UAE Sick Leave Rules 2026: 90 Days, Pay Rules and Medical Certificates

The UAE sick leave rules give private sector employees up to 90 days of sick leave a year once probation is over. The first 15 days are on full pay, the next 30 days are on half pay, and the remaining 45 days are unpaid. You must tell your employer within 3 working days and give a medical report. These rules are in Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and on the UAE Government portal.

This guide covers sick leave salary with a worked example, sick leave during probation, medical certificate rules in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, and your rights if you cannot return to work.

UAE Sick Leave Rules at a Glance

Rule	What applies
Total sick leave	Up to 90 days a year, after probation
Days 1 to 15	Full pay
Days 16 to 45	Half pay
Days 46 to 90	Unpaid
Telling your employer	Within 3 working days, with a medical report
During probation	No paid sick leave, but unpaid leave may be granted with a medical report
Dismissal during sick leave	Not allowed. Notice cannot be served while you are on sick leave

Who Do These Rules Apply To?

This guide covers private sector employees governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Government employees, domestic workers and employees under separate employment laws, such as the DIFC or ADGM, may have different sick leave rules. Check which law applies to your contract before relying on the 90 day entitlement.

Latest Updates (October 2026)

• Checked 20 October 2026: Article 31 of the labour law is unchanged. The pay split remains 15 days full, 30 days half, then unpaid.
• Abu Dhabi’s sick leave standard, effective October 2025, says all certificates must be issued through the DoH e-sick leave system on TAMM.
• Dubai follows the DHA sick leave policy, version 2.1, effective 11 October 2024.
• Updated 30 October 2026: the links to the UAE Government portal now point to its current leave page, which confirms the 90 day limit and the 15, 30 and 45 day pay split.

How Much Is Sick Leave Salary in the UAE?

After probation, you can take up to 90 days of sick leave in a year, continuous or in parts. Your pay depends on how many sick days you have already used that year.

Sick days used in the year	Pay
1 to 15	Full pay
16 to 45	Half pay
46 to 90	No pay

Illustrative example: your monthly wage is AED 6,000 and your employer’s payroll uses a 30 day month, so one day is worth AED 200. You are off sick for 50 days in the year.

Period	Days	Pay
Full pay	15	15 x AED 200 = AED 3,000
Half pay	30	30 x AED 100 = AED 3,000
Unpaid	5	AED 0
Total sick leave pay	50	AED 6,000

This is an estimate. Your payroll method and contract decide the exact figure.

Can I Get Sick Leave During Probation?

Not paid sick leave. During probation, your employer may approve unpaid sick leave if you provide a medical report showing the leave is needed. Paid sick leave starts once probation ends.

How to Apply for Medical Leave in the UAE

1. See a licensed doctor in the emirate where you work and ask for a sick leave certificate.
2. Tell your employer within 3 working days of falling ill.
3. Send the certificate and medical report to HR, and keep a copy.
4. Check whether your employer needs the certificate verified or attested, which depends on the emirate.

Sick Leave Certificate Rules by Emirate

Each health authority sets its own rules. This is where many employees get a certificate their employer will not accept.

Emirate	Authority	Key rules
Dubai	DHA	GP or dentist up to 5 days, specialist up to 14, consultant up to 30, telehealth up to 3. No backdating.
Abu Dhabi	DoH	Issued only through the DoH e-sick leave system on TAMM. GP up to 3 days per visit. Longer leave needs a specialist or consultant, with a medical report above 7 days. Telemedicine up to 1 day.
Sharjah and Northern Emirates	MOHAP	5 days or less attested online. Over 5 days and up to one month needs medical sub-committee approval. Over one month goes to the Higher Medical Committee.

Dubai Sick Leave Certificate Rules

Under the current DHA policy (version 2.1, October 2024), only DHA licensed doctors and dentists can issue sick leave certificates, after a consultation at their facility or by telehealth. Nurses and admin staff cannot issue them. A GP can give up to 14 days for the infectious diseases listed in the policy, and telehealth certificates are limited to 3 days. Certificates cannot be backdated, and details cannot be changed after issue.

How to Verify a Sick Leave Certificate in Dubai

The DHA policy says certificates are verified through the Verify Document service on Sheryan, using the barcode and PIN printed on the certificate. Ask the clinic to reissue the certificate if any detail is wrong.

