UAE Offer Letter Probation Length and Notice Periods Explained

The direct answer: the rule and its legal source

The UAE Labour Law is Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations. It took effect on 2 February 2022 and replaced the 1980 law. Three figures decide most questions about probation and notice.

The first is the probation cap. Article 9 of the Decree-Law says an employer may put a worker on probation for no more than six months, counted from the date work actually begins. Parties can agree a shorter period, such as three months, but they cannot agree a longer one. A clause that extends probation past six months is void to that extent, and the same employer cannot repeat a probation with the same worker.

The second is the notice during probation. Under the same Article 9, an employer that ends the contract during probation must give at least 14 days' written notice. The notice has to be in writing. A conversation alone does not meet the rule. The employee has his or her own short notice route. Someone who leaves the UAE gives 14 days. Someone who moves to another UAE employer gives one month, which is about 30 days.

The third is the notice after probation. Article 43 of the Decree-Law applies once probation is complete. Either party may end the contract for a legitimate reason by written notice. The contract sets the warning period, and that period must be at least 30 days and no more than 90 days. The same period applies to both sides unless the law allows a difference in the worker's favour.

Before you rely on any article number, open the official text. Several secondary guides cite different article numbers for the same rules. The official Decree-Law is published on the UAE Legislation portal, and MOHRE hosts its own copy. Check both before you copy a clause into a contract.

How the figure is worked out, step by step

1. Confirm the real start date. Probation runs from the day the worker actually starts work, not the day the offer letter was signed or the visa was issued.
2. Find the probation length in the registered contract. If the contract says three months, the clock stops at three months. If it says nothing, the six-month cap still applies, but the contract should state the period clearly.
3. Work out which side is ending the contract and why. During probation, the answer is 14 days for an employer, 14 days for an employee leaving the UAE, and one month for an employee moving to another UAE employer.
4. If the notice falls after probation, read the notice period in the registered contract. It must sit between 30 and 90 days.
5. Count the days forward from the day after the notice is given. The law counts a calendar month as 30 days for periods written in months, so a one-month notice is treated as 30 days.
6. Put the notice in writing, give it to the other party, and keep proof of delivery.

Worked example with real dates

Take a finance assistant in Dubai whose contract starts on 1 February 2027 with a six-month probation. The probation ends on 31 July 2027. The contract also says the post-probation notice is 60 days.

In the first case, the employer decides on 15 March 2027 that the hire is not working out. It gives written notice that day. Counting forward from 16 March, the fourteenth day is 29 March 2027. The employer must keep the employee on the payroll through that date, or pay the wages for the unserved days. The same logic applies if the employee is the one resigning and leaving the UAE.

In the second case, the employee accepts a job with another UAE company and gives written notice on 10 April 2027, while still on probation. Under the 30-day reading of the one-month rule, the last day is 10 May 2027. Ask HR which day count the registered contract uses, because the difference matters when the two dates are close to a month-end.

In the third case, the probation has ended. The employee resigns on 1 October 2027 under the 60-day clause. Counting from 2 October, the sixtieth day is 30 November 2027. The employee works until then, or the employer agrees to waive part of the notice in writing.

Cases that change the answer

The rules above are the default. Several situations change the result.

Three exclusions matter. First, the UAE Labour Law applies to most private-sector employers in the mainland and most free zones. DIFC and ADGM run their own employment laws, with different probation and notice concepts. Second, domestic workers such as drivers and housekeepers follow a separate regime that runs through recruitment offices. Third, government employees and other public-sector staff are outside the private-sector rules described here.

The recruitment cost point needs care. The ILO's May 2024 brief on the UAE says that when a worker moves to a new employer during probation, the old employer may be able to claim part of the recruitment costs from the new one. The word may is important. It is a possibility set by the law, not an automatic charge. Amounts are not fixed in the guide, so check what the law and MOHRE allow before you agree a figure.

Notice periods also run in both directions. The Decree-Law says a party that does not follow the agreed notice must compensate the other party for the rest of that notice period. An employer that sends a worker home early owes the notice wages. A worker who leaves early owes the same amount to the employer.

Common mistakes

The most frequent mistake is writing probation terms into the offer letter and not the contract. The offer letter is a useful summary, but the MOHRE-registered contract is the document that governs the relationship. If the two disagree, fix the mismatch before the worker starts.

The second mistake is extending probation to give a manager more time. A written extension beyond six months does not work. The cap cannot be agreed around, and an employer that keeps a worker on probation past the sixth month risks treating the worker as confirmed from that point, with the notice rules that follow from that status.

The third mistake is using the 30-to-90-day range during probation. That range starts after probation. Inside probation, the 14-day and one-month rules apply, and they are shorter. Using the longer figure can lead to a dispute about notice pay, but using a figure shorter than the law allows is a bigger problem.

The fourth mistake is ending a contract by phone or in person and calling it notice. The law requires written notice. Keep a dated copy and a record of how it was delivered.

The fifth mistake is ignoring the resignation consequences. A worker who leaves the UAE without giving the required notice can face a one-year work permit ban. A worker who resigns properly with written notice does not create that ban. For employers, this means the notice letter should state the last working day in clear terms.

What to check with HR or a lawyer

Before you publish a clause or act on a notice, check five things. Confirm the exact article numbers and wording against the official Decree-Law text. Confirm that the probation dates in the MOHRE contract match the real start date. Decide which day-counting method the contract uses and write it down. Check whether the worker is in a free zone with its own law, or in a role covered by a separate regime. Ask whether any payment in lieu of notice, garden leave or early release is agreed in writing.

Automation cannot make these decisions. A system can count the dates and flag a clash between an offer letter and a contract. It cannot decide whether a dismissal is lawful, whether misconduct justifies immediate termination, or whether a free zone rule overrides the federal rule. Those calls stay with HR and, for disputes, a UAE lawyer.

Any change that reduces pay, hours or responsibilities during probation or notice needs the same care. The country's notice, consultation and severance rules apply. The change should be agreed with the employee or checked with a lawyer first.

This explains the rule in general terms; it is not legal or tax advice for your case.

Employers with routine HR and payroll work can have AI workers handle the repetitive parts. An AI worker can read the start date from the employee record, calculate the probation end date and the notice window, prepare a draft notice letter for a person to check and sign, and remind HR when a deadline is close. The people in the business still approve each notice, decide the exceptions and keep the legal file.