What Is Annual Leave Entitlement Under Qatar Labour Law

If you're working in Qatar and trying to figure out exactly how much paid leave you're owed, you're in the right place. The rules sit in the Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004), and they're clearer than most employers make them sound.

Quick answer

Under Qatari Labour Law, what is annual leave entitlement comes down to length of service. If you've completed one year with the same employer, you get at least 3 weeks of paid annual leave per year. Once you cross 5 years of service, that jumps to 4 weeks per year. Leave is paid at your basic wage plus allowances, scheduled by the employer, and unused days must be paid out when you leave. Domestic workers follow a slightly different regime under Law No. 15 of 2017.

The statutory minimum under Law No. 14 of 2004

Article 79 of the Labour Law sets the baseline. Workers who've completed one full year of continuous service with the same employer are entitled to annual leave with full pay. The minimum is 3 weeks for anyone with less than 5 years of service, and 4 weeks once you pass the 5-year mark. ^[1]

"Weeks" here means calendar weeks, so count weekends in. Public holidays that fall during your leave don't eat into it — those are separate under Article 76. ^[1]

A few things people get wrong:

• The 3-week minimum is a floor, not a ceiling. Your contract or company policy can give you more. Most private-sector contracts in Qatar offer 25–30 calendar days.
• You don't earn leave in year one unless your contract says so. The statutory right kicks in after you complete 12 months.
• If you leave before completing a full year, you're still entitled to leave pay pro-rated to the period you worked. Article 80 covers this. ^[1]

Honestly, if your contract is silent on annual leave, the statutory minimum applies by default. You don't need to negotiate it in.

Timing, scheduling, and splitting the leave

The employer decides when you take your leave, based on business needs — but they can't just sit on it indefinitely. Article 79 requires leave to be granted during the year it's earned. ^[1]

You can split the leave into two parts if both you and the employer agree. More than two splits isn't contemplated by the statute, though in practice it happens with employer consent.

Carrying leave forward? The law allows it in limited circumstances. If work demands prevent you from taking leave, the employer can defer it to the following year — but they can't force you to lose it. Any untaken leave at the end of the employment relationship must be paid out in cash. ^[1]

Watch out: Some employers try to impose a "use it or lose it" clause in the contract. That clause doesn't override Article 79. Untaken statutory leave converts to a cash entitlement on exit.

How annual leave pay is calculated

You're paid your full wage during leave. Under Article 79, that means basic salary plus any regular allowances — housing, transport, and similar components that form part of your usual pay package. ^[1]

Overtime and discretionary bonuses typically don't factor in, because they're not part of the fixed wage. If your allowances are variable, employers usually average them over the preceding months.

For end-of-service leave payout, the calculation is simple: your daily wage multiplied by the number of untaken leave days. Daily wage is monthly pay divided by 30 — the standard formula used by the Ministry of Labour and the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees.

For more on how final settlements work, see our note on end of service entitlements in Qatar.

Sick leave, Hajj leave, and other categories don't count

This is where people conflate things. Annual leave is one specific entitlement. It's separate from:

• Sick leave — up to 2 weeks full pay, then reduced pay for a further period, under Article 82 of Law No. 14 of 2004. ^[1]
• Hajj leave — up to 2 weeks unpaid, once during the employment relationship, under Article 83. ^[1]
• Public holidays — set by Cabinet decision each year, paid, and don't reduce your annual leave balance.
• Maternity leave — 50 days paid for female employees who've completed a year of service, under Article 96. ^[1]

If you take sick days during a scheduled annual leave period and provide a certified medical report, those days should generally be reclassified as sick leave — though the mechanics depend on employer policy.

Domestic workers and public sector staff

Domestic workers aren't covered by Law No. 14 of 2004. They fall under Law No. 15 of 2017, which gives them 3 weeks of paid annual leave per year after completing one year of service. ^[2]

Public sector employees follow the Civil Human Resources Law (Law No. 15 of 2016), which provides more generous leave — typically 30 to 45 working days depending on grade. ^[3]

If you're unsure which law applies to you, start with your contract and employer type. Private company? Law 14. Government body? Law 15 of 2016. Household employment? Law 15 of 2017.

What to do if your employer denies the leave

File a complaint with the Labour Relations Department of the Ministry of Labour. Submit it through the Ministry's online portal or in person. If it's not resolved within a short period, the matter goes to the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees established under Law No. 13 of 2017, which replaced the old court-only route and aims to resolve claims within weeks rather than months. ^[4]

Keep records. Dated leave requests, email replies, payslips showing (or not showing) leave pay. Without documentation, enforcement is uphill.

For the broader picture on worker rights, our Qatar employment law overview covers related entitlements.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a lawyer licensed in Qatar →

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