Can you take sick leave for depression or anxiety in the UAE?
Yes. Once probation is complete, a mental health condition certified by a licensed healthcare professional carries the same sick-leave rights as any physical illness: up to 90 days per year under Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the MOHRE-administered UAE labour law.
- Can you take sick leave for depression or anxiety in the UAE?
- Mental health sick leave pay in the UAE
- What are you really asking?
- Which conditions qualify?
- How do I tell my employer?
- 1. Get assessed by a licensed provider
- 2. Notify your employer within three working days
- 3. Know what the certificate needs to say
- What does your employer have a right to see?
- Can you be dismissed because of depression or anxiety?
- What if my employer pushes back?
- What does returning to work look like?
- Which mistakes should you avoid?
- Mental health sick leave: law vs myth
- Your action plan, in order
- For HR leaders
- Frequently asked questions
- The bottom line
- Primary sources
Key rule: UAE labour law draws no line between physical and psychological illness. A valid medical certificate unlocks the same 90-day entitlement either way.
Mental health sick leave pay in the UAE
| Sick leave period (per year) | Pay |
|---|---|
| First 15 days | Full pay (100%) |
| Next 30 days | Half pay (50%) |
| Final 45 days | Unpaid (0%) |
The law asks one question only: has a licensed provider certified that you are medically unfit to work? If yes, the 90-day sick leave framework applies, and Federal Law No. 10 of 2023 on Mental Health adds a layer of confidentiality and dignity protections around the whole process.
What are you really asking?
When people search “can I take sick leave for depression in the UAE,” the question underneath is usually different: if I tell my employer I am struggling, will it cost me my job?
That worry is understandable, and the law has answered it. Mental health is treated as legitimate healthcare, your information is confidential by right, and your employment is protected from restrictions based on a diagnosis alone.
This guide walks through the mechanics: which conditions qualify, what paperwork you need, what your employer can and cannot see, and what to do at each step.
Which conditions qualify?
UAE labour law focuses on fitness for work, not illness category.
Conditions that qualify when certified by a licensed professional include major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, severe stress-related conditions, and burnout where it has developed into medically recognised symptoms.
The deciding factor is never the label. It is whether a qualified healthcare professional has certified that you are unfit to work for a specified period.
Self-certification is not enough; the medical certificate is the foundation of the entitlement.
How do I tell my employer?
Three steps, in order.
1. Get assessed by a licensed provider
Certification must come from a healthcare professional licensed under one of the UAE’s health authorities:
- Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP)
- Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
- Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DoH)
2. Notify your employer within three working days
UAE labour law requires the employee to inform the employer of the illness within a maximum of three working days and to submit the medical certificate.
Put it in writing, follow your company’s absence-reporting procedure, and keep copies of everything: the certificate, the email, and the acknowledgement.
3. Know what the certificate needs to say
It confirms that you were assessed, that you are unfit for work, and the recommended duration of absence.
That is all your employer needs.
Key takeaway: Certificate from a MoHAP, DHA or DoH licensed provider, written notification within three working days, copies retained. Those three steps secure your entitlement.
What does your employer have a right to see?
Fitness for work, duration of absence, and the certificate supporting them.
Not your therapy notes, not your counselling records, not your treatment history, and not your diagnosis in detail. Federal Law No. 10 of 2023 makes confidentiality the default for mental health information.
Inside the organisation, that means medical documents are handled by authorised personnel only, stored securely, and kept out of general HR notes and performance files. Done properly, your manager knows you are on certified medical leave, and nothing more.
Key takeaway: The certificate does the talking. Your clinical details remain between you and your healthcare provider, protected by law.
Can you be dismissed because of depression or anxiety?
No, not solely because of the condition. Article 9(5) of Federal Law No. 10 of 2023 protects employees from employment restrictions on mental health grounds, with one narrow exception that runs through a specialised medical committee.
Our complete guide explains the protection, the exception and what HR must do differently:
UAE Mental Health Law Explained
What if my employer pushes back?
Stay calm and procedural; the framework is on your side.
First, make sure your certificate comes from a provider licensed by MoHAP, DHA or DoH, since an accredited certificate is the strongest document in the conversation. Second, keep your records organised: certificate, notification, and any responses. Third, raise the matter through your HR channel in writing.
