federal Decree-Law 9/2022 reads, in the official English text: "Based on the Minister's proposal, the Council of Ministers may approve the systems and mechanisms for calculating and paying the end-of-service gratuity for Workers." The law gives no number of days. MOHRE was reported in November 2022 (Emarat Al Youm) to apply 14 days' basic wage per year once one year is served, paid when the contract ends.
So there is no legal formula today. The 14-days rule you see on many websites, and in many contracts, comes from the 2017 law that the 2022 law replaced. The private-sector rule of 21 days per year does not apply either, because the UAE Labour Law excludes domestic workers.
💼 What the worker is owed when the contract ends
- ✅ All unpaid wages up to the last working day
- ✅ Pay for any unused annual leave, at the last wage (Art. 10)
- ✅ The ticket home that the law and the contract provide (Art. 10)
- ✅ Any end-of-service gratuity written into the contract
- ⏱️ Everything is due within 10 days of the contract ending (Art. 19)
🧮 How to work out a gratuity today
- Read the contract. The MOHRE standard contract and the employer's own terms decide whether a gratuity is owed and how much.
- Check with MoHRE. Use MoHRE's online services or call 600 590 000 for the figure MoHRE applies.
- If the contract uses the 14-day rule, the sum is (monthly basic wage ÷ 30) × 14 × years of service. For AED 1,500 a month over 3 years, that is AED 2,100. Our gratuity calculator shows this as a reference figure.
🔄 If you disagree about what is owed
Ask for the payment in writing first. If that fails, file a complaint with MOHRE (600 590 000 or mohre.gov.ae). MOHRE first tries to settle it. For claims up to AED 50,000, or where a party ignored an earlier MOHRE settlement, MOHRE issues a decision itself; either side can challenge it at the Court of First Instance within 15 working days, and that court's ruling is final. Larger disputes that do not settle go to the Court of First Instance (Art. 23, as amended in 2023 and 2024).
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is end-of-service gratuity mandatory for UAE domestic workers?
The current law does not fix one. Article 22 of Federal Decree-Law 9/2022 lets the Cabinet set a method later, and it has not done so. A gratuity is owed if the contract provides one, so check the contract and MoHRE's guidance.
Where does "14 days per year" come from?
From Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 on domestic workers, which the 2022 law repealed. Many contracts and calculators still use it as a reference.
Does the 21-days private-sector rule apply?
No. The UAE Labour Law does not cover domestic workers; they fall under Federal Decree-Law 9/2022.
How fast must final dues be paid?
Within 10 days of the contract ending (Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Art. 19).
Source: Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 2023 and the July 2024 amendment, official text at uaelegislation.gov.ae (Arts. 10, 19, 22, 23). Checked 25 October 2026.
Related Guides
Work out the exact amount
Enter the monthly salary and length of service in our free uae gratuity calculator — the current law (Federal Decree-Law 9/2022, Article 22) sets no rate, so it shows the old 14-day rule from the repealed 2017 law as a reference figure, and compares UAE against the other five GCC countries.