Your notice period in the UAE is set by your contract, but the law says it must be at least 30 days and no more than 90 days. If you’re still on probation, the rules are different: you give one month’s written notice to move to another UAE employer, or 14 days to leave the country. The automatic “labour ban” that people still talk about no longer exists. A one-year ban on new work permits now applies only in a few specific cases.
This guide walks through what happens when you change jobs in the UAE private sector: notice, probation, end-of-service gratuity, your visa and work permit, and when a ban can really apply. It’s based on Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE labour law), which took effect on 2 February 2022, as explained on the official UAE portal (u.ae). It’s general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official pages or ask MoHRE before you resign.
The rules at a glance
| Situation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice period after probation | Minimum 30 days, maximum 90 days, in writing | u.ae |
| Probation length | No more than 6 months, can’t be extended | u.ae |
| You resign in probation to join another UAE employer | At least 1 month’s written notice | Same |
| You resign in probation to leave the UAE | 14 days’ written notice | Same |
| Employer ends your contract in probation | 14 days’ written notice | Same |
| Gratuity | Only after 1 year of continuous service | u.ae |
| Final pay | Within 14 days of the contract ending | Same |
| One-year work permit ban | Only in specific cases, see below | u.ae |
These are the federal rules for the mainland private sector. Some free zones, such as the financial free zones, have their own authorities that handle employment complaints under their own rules (u.ae). If your employer is in DIFC or ADGM, check that zone’s employment law.
Notice period under UAE labour law
Either you or your employer can end the contract “for any legitimate reason” by giving written notice. Under Article 43, the notice period “must not be less than 30 days and not exceed 90 days”, and the contract stays in force during it (u.ae).
What that means in practice:
- Your contract sets the exact number within that range. Check yours before you accept a new offer, because your new employer will want a start date.
- You keep working and get paid during notice. You can agree with your employer to leave earlier.
- If you don’t serve notice, you owe pay in lieu. The party that fails to give notice “must compensate the other with a ‘notice period’ allowance”, based on your last wage, even if the other side suffered no harm. The same applies to your employer if it ends your contract without notice.
Notice period for limited and unlimited contracts
Under the old law, the rules differed for “limited” and “unlimited” contracts, and many search results still talk about the “notice period in the UAE for a limited contract”. Under the current law, all private-sector contracts are fixed-term. Existing unlimited contracts had to be converted to fixed-term contracts (u.ae). The same 30 to 90-day notice rule applies to all of them.
A fixed-term contract that isn’t renewed but which both sides keep performing is treated as renewed on the same terms.
Leaving without notice
You can leave without notice, and keep your end-of-service rights, only in the cases listed in Article 45. They include when your employer:
- doesn’t meet its contractual or legal obligations, after you’ve notified MoHRE 14 working days before you quit and the employer hasn’t fixed the problem;
- assaults or harasses you at work;
- gives you fundamentally different work without your written consent, except in cases of necessity;
- fails to remove a serious safety or health hazard it knows about.
If your employer dismisses you without a valid reason and a court finds it was arbitrary, compensation is capped at three months’ wages, on top of gratuity and notice pay (Article 47).
Probation period in the UAE
Probation “must not exceed six months”, and it can’t be extended for another term (u.ae).
Resigning during probation
| You want to… | Notice you must give | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| Move to another employer in the UAE | At least 1 month, in writing | The new employer compensates your current employer for recruitment costs, unless agreed otherwise |
| Leave the UAE | 14 days, in writing | If you come back within 3 months on a new work permit, the new employer owes the old one your recruitment costs, unless agreed otherwise |
So yes, you can resign during probation. But do it properly. Resigning in probation without following these rules is one of the cases where MoHRE can ban you from a new work permit for a year (see below).
Your employer ending probation
Your employer can end your contract during probation for any reason with 14 days’ written notice.
Resignation and gratuity
End-of-service gratuity depends on how long you’ve worked, not on who ended the contract:
- Under one year: no gratuity.
- One to five years: 21 days’ salary for each year of work.
- After five years: 30 days’ salary for each further year.
- Cap: total gratuity can’t exceed two years’ wages.
- Payment: your employer must settle wages, entitlements and gratuity within 14 days of the contract ending.
Source: u.ae.
You’ll find older articles that cut gratuity for people who resign before five years. The current official guidance doesn’t list any such reduction: it says gratuity is due when your service ends after a year or more. The same page describes a Savings Scheme that applies in the private sector and free zones, so ask your employer whether your end-of-service pay goes through it.
Example: you resign after three years and your contract salary for gratuity purposes is AED 15,000 a month (AED 500 a day on a 30-day month). Your gratuity is 3 × 21 × AED 500 = AED 31,500. Check how your contract defines the salary used for gratuity, because many Gulf packages split pay into basic salary and allowances. Our salary guide explains how packages are built.
