Your probation
Note: Educational estimate for planning. Confirm final amounts on official channels.
What the six-month limit actually means
UAE law caps probation at six months from your start date. A contract that sets eight or twelve months is not enforceable beyond six — the excess simply has no effect. Shorter is allowed, and so is no probation at all.
An employer also cannot put you on probation twice. If you finish probation and stay, you cannot be placed back on it later for the same job with the same employer.
The practical significance is that the day your probation ends, the rules change underneath you: ordinary notice periods apply, termination needs proper grounds, and the protections around arbitrary dismissal come into play.
Notice during probation: who is leaving changes everything
This is where the asymmetry sits, and it surprises people.
If the employer ends your probation, the position is consistent across UAE labour guidance: 14 days’ written notice. Shorter than the ordinary 30-to-90-day notice that applies afterwards.
If you resign during probation, the sources genuinely disagree. The most commonly stated position is 30 days’ notice if you are moving to another UAE employer and 14 days if you are leaving the country. Other guidance gives 14 days or one month without tying it to departure. We have not been able to read the statute text to settle it, so this page shows both and marks which is disputed.
If you resign to join another UAE employer during probation, guidance also commonly describes the new employer as liable to compensate the old one for recruitment costs. That is a term worth raising before you sign, not after.
What you do and do not accrue
Annual leave accrues during probation. You may need the employer’s agreement to actually take it, but the days build from your start date and are payable if you leave with them untaken.
Gratuity does not apply — not because of probation, but because end-of-service gratuity requires one completed year of service, and probation is at most six months. Anyone leaving during probation gets no gratuity regardless of how it ends.
Sick leave entitlement generally begins after probation ends, which is a common source of confusion in the first six months.
Leaving without notice
Walking out, or leaving the country without formally notifying the employer, is described across UAE labour guidance as capable of triggering a one-year labour ban. That is a serious consequence for what can feel like a small administrative step.
Serving the notice, or agreeing a shorter period in writing with the employer, avoids the issue entirely. Get the agreement in writing — a verbal understanding is worth little if the relationship sours.
After probation, the rules change
Once probation ends you move onto the ordinary regime: notice of 30 to 90 days depending on your contract, protections against arbitrary dismissal, full sick leave entitlement, and gratuity beginning to matter once you reach a year.
The notice period calculator covers the timing after probation, and the final settlement calculator covers what you are owed when you eventually leave.
Worked examples
Probation ends 1 February. Until then, employer notice is 14 days.
Commonly 30 days’ notice, and your new employer may owe the old one recruitment costs.
Commonly 14 days. Returning to work in the UAE within a year of that can carry its own conditions.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your start date exactly as it appears in the contract.
- Set the probation length — six months is the maximum the law allows.
- Leave the second date as today, or set a future date to plan ahead.
- Choose what you are planning, since the notice differs by scenario.
- Read the end date and how many days of probation remain.
- Check the notice figure against your contract, which may give you better terms.
- Get any agreed shorter notice in writing before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
How long can probation be in the UAE?
Six months from your start date, and that is a maximum rather than a default. A contract setting a longer period is unenforceable beyond six months. An employer also cannot place you on probation twice for the same job.
Can I resign during probation in the UAE?
Yes, with notice. The most commonly stated position is 30 days if you are moving to another UAE employer and 14 days if you are leaving the country, though sources disagree and some give 14 days or one month without that distinction. Check your contract and confirm with MoHRE.
How much notice must an employer give during probation?
Fourteen days’ written notice, which is consistent across UAE labour guidance and shorter than the 30 to 90 days that applies once probation ends.
Do I get gratuity if I leave during probation?
No. End-of-service gratuity requires one completed year of service, and probation is at most six months, so it does not arise however the probation ends.
Does annual leave accrue during probation?
Yes. Leave builds from your start date, although you may need your employer’s agreement to take it during the probation period. Untaken accrued days are payable if you leave.
Can I get a labour ban for leaving during probation?
Leaving without serving notice, or departing the country without formally notifying the employer, is reported across UAE labour guidance as capable of triggering a one-year ban. Serving the notice, or agreeing a shorter period in writing, avoids it.
Can my employer extend my probation?
Not beyond six months from your start date. Any extension past that has no legal effect, and you cannot be put back on probation later for the same role with the same employer.
What happens the day probation ends?
The ordinary regime applies: notice of 30 to 90 days per your contract, protection against arbitrary dismissal, full sick leave entitlement, and service counting towards the one year that unlocks gratuity.
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Where these figures come from
The rules here follow Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on employment relations, administered by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The six-month maximum and the 14 days’ written notice from an employer are stated consistently across UAE labour commentary.
Where the sources disagree, and this page says so. The notice an EMPLOYEE must give during probation is reported as 30 days when moving to another UAE employer and 14 days when leaving the country, but other guidance gives 14 days or one month with no such distinction, and one source describes a notice-free exit in the first month that others do not mention. We were not able to read the statute text to settle it. Both readings are shown. The one-year ban for leaving without notice and the new employer’s liability for recruitment costs are likewise reported rather than transcribed.
Last checked against the source: 30 October 2026. Your contract may give better terms than the statutory minimum and governs where it does. Not legal advice. Not affiliated with MoHRE.
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Disclaimer
Disclaimer: Educational guide following Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The notice an employee must give during probation is reported inconsistently across sources and both readings are shown rather than one being asserted. Your contract may give better terms and governs where it does. Not legal advice — MoHRE handles labour disputes. Not affiliated with MoHRE.