Annual leave, sick leave and leave salary in Qatar

Qatar's Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004, as amended) gives every private-sector employee paid annual leave, paid sick leave, paid public holidays and, for women, paid maternity leave. The headline rules are simple: at least 3 weeks of paid annual leave a year, rising to 4 weeks once you have more than 5 years of service, earned after your first full year and paid in advance at your basic wage. The 2026 amendments (Law No. 9 of 2026) did not change any of these leave rules. This guide is for employees on a Qatar work permit; domestic workers have their own law, and government and Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) staff follow different rules. Read it in order: check that the law covers you, work out how many days you have, agree the dates, calculate your leave salary, and then look up the other types of leave and what happens to unused days when your job ends.

Before you start

• Your signed employment contract, especially the clauses on annual leave, leave pay, air tickets and sick leave (your contract can give more than the law, never less)
• Your latest payslip, so you can see your basic wage separately from housing, transport and other allowances
• Your joining date, because leave rises from 3 to 4 weeks after 5 years and is counted from your first day of service
• Your current leave balance from HR or the company leave system, including any days carried over from last year
• Your company's leave policy or staff handbook, if there is one (notice periods for leave requests, blackout periods, ticket rules)
• A written leave request (email or HR system) with the dates you want, sent well before you book flights
• For sick leave: a medical certificate from a doctor your employer accepts (for example from an HMC hospital, a PHCC health centre or a licensed private clinic)
• For maternity leave: a doctor's certificate showing your expected delivery date

Step by step

1. Check which leave rules apply to you

   The leave rules in this guide come from the Labour Law, which covers most private-sector employees on a Qatar work permit. Domestic workers (house helpers, family drivers, nannies) are covered instead by Law No. 15 of 2017, which gives them 3 weeks of paid annual leave for every year of service, 2 weeks of paid sick leave a year after their first 3 months, and a return air ticket home every 2 years. Government employees follow the civil service HR law, and QFC companies follow the QFC Employment Regulations. Under Law No. 9 of 2026, part-time and freelance workers are outside the Labour Law unless the Council of Ministers extends it to them. If you are not sure which group you are in, check your contract and your work permit.

2. Know how much annual leave you get

   Article 79 gives you paid annual leave of at least 3 weeks a year if you have less than 5 years of service, and at least 4 weeks once you have more than 5 years. These are calendar weeks, so 3 weeks is usually counted as 21 days and 4 weeks as 28 days, including any Fridays inside the leave. Many contracts are more generous (for example 30 days, or working days instead of calendar days), and a better contract term always applies. A contract that gives less than the legal minimum is not valid on that point. Public holidays are separate from annual leave and are not taken out of it.

3. Understand when you earn it

   Your right to annual leave starts once you have completed one continuous year with the same employer. Your probation period counts as service. After that, leave keeps building up, and for part of a year you earn leave in proportion to the time worked: on 21 days a year that is 1.75 days for each month. Many employers let staff take some leave before their first anniversary, but that is company policy, not a legal right. If you change employers, your service with the new employer starts from zero for leave purposes.

   Read guide: Changing jobs in Qatar without an NOC →

4. Agree your leave dates in writing

   Under Article 80, the employer decides when you take your annual leave, based on the needs of the work. In practice you should ask early, in writing, and get the approval in writing before you buy tickets. With your agreement, the employer can split your leave, but into no more than two parts (for example 21 days as 11 plus 10). The employer cannot refuse your leave year after year: the law expects you to take it in the year it is due. Keep the approval email or the screen from your HR system.

5. Carry over only what the law allows

   You cannot give up your annual leave, and any agreement that says you will is void (Article 81). If you want to save some leave for next year, you can ask in writing, and the employer may agree to carry over up to half of that year's leave. The employer cannot decide on its own to push your leave into a later year. Paying you cash instead of letting you take leave while you are still employed is not provided for in the law, although some companies offer it; the leave is meant for rest. Check your balance at least once a year so days do not quietly disappear.

6. Work out your leave salary

   Article 72 says pay for annual leave and sick leave is calculated on your basic wage on the date it becomes due, so housing, transport and other allowances are not part of the legal minimum. Many contracts pay leave on full (gross) salary instead, and that better term applies. The usual method is basic wage divided by 30, times the number of leave days. Worked example: basic wage QAR 4,000, housing QAR 2,000, transport QAR 1,000. Daily basic is 4,000 / 30 = QAR 133.33, so 21 days of leave pay is 21 x 133.33 = QAR 2,800 (or 28 days = QAR 3,733 after 5 years). If your contract pays leave on gross salary, the same 21 days would be 7,000 / 30 x 21 = QAR 4,900. You can check your own figures with the leave salary calculator.

