What do you get as an Emirati if you leave before you qualify for a pension?

You get an end of service gratuity from the pension system. The Labour Law says a national worker’s end of service benefit follows the pensions and social security legislation, so the private sector gratuity in Article 51 is for foreign workers.¹ Under Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023 you get a gratuity if your service ends and you are not entitled to a pension.²

How is the gratuity calculated?

In months of your pension account salary, which is your average contribution salary over your last six years, or your whole service if shorter:

• one and a half months for each of the first five years, as long as you have at least one year
• two months for each of the next five years
• three months for each year after ten.²

Part of a month counts as a full month.²

The GPSSA pension calculator tells you whether your service and age give a pension or a gratuity, and works out either.

When do you get a gratuity instead of a pension?

When your service ends without meeting a pension condition. Under the 2023 law a pension on leaving needs 15 years at age 60, or 30 years at age 55, unless your service ended through death, disability, medical unfitness or a decree.² The full list is on the GPSSA pension.

Can you keep the years instead of taking the money?

Yes. GPSSA says insured Emiratis can choose to retain their end of service gratuity when they leave an employer, so those years merge with service at a new employer.³ The law treats a previous period as added to your later service if you choose not to take the gratuity, under conditions GPSSA’s board sets, including a time limit for choosing.²

Ask GPSSA for the deadline to choose before you claim the gratuity.

Can your gratuity be reduced?

Only by a disciplinary decision of the competent authority, by no more than a quarter, except for alimony debt. Apart from debts owed to GPSSA itself, GPSSA may not deduct other debts from your gratuity.²

If you die before receiving it, it is paid to your beneficiaries under the pension rules, or under Islamic inheritance rules if there are none.²

The small print

• Articles. The gratuity is Article 26, the salary basis Article 18, entitlement to a pension Article 13, deductions Article 27 and adding service Article 8(4) of Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023.²
• Labour Law. Article 51(1) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sends a national worker’s end of service benefit to the pension legislation.¹
• 1999 law. Emiratis insured before 31 October 2023 stay under Federal Law No. 7 of 1999, which has its own gratuity rules. Ask GPSSA for your figure.²