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UAE Handbook

Fired or made redundant in the UAE: what happens on which day

On the UAE mainland your employer must pay your wages, benefits and end-of-service gratuity within 14 days of your last day[source], and you have two years from that day to bring a claim through MoHRE[source]. In ADGM final pay is due within 21 days[source]. In DIFC a claim must reach the DIFC Courts within six months of your last day[source].

Verified against Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regulating Labour Relations (consolidated English text, last updated 29 Jul 2024), Art. 53, UAE Federal Government (uaelegislation.gov.ae) ; Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regulating Labour Relations (consolidated English text, last updated 29 Jul 2024), Art. 54(9), UAE Federal Government (uaelegislation.gov.ae) ; ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 (consolidated, incl. Amendment No. 1 2025), s. 14(1), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM rulebook) ; DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 (consolidated), Art. 10, DIFC Authority , on .

Covers the mainland (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), DIFC and ADGM, which have their own employment laws. Other free zones are not covered yet. Pick yours below; the deadlines differ.

Two years, not one

u.ae, the government portal, still says that no claim is heard after one year under Article 10[source]. The consolidated law text, last updated on 29 July 2024, sets two years from the end of the work relation in Article 54(9)[source]. Article 10 is about non-compete clauses[source]. We follow the law text. File as early as you can either way.

Your dates

Enter the dates you know. The deadlines below are worked out in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.

Mainland: step by step

Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and the federal residence rules.

  1. Day 0

    EmployerGive written notice of termination with the notice period in the contract (30 to 90 days).

    Where: In writing to the employee

    If missed: The party that skips notice pays a "warning allowance" equal to the wage for all or the rest of the notice period (Art. 43(3)).

    Legal basis
  2. Day 0 (probation)

    EmployerDuring probation: give at least 14 days' written notice.

    Where: In writing

    If missed: Compensation equal to the wage for the notice period (Art. 9(5)).

    Legal basis
  3. Day 0 (dismissal without notice)

    EmployerDismissal without notice requires a written investigation and a written, reasoned decision.

    Where: In writing

    If missed: Grounds to challenge the dismissal in a dispute.

    Legal basis
  4. Day 0 until the end date

    YouYou may take one unpaid day per week to look for work, telling the employer at least 3 days ahead.

    Where: Notify the employer

    If missed: No right to the day that week.

    Legal basis
  5. End date + 14 days

    EmployerPay wages, all benefits and the end-of-service gratuity.

    Where: Bank transfer / WPS

    If missed: Grounds for a MoHRE complaint (step a8). The mainland law sets no daily penalty.

    Legal basis
  6. Before cancellation

    YouThe employer must confirm you received everything; u.ae describes a letter signed by the employee. Do not sign until the money is in your account.

    Where: Employer files with MoHRE

    Source is u.ae, the official government portal. It is guidance, not the law text, and the law text for this step has not been checked yet.

    Legal basis
  7. Cancellation day

    EmployerCancel the work permit (MoHRE) and the residence permit (ICP or GDRFA). The Emirates ID is cancelled with the permit.

    Where: ICP Smart Services or app. AED 150

    Fee = AED 50 application + AED 100 smart services.

    If missed: The grace period (step a9) runs from cancellation or expiry.

    Legal basis
  8. As soon as possible, at the latest end date + 2 years

    YouFile a complaint with MoHRE about unpaid amounts or arbitrary dismissal.

    Where: MoHRE app, website or service centre (channel names and 80084 not verified). No fee

    If missed: The claim will not be heard.

    Legal basis
  9. Cancellation + 30/60/90/180 days

    YouLeave the country, change status or get a new permit within the grace period. The length depends on your category: 180 days (Golden, Green, Blue and families, widows and divorced women, graduating students, foreign relatives of Emiratis), 90 days (skill levels 1-3, property owners), 60 days (permits with a guarantor or host), 30 days (all others).

    Where: ICP or GDRFA

    If missed: AED 50 per day from the day after the grace period ends.

    Partly verified. Tiers verified on ICP. Which tier an ordinary employer-sponsored employee has (30 or 60 days) is not stated; GDRFA Dubai says 60 days. Offset shows the shortest tier until confirmed.

    Legal basis
  10. End date + 30 days

    YouClaim ILOE (job-loss insurance) if eligible: 12 months' membership, not dismissed for disciplinary reasons, no pending absconding report, and you must be in the country.

    Where: iloe.ae, ILOE app and other channels listed on u.ae

    If missed: No benefit.

    Legal basis
  11. End date + 30 days

    YouMove out of employer-provided housing.

    If missed: Rent or arrangement with the employer.

    Legal basis
  12. At the end

    EmployerPay the trip home, unless you have joined another employer or caused the termination yourself.

    If missed: Part of the claim in a8.

    Legal basis

DIFC: step by step

DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 (consolidated, July 2025).

  1. Day 0

    Both partiesMinimum notice: 7 days (under 3 months' service), 30 days (3 months to 5 years), 90 days (over 5 years).

    If missed: Compensation under the contract and the law.

    Legal basis
  2. End date + 14 days

    EmployerPay wages, accrued leave and gratuity/DEWS amounts.

    If missed: Penalty of one day's wage per day of delay, if the debt exceeds a week's wage and no dispute is pending (Art. 19(3)-(4)).

    Legal basis
  3. End date + 30 days

    Both partiesCancel the residence visa.

    If missed: Fine under Schedule 2 (Art. 57(4)).

    Legal basis
  4. End date + 6 months

    YouFile any claim with the DIFC Courts. Do not follow the mainland two-year logic.

    Where: DIFC Courts

    If missed: The claim will not be heard.

    Legal basis

ADGM: step by step

ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 (consolidated, September 2025).

  1. Day 0

    Both partiesMinimum notice: 7 calendar days (under 3 months' service), otherwise 30 calendar days.

    If missed: Wages and benefits for the remaining period (s. 56(7)).

    Legal basis
  2. End date + 21 days

    EmployerPay everything owed except variable payments.

    If missed: One day's wage per day of delay, capped at six months, if the debt exceeds a week's wage.

    Legal basis
  3. As soon as reasonably practicable

    EmployerCancel the work permit and visa.

    Legal basis
  4. End date + 30 days

    EmployerProvide a one-way flight home, unless you found a new job or visa within 30 days or were dismissed for cause.

    Legal basis

Not yet verified

  • Time limit for a claim at the ADGM Courts.

We have not read an official source for this yet, so we give no deadline. Do not rely on it.

Also worth knowing

If you are not paid

The complaint route, the automatic WPS steps and what MoHRE can decide on its own are on salary not paid: MoHRE complaint and deadlines. Every situation we cover is listed under when things go wrong.

Not legal advice. Checked against the law and official sources on 6 October 2026. The official Arabic text of federal law prevails over English translations.

What changed on this page

  • Published: deadlines after termination for mainland, DIFC and ADGM, checked against the law. Mainland claims: two years (Art. 54(9)), not the one year u.ae states. ADGM final pay: 21 days. DIFC claims: six months.