Leave Application Form (UAE)

A Leave Application Form in the UAE is a formal internal HR document used by an employee to request a period of absence from work, specifying the type of leave, the dates, the number of working days, and the reason, and to obtain the approval of their line manager and the HR department. The Leave Application Form in the United Arab Emirates is the standard mechanism by which employees exercise their statutory and contractual leave entitlements under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) and their employer's internal leave policy.

Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, UAE private-sector employees are entitled to a complete range of leave types, each with specific eligibility rules, duration, and pay entitlements. Article 29 of the Labour Law provides for annual leave: a minimum of 30 calendar days per year for employees who have completed one year of service, and 2.5 calendar days per month for employees in their first year who have completed six months of service. This is one of the most generous statutory annual leave entitlements in the world and is a significant feature of UAE employment.

Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 provides for maternity leave: 60 calendar days (45 at full pay and 15 at half pay) for female employees who have completed at least 90 days of employment. Article 32 provides for paternity leave: 5 working days for male employees within six months of the child's birth. Article 33 provides for sick leave: up to 90 calendar days per year (15 days at full pay, 30 days at half pay, and 45 days without pay) for employees who have completed their probation period.

Additional leave types under UAE Labour Law include study or examination leave (10 days per year for employees pursuing studies at an accredited UAE educational institution under Article 35), bereavement leave (3 to 5 days depending on the relationship of the deceased, per the leave policy), and Hajj leave (one-off unpaid leave for Muslim employees who have not yet performed the Hajj, for not less than 30 days, under Article 29(6)).

The leave application form brings these diverse leave entitlements together in a single standardised document that captures the employee's request, records the handover arrangements, and provides the manager and HR with the information needed to approve or defer the leave request. The forms-legal.com UAE Leave Application Form template covers all leave types under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, with fields for the leave type, dates, working days requested, reason, emergency contact, handover person, and a formal manager and HR approval section including leave balance tracking.

A UAE Leave Application Form is needed every time an employee requests a period of planned absence from work, for any of the leave types recognised under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 or the employer's internal leave policy. The principal situations are described below.

Annual leave requests are the most frequent use of the form in UAE workplaces. Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, employees are entitled to a minimum of 30 calendar days' annual leave per year after completing one year of service. Most UAE employers require the leave application form to be submitted at least two to four weeks before the intended leave start date, to allow the manager to plan for the employee's absence and arrange handover coverage. Dubai's financial services sector (DIFC entities), the Abu Dhabi banking sector (regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE), and the UAE's hospitality and tourism sectors all have leave management systems that process leave application forms as the formal trigger for leave approval and annual leave balance deduction.

Sick leave applications are required for absences due to illness or medical treatment exceeding one day. Under Article 33 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the first 15 days of sick leave per year are paid at full salary, the next 30 days at half salary, and the final 45 days without pay. A medical certificate from a MOHRE-recognised or employer-approved healthcare provider (Dubai Health Authority-licensed clinic or hospital, or Department of Health Abu Dhabi-licensed facility) is typically required to support the sick leave form. Sick leave taken without a supporting medical certificate may be treated as unauthorised absence.

Maternity leave applications are required from female employees approaching their confinement. Under Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, maternity leave is 60 calendar days. The leave application form records the expected delivery date, the leave start date, and the handover arrangements for the period of absence. Employers regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE and operating in the DIFC may also be subject to additional maternity provisions under DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019, which provides for 65 working days of maternity leave.

Hajj leave applications are submitted by Muslim employees who wish to perform the pilgrimage to Makkah. Under Article 29(6) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, an employee is entitled to take once-in-service unpaid leave of not less than 30 days for Hajj. The leave application form documents this entitlement, noting that it is unpaid and that it may be taken only once during the employee's service with the employer. Study or examination leave applications are required under Article 35 for employees pursuing studies at an accredited institution, for up to 10 days per year. Emergency or bereavement leave applications are submitted upon the death of a close family member, typically within the bereavement leave entitlement under the employer's leave policy (3 to 5 days is standard in UAE practice).

A UAE Leave Application Form that is effective as an HR record, supports leave balance management, and provides the manager and HR with the information needed to approve or defer the request must contain the following elements. The forms-legal.com UAE Leave Application Form template covers all of them.

Employee identification must state the employee's full name, staff ID, job title, department, and reporting manager. These details link the form to the employee's MOHRE employment file and leave balance record.

Leave type selection is the most important field. The type of leave determines the applicable statutory entitlement, the pay status during leave, the required supporting documentation, and the approval authority. The UAE Leave Application Form template includes a complete leave type selector covering all leave types under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

Leave dates — start date, end date (both in DD/MM/YYYY format), and the number of working days — must be consistent with each other. The number of working days should exclude UAE public holidays (as declared by the UAE government each year, based on the Islamic and Gregorian calendars) and the employee's weekly rest days.

Reason for leave provides context for the manager's approval decision. While detailed reasons are not always required, a brief explanation (family vacation, medical appointment, examination) helps the manager plan for the employee's absence. For sick leave, the reason is typically provided by the medical certificate rather than the form.

