Today, or any date such as a visa or school deadline.
Age
When you need an exact age in the UAE
- School admission: UAE schools set a minimum age by a cut-off date, often 31 August or 31 December, depending on the emirate and curriculum. Set the second date to the cut-off.
- Visas and sponsorship: some rules depend on age, such as sponsoring sons until they turn 25, and age limits on some work permits.
- Retirement and pensions: pension and end-of-service rules can depend on reaching a certain age.
Questions people ask
How is the age worked out?
Full years are counted first, then full months, then the remaining days. A person born on 15 May 1990 is 36 years, 5 months and 15 days old on 30 October 2026.
What about a 29 February birthday?
In years without 29 February, the next birthday is shown as 1 March, which is how most official systems treat it.
Why is my Hijri age higher?
A Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year, so you complete Hijri years a little faster: about one extra year every 33 years.