Domestic workers · Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026

Domestic Worker Gratuity in the UAE (2026)
Calculator and current law

Housemaids, nannies, private drivers, cooks and other household staff are covered by the UAE domestic workers law, not the Labour Law used for company employees. Here is what that law says about end-of-service gratuity today, how to get MOHRE's official figure, and an estimator that uses the rate in your contract.

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Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022Repealed: Federal Law No. 10 of 2017MOHRE Dues Calculator

🏠 Domestic worker end-of-service estimator

Uses the rate in your contract · not a statutory formula

🏠

Estimate only. There is currently no statutory gratuity formula for domestic workers in the UAE. For an official figure use MOHRE’s Domestic Workers Dues Calculator or call 600590000.

Short answer: under the current law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, there is no fixed statutory gratuity formula for domestic workers. Article 22 leaves the calculation to a future Cabinet decision, and none had been published when we checked on 4 October 2026. What a worker receives at the end of service depends on the MOHRE-approved contract; use MOHRE's Domestic Workers Dues Calculatorfor an official figure. The often-quoted “14 days per year” comes from the repealed Federal Law No. 10 of 2017.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS NOW

Article 22: gratuity rules are left to the Cabinet

The official English text of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers (in force since 15 December 2022) says, in full:

“Article (22) End-of-Service Gratuity, 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 article sets no number of days, no qualifying period and no cap. The executive regulation, Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022, does not mention gratuity at all. Article 31 of the Decree-Law repealed Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 on Domestic Workers.

Before 15 Dec 2022Now
LawFederal Law No. 10 of 2017 (repealed)Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 + Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022
Gratuity formulaCommonly cited as 14 days' basic wage per yearNone set, Article 22 defers to a Cabinet decision
Official figure, MOHRE Domestic Workers Dues Calculator
Final dues deadline, 10 days after the agreement ends (Art. 19(2))
WHAT DOMESTIC WORKERS ARE ENTITLED TO

Rights that are set by the 2022 Decree-Law

Money at the end of the contract

  • All financial entitlements paid within 10 days of the agreement ending (Art. 19(2))
  • Cash for unused annual leave, at the last wage (Art. 10(5))
  • A ticket home if the employer ends the contract for a reason not attributable to the worker (Art. 20(2))
  • Wage for the month of death plus other dues paid to heirs (Art. 11(12))

During employment

  • Paid annual leave of at least 30 days a year; 2 days per month if service is between 6 and 12 months (Art. 10(1))
  • Return ticket home once every two years when taking leave in the home country (Art. 10(4))
  • Sick leave up to 30 days a year: 15 days paid, 15 days half-paid (Art. 10(6))
  • A paid weekly rest day and at least 12 hours' daily rest, 8 of them consecutive (Art. 9)
  • Accommodation, meals, medical treatment or insurance, and keeping their own ID documents (Art. 11)
GET THE OFFICIAL FIGURE

Using MOHRE's Domestic Workers Dues Calculator

MOHRE lists a Domestic Workers Dues Calculator in its services directory, and the helpline is 600590000. Before you start, have these ready:

  • The MOHRE-registered contract, with start and end dates
  • The monthly wage in the contract and proof of payment (bank transfers, receipts or messages)
  • How the contract ended: expiry, resignation, termination, or a breach by either side
  • Any unpaid salary, unused leave days and rest days worked
WHO COUNTS AS A DOMESTIC WORKER?

Household staff vs company employees

Domestic workers include housemaids, cleaners, nannies, private drivers, cooks, gardeners and similar roles performed for a household. The visa category and the sponsor on the contract decide which law applies: a cleaner employed and sponsored by a cleaning company is normally a private-sector employee under the Labour Law and uses the standard UAE gratuity calculator.

Records workers and families should keep

  • The MOHRE-approved contract and any renewal or termination notice
  • Salary records: transfers, receipts or messages showing the regular wage
  • Leave records and ticket arrangements
  • A written final settlement listing salary, leave, any end-of-service amount and deductions
Do not sign a “full and final” receipt in a language you cannot read. Ask for a translation first, and keep a copy.

Our Arabic end-of-service terms in English glossary explains the Arabic words commonly used on settlement papers. The final settlement checklist and the guide on leave salary calculation show what to check before signing, although they are written for company employees.

DISPUTES

If final dues are not paid

  1. Complain to MOHRE. Disputes go to the Ministry first, which tries to settle them amicably (Art. 23).
  2. MOHRE decision. MOHRE decides disputes worth up to AED 50,000 itself (Art. 23(3)); larger cases are referred to court.
  3. Act within 3 months. A lawsuit cannot be heard more than 3 months after the work relationship ends, and workers pay no court fees (Art. 26).

Step-by-step guide: how to file a MOHRE complaint.

Domestic worker gratuity FAQs

The current law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, has an article titled End-of-Service Gratuity (Article 22), but it only says the Cabinet may approve the rules for calculating and paying it. No Cabinet decision setting a formula had been published when we checked on 4 October 2026, and the executive regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022) does not set one. In practice the amount depends on the MOHRE-approved contract; MOHRE’s Domestic Workers Dues Calculator gives the official figure.
Housemaids, nannies, drivers and cooks hired by a household are domestic workers under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, so the answer above applies. A cleaner employed by a cleaning company is usually a private-sector employee under the Labour Law and gets the standard 21/30-day gratuity.
Yes. MOHRE lists a Domestic Workers Dues Calculator in its services directory (helpline 600590000). Use it for the official figure; our estimator only applies the rate you choose.
Not as law. 14 days of basic wage per year is the rate commonly attributed to Federal Law No. 10 of 2017, which Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 repealed from 15 December 2022. You can still use 14 days in our estimator as a reference, or the rate written in your contract.
Article 19(2) of Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 requires the employer to pay all of the worker’s financial entitlements within 10 days of the employment agreement ending.
If the agreement ends before the worker takes their leave, they are entitled to cash for the leave days due, calculated on their last wage (Article 10(5)).
Lawsuits for rights under the Decree-Law cannot be heard more than 3 months after the work relationship ends (Article 26(2)). Workers are exempt from court fees, and MOHRE can decide disputes worth up to AED 50,000 itself (Article 23).

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