Handover arrangements — specifying who will cover the employee's duties during their absence and how urgent matters should be directed — are essential for operational continuity, particularly for employees in client-facing or time-sensitive roles in the UAE's banking, real-estate, and technology sectors.

Employee declaration confirms that the information is accurate and that the employee understands the leave is subject to approval. Manager and HR approval section includes tick boxes for approval, modification, or decline; a comments field; and leave balance before and after the requested period. The Wages Protection System (WPS) payroll for the leave period must reflect the correct pay status (full pay, half pay, or no pay depending on the leave type and duration under Article 33 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021).

Completing a UAE Leave Application Form correctly ensures that the request is processed promptly, the leave balance is accurately recorded, and the manager has enough notice to plan for the absence.

Begin with Employer Details. Enter the company name. For Employee Details, enter the employee's full name, staff ID, job title, department, and the name of the direct reporting manager. These details must match the MOHRE employment file and the HR system.

For Leave Details, select the leave type from the dropdown. Annual leave is the most common selection — confirm the remaining leave balance before submitting the form to avoid requesting more days than the balance allows. Enter the leave start and end dates. Count the working days requested carefully — exclude UAE public holidays and weekend rest days. For sick leave, attach the medical certificate from a DHA-licensed or DOH-licensed healthcare provider. For maternity leave, attach the expected delivery date confirmation from the obstetrician.

Enter a brief reason for the leave. For annual leave, a general description such as 'family vacation' is sufficient. Enter the emergency contact method — for employees in critical roles, the manager may need to contact them in genuine emergencies. Enter the name of the colleague who will cover duties during the absence, and confirm that handover arrangements have been made.

Enter the application date. Sign the employee declaration. Submit the form to the reporting manager at least two weeks before the intended leave start date for annual leave, or as soon as possible for unplanned leave types such as sick or bereavement leave. The manager completes Section D — the approval section — indicating approval, modification, or decline, noting any comments and completing the leave balance fields. HR reviews and counter-signs. The payroll team is notified of any leave with salary implications (sick leave at half pay or no pay, Hajj leave unpaid) to ensure the WPS submission reflects the correct deduction.

Leave Application Form (UAE) — Legal Requirements. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) sets out the statutory minimum leave entitlements for UAE private-sector employees. Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 provides implementing procedures. Article 29 governs annual leave (minimum 30 calendar days per year after one year of service). Article 30 governs maternity leave (60 calendar days; 45 at full pay, 15 at half pay). Article 32 governs paternity leave (5 working days). Article 33 governs sick leave (up to 90 calendar days per year: 15 at full pay, 30 at half pay, 45 unpaid). Article 35 governs study/examination leave (10 days per year for accredited study). Article 29(6) governs Hajj leave (once-in-service, unpaid, not less than 30 days).

Employers who deny statutory leave entitlements — for example, by refusing to grant annual leave that has accrued or by underpaying during sick leave — may face MOHRE complaints and be ordered to pay the outstanding leave entitlements with interest. Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009 (WPS) requires that salary payments accurately reflect approved leave deductions. Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data applies to the leave application form as part of the employee's personnel record — medical information on sick leave forms is sensitive personal data that must be stored securely.

For DIFC employees, leave entitlements are governed by DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 (22 working days annual leave; 65 working days maternity leave; 5 working days paternity leave). For ADGM employees, ADGM Employment Regulations 2019 apply. The MOHRE Smart App and Tasheel service allow employers to record leave in the official MOHRE system.

UAE Leave Application Form — Common Mistakes That Affect Leave Balances and MOHRE Compliance.

1. Requesting annual leave without checking the remaining balance. An employee who submits a leave application for more days than their remaining annual leave balance may be approved in error, creating an overpayment that the employer will need to recover at end of service. HR should always verify the balance before approving.

2. Calculating the number of working days incorrectly. UAE public holidays (announced annually by the UAE government) and the employee's weekly rest days (Friday-Saturday or Friday only, depending on the sector) must be excluded from the working days count. Including holidays or rest days as working days inflates the leave entitlement and may cause a leave balance discrepancy.

3. Not attaching a medical certificate for sick leave. Sick leave taken without a supporting medical certificate from a DHA or DOH-licensed healthcare provider may be treated as unauthorised absence, which the employer may deduct from the annual leave balance or treat as unpaid absence under Article 33 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

4. Not recording half-pay or no-pay leave correctly in the WPS. Sick leave days 16 to 45 (at half pay) and days 46 to 90 (unpaid) must be reflected in the WPS submission. Paying full salary for the entire sick leave period and recovering the excess later creates WPS compliance complexity. Process the correct deduction from the first affected payroll cycle.

5. Denying annual leave requested within the employee's legal entitlement without business justification. Employers may defer but not permanently deny annual leave. Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, leave entitlement that is not taken due to the employer's operational requirements must be carried forward or compensated at termination.

6. Not maintaining a signed copy of the approved leave form. The approved leave form is the HR record of the absence. Disputes about leave balances at end of service are common at MOHRE, and the employer needs the signed, approved leave forms to demonstrate what leave was taken and what was paid.