Qatar Annual Leave Calculator: Leave Balance and Cash Value
A calculator for the annual leave you have built up under Labour Law Article 79, at 21 days a year and 28 days from five years, with the cash value you are owed if the contract ends.
Most people know they get "three or four weeks" but not how much has built up since their last holiday, or what it is worth if they leave. This page works it out from your start date. The rules come from Articles 72, 79, 80 and 81 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 as read on Al Meezan for our annual leave guide. It is an estimate, not legal advice, and your contract may give more.
Calculate your annual leave
Enter the date you started with this employer and the date to calculate to. Leave the second date empty to use today.
The rule in short
| Service | Annual leave under Article 79 |
|---|---|
| One whole continuous year to under five years | Not less than three weeks (21 days) a year |
| Five years or more | Not less than four weeks (28 days) a year |
| Part of a year | In proportion to the period of service |
The calculator counts calendar days, builds leave evenly through each service year, and counts years from your start date, so your balance steps up on each anniversary. Your employer sets the dates of your leave under Article 80, and may split it into no more than two periods with your consent.
What the cash value means
Article 81 says you cannot waive annual leave, and that if the contract ends before you take it, you are owed its cash alternative equal to your pay for the days due. Article 72 bases leave pay on your basic wage. The calculator values a day at basic wage divided by 30, which is an assumption because the articles we read set no divisor. Ask HR which figure it uses. Add this amount to your other dues in our final settlement calculator.
A worked example
A worker started on 1 March 2022 and checks their balance on 1 September 2026. They have completed four years, so the entitlement is 21 days a year. Since their last anniversary on 1 March 2026, 184 of 365 days of the service year have passed, so about 10.6 days have built up. On a basic wage of QAR 6,000, a day is QAR 200, and 10.6 days is about QAR 2,116.
Carrying leave to next year
Article 80 says that on your written request the employer may postpone up to half of your leave to the following year. Ask in writing. Enter any carried days in the calculator so that they are counted.
Before you rely on the result
- Ask HR in writing for your official leave balance and how it counts it.
- Do not sign a paper that waives annual leave. Article 81 calls such an agreement void.
- If your employer refuses the payout when you leave, see how to file a labor complaint in Qatar.
- Public holidays are separate. See public holidays in Qatar.
What we could not verify
- How employers convert a wage to a daily leave rate. The articles set no divisor.
- Whether later amendments changed Articles 79 to 81. Al Meezan showed the 2005 text with no amendment notice.
- How leave builds up during the first year, because Article 79 starts the right after a continuous year and then counts parts of a year in proportion.
- Leave rules for public sector staff and domestic workers.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave do I get in Qatar?
Article 79 gives at least three weeks (21 days) a year after a continuous year of service, and four weeks (28 days) from five years, in proportion for part of a year. Your contract may give more.
Do I get paid for unused annual leave when I leave Qatar?
Yes. Article 81 says that if your contract ends before you take your leave, you are owed its cash value, and you cannot waive the right.
Is leave pay based on basic or total salary in Qatar?
Article 72 bases leave pay on the basic wage. The calculator values a day as basic wage divided by 30, an assumption, so ask HR how your payout is worked out.
Sources & references
Agha Ali Abbas
Founder & Editor
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