Annual Leave in Qatar: Days, Pay and Payout When You Leave
How many days of annual leave Qatar's Labour Law gives, who decides the dates, how leave is paid, and what you get if your contract ends before you take it.
Annual leave is a basic right that people often mix up with public holidays and sick leave. This guide follows Articles 68, 72, 78 to 81, 83 to 85 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 as shown on Al Meezan, Qatar's official legal portal, which we read in October 2026. It applies to workers under that law. Public sector staff and domestic workers may follow other rules that we did not check.
How many days you get
| Service with the employer | Annual leave under Article 79 |
|---|---|
| Under 5 years (after one whole continuous year) | Not less than three weeks |
| Five years or more | Not less than four weeks |
| Part of a year | In proportion to the period of service |
The right starts for a worker who has completed a continuous whole year in service. Article 79 also says you are entitled to leave for fractions of a year in proportion to your service. Your contract may give more than the law's minimum.
Who chooses the dates
Article 80 says the employer sets the date of your annual leave according to the needs of the work. The employer may split the leave with your consent, but not into more than two periods. On your written request, the employer may postpone up to half of your leave to the following year.
How leave is paid
Article 72 says annual leave pay is calculated on your Basic Wage on the due date, or on your average pay for the three months before if you are paid by the piece. Article 68 says the employer must pay you, before the leave date, the pay due for the work you did up to then, plus the leave allowance.
You cannot sign away your leave
Article 81 says a worker may not waive the right to annual leave and any agreement to the contrary is void. If your employment contract ends for any reason before you took the leave, you are entitled to a cash alternative equal to your pay for the leave days due. We did not find a rule in these articles fixing the divisor used to turn a monthly wage into a daily rate, so ask HR how your payout is worked out and compare it with your contract.
Holidays, Hajj leave and working during leave
Public holidays are separate. Article 78 gives paid days for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Independence Day and some days chosen by the employer, which we explain in our guide to public holidays. Article 83 gives a Muslim worker special unpaid leave of up to twenty days for Hajj, once in the whole period of service, with priority for the worker with the longest continuous service. Article 84 bars working for another employer during any leave, and Article 85 bars termination, or notice of termination, during leave periods.
What to do
This is our own practical advice, not part of the law.
- Ask HR in writing for your leave balance and how it is counted.
- If you want to carry half of your leave to next year, ask in writing. The law says the request must be written.
- Before you travel, confirm that your salary up to the leave date is paid.
- If you resign or your contract ends, ask for a written statement of unused leave days and the cash amount, along with your end of service gratuity.
- If the employer refuses leave or the payout, see our guide to filing a labor complaint.
Common mistakes
- Signing a paper that says you give up annual leave. Article 81 calls such an agreement void.
- Mixing up public holidays with annual leave.
- Not asking in writing when carrying leave to the next year.
- Leaving the job without a written leave balance.
What we could not verify
- Whether later amendments or ministerial decisions changed Articles 79 to 81. Al Meezan showed the 2005 text with no amendment notice when we read it.
- How employers convert a monthly wage into a daily leave rate. The articles we read do not set one.
- Leave rules for public sector employees and domestic workers.
Related: weekly rest and public holiday rules are in weekly rest day and public holidays in Qatar.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave in Qatar?
Article 79 gives at least three weeks after a continuous whole year of service for under five years of employment, and at least four weeks for five years or more, with proportional leave for part of a year.
Do I get paid for unused annual leave in Qatar?
Yes. Article 81 says if the contract ends for any reason before you take the leave, you are entitled to a cash alternative equal to your pay for the due leave days.
Can my employer decide when I take leave?
Article 80 lets the employer set the date according to the work requirements. It may split the leave into no more than two periods with your consent.
Can I carry over annual leave in Qatar?
Under Article 80, on your written request the employer may postpone up to half of the leave to the next year. The law does not make it automatic.
Is annual leave paid on basic salary?
Article 72 says leave pay is calculated on the Basic Wage on the due date. Check your contract for any allowances it adds.
Sources & references
Agha Ali Abbas
Founder & Editor
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