   Work it out: work out your leave salary ↗

7. Get paid before you travel

   Article 68 requires your employer to pay you, before your leave starts, your wages for the days you have already worked plus the leave salary for the leave days. Check that the payment has arrived in your bank account through the Wage Protection System (WPS) before you fly. While you are on leave you must not work for another employer; if you do, the employer can hold back or recover your leave pay (Article 84). Your employer also cannot dismiss you or serve you notice while you are on leave (Article 85).

   Read guide: Open a bank account in Qatar →

8. Know your paid public holidays

   Article 78 gives every employee, whatever their length of service, full pay on public holidays: 3 days for Eid al-Fitr, 3 days for Eid al-Adha, 1 day for National Day (18 December), and 3 more days chosen by the employer. In 2026 the Ministry of Labour (MOL) also announced National Sport Day (the second Tuesday of February) as an official holiday for the private sector. The Ministry announces the exact Eid dates for the private sector each year. If you have to work on a public holiday, you are entitled to extra pay and a day off in its place; see the working hours and overtime guide for the rates.

   Read guide: Working hours, overtime pay and weekly rest in Qatar →

9. Take sick leave when you need it

   Once you have completed 3 months of service, Article 82 gives you paid sick leave for each year of service: the first 2 weeks on full pay, the next 4 weeks on half pay, and after that unpaid leave until you return to work, resign or your contract ends for health reasons. You need a medical certificate from a doctor your employer accepts, so tell your manager on the first day and send the certificate as soon as you have it. Sick leave is not taken from your annual leave. If you are hurt at work, a separate rule applies: Article 109 gives full pay during treatment for up to 6 months, then half pay.

   Read guide: Get your health card (now linked to your QID) →

10. Plan maternity leave and nursing hours

    A woman who has worked for the same employer for a full year is entitled to 50 days of maternity leave on full pay (Article 96), on top of her other leave. At least 35 of the 50 days must be taken after the birth, and you need a doctor's certificate showing the expected delivery date. If fewer than 35 days remain after the birth, the missing days can be taken from annual leave or as unpaid leave, and if you are medically unable to return you can take up to 60 more days unpaid with a certificate. For one year after the birth you get at least one paid nursing hour a day, at a time you choose (Article 97). The law has no paid leave for women with less than a year of service and no paternity leave for fathers, so check your contract and company policy.

    Read guide: Newborn in Qatar: birth certificate, passport and residence permit →

11. Ask for Hajj and other special leave

    A Muslim employee can take unpaid leave to perform Hajj once during their service with an employer (Article 83). The official English text says up to two weeks; some summaries say 20 days, so confirm the length with HR. The employer decides how many staff can go each year and gives priority to those with longer service. The Labour Law does not give private-sector staff compassionate (bereavement), marriage or study leave; if your company offers it, it will be in your contract or staff handbook. Anything else you need, such as extra unpaid leave, depends on agreement with your employer, so get it in writing.

12. Claim cash for unused leave when you leave

    If your contract ends before you have taken all your leave, Article 81 entitles you to cash for the unused days, calculated on your basic wage (or more if your contract says so). Example: you leave 9 months into a year, with no leave taken that year, on a basic wage of QAR 4,000. You have earned 21 x 9/12 = 15.75 days, worth 15.75 x 133.33 = QAR 2,100. This is separate from, and paid in addition to, your end-of-service gratuity. Final wages and dues should be paid promptly after the contract ends; if they are not, raise it with HR in writing and then file a complaint with the MOL.

    Work it out: Qatar gratuity calculator ↗

    Read guide: End-of-service gratuity in Qatar: how it is worked out and how to claim it →

Common mistakes

• Booking flights before your leave is approved in writing; the employer sets the dates and can refuse a period that clashes with work needs.
• Assuming leave salary is your full salary. The legal minimum is your basic wage; only your contract can give you more, so read it before you plan your budget.
• Counting 3 weeks as 15 working days. The law uses calendar weeks, so Fridays inside your leave are usually counted, unless your contract says working days.
• Letting leave pile up without a written carry-over request. Only up to half a year's leave can be postponed, and only if you ask in writing.
• Signing an agreement to give up annual leave in exchange for money or a promotion; such an agreement is void under Article 81.
• Forgetting the medical certificate for sick days, which can turn paid sick leave into unpaid absence.
• Mixing up unused-leave cash with the end-of-service gratuity. They are two separate payments, and you are entitled to both.
• Working for another company or doing paid freelance work during your annual leave, which allows the employer to recover your leave pay.

Questions people ask

Official sources

• ILO NATLEX: Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (English text, Articles 68, 72, 78 to 85, 96, 97) ↗
• Mondaq: Key amendments introduced by Law No. 9 of 2026 ↗
• Qatar Tribune: Labour ministry declares National Sport Day an official holiday (February 2026) ↗
• Al Raya: Legal rules on workers' wages, including leave pay (August 2026, Arabic) ↗
• ILO: Know your rights, domestic workers in Qatar (Law No. 15 of 2017) ↗
• Mondaq: Workplace leave in Qatar (maternity, sick and Hajj leave) ↗

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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