Domestic Worker Annual Leave and Ticket Rules in the UAE

Under the UAE domestic workers law, a domestic worker is entitled to paid annual leave of no less than 30 days and a round trip ticket home every 2 years. This guide covers those rights, daily and weekly rest, sick leave and what to do if they are not given.

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Which law applies to domestic workers

Domestic workers are not covered by the main private sector labour law. They are governed by Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers, as amended by Federal Decree Law No. 21 of 2023. The u.ae portal says the law applies to 19 occupations, including housemaids, nannies, cooks, personal drivers, gardeners, home nurses, private tutors and guards.

That is why end of service rules for these workers are different from those in the private sector formula. For gratuity, use the domestic worker gratuity calculator. For leave and travel, use this guide.

What the law gives a domestic worker

The u.ae portal summarises the entitlements as follows.

The employer must also provide suitable accommodation, appropriate meals and clothing, and medical care or health insurance. The employer cannot collect payments from the worker, directly or indirectly, except where the law, regulations or the approved contract form allow it.

Annual leave: how it works

The minimum is 30 days of paid leave. The key word is paid: the worker receives wages for the leave period. The portal states the minimum as "no less than 30 days", so a contract can offer more but not less. The law and its executive rules cover how leave is scheduled and how part years are handled, so check your contract and the executive regulation for those details rather than relying on a general summary.

In practice, annual leave and the ticket are often connected, because many workers use the leave to travel home. The law gives the ticket on a two year cycle, not every year. If a worker takes a long trip home every second year, the leave and the ticket can be planned together, but they are separate entitlements: the leave is paid time off, and the ticket is a travel cost the employer bears.

The ticket home every 2 years

The law says a domestic worker is entitled to a round trip ticket home every 2 years. Two details are worth confirming in your contract: which airport and class of travel the ticket covers, and what happens if the contract ends before the two years pass. The portal separately says the employer must bear the cost of returning the worker to their country in accordance with the law and its executive regulations. The first is about leave travel during employment, and the second is about the end of the contract.

Do not confuse these with the repatriation ticket in a private sector final settlement. For that, see repatriation ticket and final settlement.

Rest, sick leave and wages

Annual leave is not the only time off. A domestic worker has one day of paid rest each week and 12 hours of rest each day, with at least 8 of those hours consecutive. Sick leave is capped at 30 days a year, according to the u.ae summary. The portal does not say how much of that is paid, so check the executive regulation or ask MOHRE before you assume a figure.

Wages must be paid within 10 days of the due date. If a wage is late, that is already a breach you can report. The employer is also required to let the worker keep personal identification papers. Taking a passport or ID card is not allowed under the law.

If leave or the ticket is not given

1. Write down what was agreed and what was refused, with dates. Keep the contract and any messages.
2. Ask the employer to confirm the leave dates and the ticket arrangements in writing.
3. If it is still refused, submit a labour complaint to MOHRE. The portal says either party may do this and that the ministry will try to resolve it amicably within two weeks.
4. If there is no settlement, the matter is referred to the competent court with the ministry's recommendation.

Two protections are worth knowing. Domestic workers are exempt from litigation fees at all stages of the proceedings, and cases involving them must be expedited. Also, the portal says claims about rights arising from the law are inadmissible after three months from the date of termination of employment. That is a short window, so raise any unpaid leave or ticket claim early.

Notes for employers

If you employ a domestic worker, put leave dates and ticket arrangements in the contract using the approved template. The portal says the contract must include entitled leaves, rest periods and conditions for termination, among other terms. A written plan avoids most disputes. It also helps to keep a record of wage payments through an approved channel, since wage payment evidence is the first thing asked for in a complaint.

If the worker leaves the contract, the final dues may include unused leave, wages and the cost of returning the worker home as set out in the law. Use the domestic worker gratuity calculator for the end of service amount, and the final settlement calculator as a checklist of the other items for private sector staff. Workers in the domestic category are outside unemployment insurance, so the ILOE calculator does not apply to them.

Important note

This page is general information from the u.ae portal summary of Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022. Read the full law and executive regulation for details such as scheduling and part years. It is not legal advice.

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