What happens to your visa and work permit
Your UAE residence visa as an employee is tied to your work permit. When you change jobs:
- Your new employer applies for a new work permit. For someone already working in the UAE, MoHRE has a transfer permit that moves a non-UAE worker from one establishment to another, valid for two years (u.ae). The same job offer steps apply as for a new hire: you sign the MoHRE offer before the employer applies (u.ae).
- Your old employer cancels your permit and visa. Ask for written confirmation of the cancellation.
- Your new visa is issued after the remaining steps, such as the medical test and Emirates ID.
Who pays: the employer pays recruitment and residence permit costs, and charging workers recruitment fees is illegal (u.ae).
The grace period
When your residence visa is cancelled or expires, you get a grace period to stay in the UAE. It can be up to six months, depending on your residence category (u.ae). Confirm which period applies to you before your last day. If you stay longer, the overstay fine is AED 50 a day.
If you don’t have the next job yet, read our guide to finding a tech job in Dubai on a visit or job seeker visa.
Labour ban in the UAE: when it really applies
The old automatic six-month or one-year “labour ban” for leaving a job is no longer the rule. Under the current system, MoHRE may ban a worker from getting a new work permit for one year only in these cases (u.ae):
- you end your contract during probation (and the employer didn’t breach its obligations), without following the notice rules above;
- a work abandonment report against you is found to be valid;
- your permit was with a fictitious establishment and was cancelled.
Who is exempt
For a proven work abandonment complaint, the exemptions include:
- workers sponsored on a family residence visa;
- workers applying for a new permit with the same establishment;
- UAE Golden Visa holders;
- workers with professional skill or knowledge levels the UAE needs, and other occupations set by ministerial decision.
Labour ban check and removal
- Check: call the MoHRE call centre on 600590000 (8 am to 8 pm, several languages) or use MoHRE’s other official channels.
- When it ends: automatically after the ban period. The period starts once you leave the UAE.
- Challenging it: submit a grievance through MoHRE’s channels with documents showing the ban is unjustified.
We couldn’t find an official “labour ban lifting fee”. Be wary of anyone who offers to remove a ban for money.
A checklist before you resign
- Read your contract. Find your notice period, any non-compete clause and how gratuity is calculated. A non-compete can last no more than two years after the contract ends and must be limited by time, place and type of work (u.ae).
- Get the new offer in writing first, ideally the signed MoHRE offer, and agree a start date that fits your notice.
- Check whether you’re still on probation. If you are, give at least one month’s notice to move to another UAE employer.
- Resign in writing and keep a copy with the date.
- Agree your last day and final pay. Ask for a written settlement: salary to your last day, unused leave, gratuity if you’ve done a year.
- Plan the visa gap. Ask both employers how the transfer will work and confirm your grace period.
- If something goes wrong, MoHRE handles labour complaints; the UAE portal explains how to raise a labour dispute (u.ae).
What about Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has its own labour law, and job changes for expatriate workers are handled through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Qiwa platform. Notice periods, transfer rules and end-of-service pay are different from the UAE. Don’t apply the UAE rules above to a Saudi contract; check Qiwa and your contract, and see our relocation checklist.
Looking for your next role
Browse current openings in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, or see the UAE and Saudi job market for tech in numbers for where demand is.
Frequently asked questions
What is the notice period in the UAE under the new labour law?
Between 30 and 90 days, as set in your contract. It applies to both sides. If you or your employer doesn’t serve it, the one who leaves owes the other a notice period allowance based on your last wage.
What is the notice period during probation in the UAE?
If you resign during probation to join another UAE employer, you must give at least one month’s written notice. To leave the country, you give 14 days. If your employer ends your contract during probation, it must give you 14 days’ written notice.
Can I resign before 6 months in the UAE?
Yes. If you’re in probation, follow the probation notice rules above. If you skip them, MoHRE can ban you from a new work permit for one year. After probation, the normal notice period in your contract (30 to 90 days) applies.
Do I get gratuity if I resign before 1 year?
No. Gratuity starts after one year of continuous service. After a year you get 21 days’ salary for each of the first five years and 30 days for each year after that, capped at two years’ wages.
Is there still a labour ban in the UAE?
Not an automatic one. A one-year ban on new work permits applies only if you end your contract during probation without the required notice, if a work abandonment report against you is upheld, or if your permit was with a fictitious company. Golden Visa holders and some others are exempt in abandonment cases.
How do I check my labour ban status online?
The official UAE portal directs you to the MoHRE call centre on 600590000 or MoHRE’s other official channels. If you think a ban is wrong, you can file a grievance with documents through MoHRE.
What happens if I leave without serving my notice period?
You’ll owe your employer a notice period allowance equal to your wage for the unserved notice. The exception is Article 45: you may leave without notice in specific cases, such as harassment or the employer not paying you after you’ve told MoHRE.