If you only want to know roughly what five, eight or fifteen years in the UAE are worth, you do not need exact dates. Gratuity grows on a fixed scale, so one table covers everyone. Type your basic salary into the box below and the whole chart changes to your numbers.
The scale in one glance
- Years 1 to 5 each add 21 days of basic pay.
- Every year after the fifth adds 30 days, which is one month of basic salary.
- Nothing is due before you complete one year.
- The total stops at 24 months of basic salary.
The line has two slopes. For the first five years it climbs slowly, at 0.7 of a month per year. From year six it climbs a full month per year, and it goes flat once it reaches the 24-month ceiling, a little after 25 years.
Gratuity table for 1 to 30 years
The table assumes complete years on the standard scale that applies to today's fixed-term contracts. Change the salary to see your own figures.
| Years of service | Days of basic pay | Gratuity on AED 5,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 3,500 |
| 2 | 42 | 7,000 |
| 3 | 63 | 10,500 |
| 4 | 84 | 14,000 |
| 5 | 105 | 17,500 |
| 6 | 135 | 22,500 |
| 7 | 165 | 27,500 |
| 8 | 195 | 32,500 |
| 9 | 225 | 37,500 |
| 10 | 255 | 42,500 |
| 11 | 285 | 47,500 |
| 12 | 315 | 52,500 |
| 13 | 345 | 57,500 |
| 14 | 375 | 62,500 |
| 15 | 405 | 67,500 |
| 16 | 435 | 72,500 |
| 17 | 465 | 77,500 |
| 18 | 495 | 82,500 |
| 19 | 525 | 87,500 |
| 20 | 555 | 92,500 |
| 21 | 585 | 97,500 |
| 22 | 615 | 102,500 |
| 23 | 645 | 107,500 |
| 24 | 675 | 112,500 |
| 25 | 705 | 117,500 |
| 26 | 735 | 120,000 |
| 27 | 765 | 120,000 |
| 28 | 795 | 120,000 |
| 29 | 825 | 120,000 |
| 30 | 855 | 120,000 |
Worked a part year as well? The extra months are paid in proportion. Use the gratuity calculator with your real dates to get that to the dirham.
Quick answers by length of service
These use a basic salary of AED 5,000 so you can scale them in your head. Double the salary and the gratuity doubles.
Less than 1 year
No gratuity. The law only gives it to an employee who has completed one year or more of continuous service, so eleven months earns nothing, however the job ends.
Gratuity for 1 year
21 days of basic pay. On AED 5,000 that is 5,000 ÷ 30 × 21 = AED 3,500.
Gratuity for 2 years
42 days of basic pay: AED 7,000.
Gratuity for 3 years
63 days of basic pay: AED 10,500.
Gratuity for 5 years
105 days of basic pay, which is three and a half months: AED 17,500. This is the last year counted at 21 days.
Gratuity for 7 years
105 days for the first five years plus 60 days for years six and seven. That makes 165 days, or five and a half months: AED 27,500.
Gratuity for 10 years
105 days plus 150 days, 255 in total. That is eight and a half months of basic salary: AED 42,500.
Gratuity for 15 and 20 years
Fifteen years comes to 405 days, or thirteen and a half months: AED 67,500. Twenty years comes to 555 days, eighteen and a half months: AED 92,500.
25 years and beyond
At 25 years you have earned 705 days, just under the ceiling. Part way through year 26 the total reaches 24 months of basic salary and stops there. On AED 5,000 the most anyone can receive is AED 120,000.
The same chart for common salaries
Figures in dirhams for complete years of service.
| Years of service | Basic AED 3,000 | Basic AED 5,000 | Basic AED 8,000 | Basic AED 10,000 | Basic AED 15,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,100 | 3,500 | 5,600 | 7,000 | 10,500 |
| 2 | 4,200 | 7,000 | 11,200 | 14,000 | 21,000 |
| 3 | 6,300 | 10,500 | 16,800 | 21,000 | 31,500 |
| 4 | 8,400 | 14,000 | 22,400 | 28,000 | 42,000 |
| 5 | 10,500 | 17,500 | 28,000 | 35,000 | 52,500 |
| 6 | 13,500 | 22,500 | 36,000 | 45,000 | 67,500 |
| 7 | 16,500 | 27,500 | 44,000 | 55,000 | 82,500 |
| 8 | 19,500 | 32,500 | 52,000 | 65,000 | 97,500 |
| 9 | 22,500 | 37,500 | 60,000 | 75,000 | 112,500 |
| 10 | 25,500 | 42,500 | 68,000 | 85,000 | 127,500 |
A mistake people make at the five-year mark
Many employees believe that once they pass five years, every year is recalculated at 30 days. It is not. The first five years stay at 21 days for good. Only the sixth year onwards is counted at 30 days.
That is why six years is worth 135 days and not 180. If someone hands you a figure based on 30 days for all your years, it is too high, and your employer's payroll system will not agree with it.
What can move your figure off the chart
- Part years. The chart shows whole years. Extra months and days are added in proportion once you have passed your first year.
- Unpaid leave. Days of unpaid absence are taken out of your service before the calculation is done.
- A pay rise. Gratuity is worked out on your last basic salary for all your years, not on what you earned in each year. A rise in your final year lifts the whole amount.
- Allowances. Housing, transport and similar allowances are left out. Read which salary counts for gratuity if your basic looks low.
- An old unlimited contract. If you resigned from one, a reduced scale may have applied. See gratuity for unlimited contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How much gratuity do I get after 5 years in the UAE?
105 days of your last basic salary, which is three and a half months. On a basic salary of AED 5,000 that is AED 17,500.
Is gratuity 21 days or 30 days per year?
Both. Each of your first five years earns 21 days of basic pay. Each year after the fifth earns 30 days.
How much is gratuity for 1 year and 6 months?
You get 21 days for the first year and about half of 21 days for the second, roughly 31.5 days in total. On a basic salary of AED 5,000 that is about AED 5,250.
Do all my years switch to 30 days after I complete five years?
No. The first five years remain at 21 days each. The 30-day rate applies only from the sixth year.
What is the maximum gratuity in the UAE?
Two years of basic salary. On the standard scale an employee reaches that ceiling after a little more than 25 years of service.