If it remains unresolved, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) is the formal escalation route for private-sector labour matters, reachable through its call centre and online complaint channels.
Most disputes never reach that stage. Clear documentation, submitted on time, resolves the overwhelming majority of questions before they become disagreements.
What does returning to work look like?
A good return is short and private: a conversation about workload, any temporary adjustments your provider has recommended, and clear expectations going forward. Your appraisal continues to be built on your output.
If symptoms recur, the same framework applies again; the entitlement is annual, not once in a career.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
The avoidable problems are nearly always procedural rather than medical: delaying the medical assessment, missing the three-day notification window, relying on a verbal heads-up instead of written notice, discarding copies of certificates, returning before being medically ready, or skipping the company’s own reporting procedure.
Each one is easy to prevent on the day and hard to repair afterwards.
Mental health sick leave: law vs myth
| Common workplace myth | The 2026 legal reality |
|---|---|
| Depression is not a valid reason for sick leave | A certified mental health condition qualifies under the same rules as physical illness |
| Your employer automatically sees your full medical history | Your employer sees fitness for work and duration; clinical records stay confidential |
| Taking mental health leave means losing your job | A diagnosis alone cannot lawfully restrict your employment (Article 9(5), Federal Law No. 10 of 2023) |
| Mental and physical illness have different sick-leave rules | One framework covers both: 90 days, paid at 15 full / 30 half / 45 unpaid |
| Anxiety can never justify extended leave | Duration follows the medical assessment, not the diagnosis label |
Your action plan, in order
- Seek professional medical advice from a licensed provider.
- Obtain the medical certificate confirming you are unfit for work and for how long.
- Notify your employer in writing within three working days.
- Follow your company’s absence-reporting procedure.
- Keep copies of every certificate and message.
- Focus on recovery; that is what the leave exists for.
- If anything is disputed, escalate in writing through HR, then MOHRE.
For HR leaders
- Apply one absence-management process to all certified medical leave, physical or psychological.
- Restrict access to medical documents to named, authorised personnel.
- Brief managers that fitness for work is discussable and diagnoses are not.
- Plan the return-to-work conversation before the return date arrives.
- Consistency is the entire game: the organisations that treat an anxiety certificate exactly like an appendicitis certificate are the ones that never end up at MOHRE.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once probation is complete, depression certified by a licensed healthcare provider carries the same entitlement as physical illness: up to 90 days of sick leave per year under Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
The first 15 days are at full pay, the next 30 days at half pay, and the final 45 days are unpaid.
Yes. Certification from a provider licensed by MoHAP, DHA or DoH is the foundation of the entitlement, and notification to your employer is required within three working days.
Your employer needs confirmation that you are unfit for work and for how long. Detailed clinical records, therapy notes and treatment histories remain confidential under Federal Law No. 10 of 2023.
Not paid sick leave. Under Article 31(2), there is no paid sick-leave entitlement during probation. The employer may grant unpaid sick leave based on a medical report stating that the leave is necessary, so check your contract and company policy, and keep documentation either way.
Escalate in writing through HR first. If unresolved, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) handles private-sector labour complaints through its call centre and online channels. An accredited medical certificate and a clean paper trail are the strongest position you can hold.
Burnout is classified by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition. Where it develops into a clinically diagnosed condition, certified by a licensed provider, the sick-leave framework in this guide applies.
The bottom line
The question is not whether depression or anxiety are “serious enough” for sick leave.
UAE labour law never asks that.
It asks whether a qualified professional has certified that you are unfit to work and whether the procedure was followed.
When both are true, the entitlement is yours, the same as it would be for any illness, with your privacy protected throughout.
If you are struggling right now: see a licensed professional, get the certificate, send the written notice.
The law has already done its part; those three steps are yours.
Primary sources
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Concerning the Regulation of Labour Relations, Article 31 (mohre.gov.ae)
- Federal Law No. 10 of 2023 Concerning Mental Health (uaelegislation.gov.ae)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (mohre.gov.ae)
- UAE health authorities: MoHAP, DHA, DoH Abu Dhabi
- World Health Organization, classification of burnout (who.int)
This article is published for general information and reflects legislation publicly available as of June 2026. It is not legal advice. For case-specific guidance, consult a qualified UAE legal professional.