Abu Dhabi Sick Leave Certificate Rules

The DoH standard requires every certificate to come from the DoH e-sick leave system on TAMM, after the patient’s data is checked. GPs and residents can issue up to 3 consecutive days per visit. Longer leave needs a DoH licensed specialist or consultant, and leave over 7 consecutive days needs a medical report. Telemedicine can give 1 day only, and never backdated.

Certificates from providers not licensed by DoH, including abroad, must be signed and stamped, certified by the UAE embassy or consulate in the issuing country, and sent to the Medical Committee within 15 days of returning to Abu Dhabi, with a full report. Attestation requests go through the TAMM service listed on the DoH eServices page.

Sharjah and Northern Emirates

MOHAP attests sick leave issued by licensed private or government facilities in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

• 5 days or less: attested online, with no committee approval.
• More than 5 days and up to one month: online attestation, then approval by the medical sub-committee in the emirate.
• More than one month: online attestation, then approval by MOHAP’s Higher Medical Committee.
• Apply within one month of the date the leave was issued.
• Leave issued abroad must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the request is referred to the relevant medical committee.

Check the current service fee on the MOHAP page before you apply.

When Sick Leave Is Not Paid

Article 20 of the Executive Regulation removes sick leave pay in two cases:

• The illness results from your own misconduct, such as alcohol or drug use.
• You broke safety instructions you were told about, such as traffic rules, crisis and disaster instructions, or the company’s safety procedures.

A report from the concerned authority in the UAE is needed to prove the misconduct.

Sick Leave vs Work Injury Leave

An illness or injury caused by your work is not counted as normal sick leave. Under Article 37 of the labour law, the employer pays treatment costs and your full wage for up to 6 months. If treatment continues, you get half your wage for a further 6 months, or until you recover or are declared disabled.

What Happens After 90 Days of Sick Leave?

While you are on sick leave, your employer cannot dismiss you or serve you a termination notice, according to the UAE Government portal. Article 46 adds that an employer cannot end your service for lack of health fitness before you have used the leave the law gives you.

If you have used all 90 days and still cannot return to work, Article 31 allows the employer to end the contract, provided it pays all your dues, including your gratuity and unused annual leave.

Sick Leave, Pregnancy and Annual Leave

• Pregnancy or childbirth illness: Article 30 allows up to 45 extra days of unpaid leave after maternity leave, with a medical certificate. See our maternity leave guide.
• Annual leave is separate and is not reduced by sick days. Our guide on annual leave covers the 30 day entitlement.

What to Do If Your Employer Rejects Sick Leave

1. Ask the clinic that issued the certificate to confirm it is correct and within the doctor’s day limit.
2. Get it verified or attested through the right health authority: DHA in Dubai, DoH through TAMM in Abu Dhabi, or MOHAP in the other emirates.
3. Ask HR to explain the rejection in writing.
4. If the dispute is about your pay or employment rights, file a complaint with MOHRE.

Certificate verification is the health authority’s job. Salary deductions and dismissal disputes go to MOHRE.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the UAE sick leave rules in 2026?

After probation, private sector employees can take up to 90 days of sick leave a year: 15 days on full pay, 30 on half pay and the rest unpaid. You must inform your employer within 3 working days with a medical report.

Is sick leave paid during probation in the UAE?

No. During probation there is no paid sick leave, but the employer may approve unpaid leave if you provide a medical report.

How is sick leave salary calculated in the UAE?

Days 1 to 15 are paid in full, days 16 to 45 at half pay and the rest unpaid. With a daily wage of AED 200, 50 sick days pay AED 6,000 in total.

How many days of sick leave can a GP give in Dubai?

Up to 5 days, or up to 14 days for listed infectious diseases. Specialists can give up to 14 days and consultants up to 30.

Does sick leave reset every year in the UAE?

The law allows up to 90 days a year. Check your employer’s leave records to see how your year is counted.

Can my employer terminate me during sick leave?

No. Your employer cannot dismiss you or serve notice while you are on sick leave. If you still cannot work after using all 90 days, the employer may end the contract and must pay all your dues.

References

• Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations
• Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Executive Regulation of the Labour Law
• UAE Government portal, Sick leave in the private sector
• DHA, Issuance of Sick Leave Certificate policy (2024)
• DoH Abu Dhabi, Standard for the Issuance and Attestation of Sick Leave Certificates (2025)
• DoH Abu Dhabi, eServices
• MOHAP, Attestation of medical leaves and reports