Experience Letter & Relieving Letter Format — Free Template
An experience letter confirms someone's job title and dates of service; a relieving letter confirms they have left and handed over. Issue either — or the combined letter most startups give on the last working day — or tap "See an example" to check what yours should say.
Sample experience letter format — edit it live
Before you use this: This is a starting template, not legal advice. An experience or relieving letter is a statement of fact the person will show to others, so a wrong date, an inaccurate claim that clearance is complete, or a remark you cannot back up can lead to a dispute. It does not settle any money owed; full and final settlement is separate. If the exit is contested (notice not served, termination, dues in dispute), have it reviewed by a lawyer or HR adviser before you issue it. Startup Grants India is not a law firm and accepts no liability for how this document is used.
More sample formats
Experience certificate format
The 'to whom it may concern' version, for an employee who has already left or needs it before clearance is done.
[Company Name]
[Registered office address]
[Date]
EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATE
To whom it may concern
This is to certify that [Employee Name] was employed with [Company Name] from [Date of Joining] to [Last Working Day]. At the time of leaving, [Employee Name] held the position of [Designation] in the [Department] department.
This certificate is issued at the request of [Employee Name]. We wish them every success in their future career.
Addressed to the employee: resignation accepted, relieved from duties, handover complete.
[Company Name]
[Registered office address]
[Date]
To,
[Employee Name]
Subject: Relieving letter
Dear [Employee Name],
This refers to your letter of resignation dated [Resignation Date]. We confirm that your resignation has been accepted and that you are relieved from your duties with [Company Name] with effect from the close of business on [Last Working Day].
Name
[Employee Name]
Designation
[Designation]
Department
[Department]
Date of joining
[Date of Joining]
Last working day
[Last Working Day]
We confirm that you have handed over your responsibilities and all Company property in your possession, and that your exit clearance is complete.
Your full and final settlement will be processed separately, as per Company policy and applicable law.
Please note that your obligations of confidentiality, and in respect of the Company's intellectual property, as set out in your terms of employment, continue after you leave.
We thank you for your time with [Company Name] and wish you well.
For an intern at the end of the internship. Says 'internship', not 'employment'.
[Company Name]
[Registered office address]
[Date]
INTERNSHIP CERTIFICATE
To whom it may concern
This is to certify that [Employee Name] completed an internship with [Company Name] from [Date of Joining] to [Last Working Day]. During the internship, [Employee Name] worked as [Intern — Team / Function] in the [Department] team.
This certificate is issued at the request of [Employee Name]. We wish them every success in their studies and career.
Combined relieving and experience letter on the last day, or just one of them if the situation calls for it.
2
Pick employee or intern
Interns get internship wording, with no resignation to accept.
3
Take the dates from payroll
Enter the date of joining, the last working day and, for a relieving letter, the resignation date.
4
Add the role
Give the designation and department the person held when they left.
5
Decide on a conduct line
Add one true, factual sentence, or leave it out.
6
Sign and send as a PDF
Put it on letterhead, sign it, and email it with a short covering note.
Got an experience letter? Check these five things
A future employer's background check compares your letter with what you told them, so small mistakes cause real delays. Before you leave, read yours against this list and ask HR to fix anything that's wrong — it is much harder once you've gone.
Your full name
Spelt exactly as on your PAN or Aadhaar.
Dates of joining and leaving
Your last working day, not the day you resigned or the day the letter was printed.
Your last designation
The title you held when you left, and your department.
It is signed and on letterhead
Signed by someone who can speak for the company, with their name and title, on company letterhead or with the company's details.
Relieving is confirmed
If it is a relieving letter, it should say your resignation was accepted and that you were relieved from a stated date.
Experience letter, relieving letter or service certificate?
These three names get used loosely, but they do different jobs. An experience letter tells a future employer what the person did here. A relieving letter tells the person — and anyone they show it to — that they have properly left. A service certificate is the older, more formal name for a factual record of service, still common in larger companies and some government settings.
Most Indian startups issue one combined relieving and experience letter on the last working day. That is perfectly fine, and it is what this generator produces by default. Issue separate letters only if you have a reason to, for example when the person asks for an experience letter before their exit clearance is finished.
A new employer's HR team and background-check agency will usually ask for the relieving letter specifically. It is the document that shows the person has no open obligations to you, so it is the one that holds up a joining if it is missing.
Experience letter
Relieving letter
Service certificate
Addressed to
To whom it may concern
The employee
To whom it may concern
What it confirms
Dates, role and department
Resignation accepted, relieved from duties, handover done
Dates of service and last designation
Mentions conduct?
Optional, one factual line
Usually not
Usually not
When issued
On leaving, or on request later
On the last working day, after clearance
On leaving or on request
Who asks for it
Future employers, visa and study applications
The next employer's HR and background check
Future employers, government bodies
What the employer should put in, and leave out
The letter is a record of fact. Everything in it should be something you can show from your own records: the offer or appointment letter, the resignation email, the payroll history. Keep it short. A reader checks the dates and the designation and moves on.
Put in: the exact dates
Date of joining and last working day, taken from payroll, not from memory. A background check compares these with the person's CV and PF records, and a mismatch reads as a red flag against them, not you.
Put in: the last designation and department
The title they held when they left. If they were promoted, you can mention the earlier role too, but never inflate a title as a favour.
Put in (relieving letter): acceptance and clearance
That the resignation dated X was accepted, that they are relieved from a stated date, and that handover of work and company property is complete. That last line is what a relieving letter is for.
Leave out: promises
Do not promise a rehire, a reference call, a bonus, or anything about money still owed. Settlement belongs in its own statement.
Leave out: negative remarks
Never put a disparaging comment, a performance dispute or a reason for leaving you cannot prove in a letter the person will show to others. If you cannot say something good and true, say nothing about conduct at all.
Leave out: salary
Salary is private. If the person needs proof of pay, give payslips or a separate salary certificate addressed to whoever asked for it.
Which version to issue
Pick the version by the situation, not by habit. The generator changes the wording for each, not just the heading.
Employee who resigned and served notice
The combined relieving and experience letter, dated the last working day.
Intern at the end of the internship
An internship certificate (experience) or an internship completion and relieving letter. There is no resignation to accept, so the wording says the internship came to an end on a date.
Former employee asking for a letter months later
An experience letter only, dated today, with the original dates of service. Do not backdate the letter itself.
Clearance still pending on the last day
Issue the experience letter now if the person needs it, and the relieving letter once handover is complete. Tell them in writing what is outstanding.
Employee let go by the company
The resignation wording does not fit. Use the experience letter, or have a lawyer adjust the relieving wording to match what actually happened.
Full and final settlement is a separate document
The relieving letter confirms the person has left. It should not try to settle money. Full and final settlement covers the last month's pay, leave encashment if your policy allows it, any bonus or reimbursement owed, gratuity where the person is eligible, and any recovery the contract permits. Put all of it in its own statement with the working shown.
Keeping them apart protects both sides. The person gets a relieving letter they can hand to a new employer without showing their pay. You avoid a letter that seems to say 'nothing is owed' when the numbers are still being worked out. There are legal timelines for paying final wages, and they have changed with the Labour Codes, so check the current rule for your company with your payroll adviser.
For employees, it is worth checking a few things before the last day: that the relieving and experience letter show the right dates and designation; that the date of exit is updated on the PF portal so the balance can be moved or withdrawn; that you have Form 16 for the year, your last payslips and the settlement statement; and that the notice period and any recovery match what your offer or appointment letter says.
When the notice period was not fully served
This is where most disputes over relieving letters start. The person wants to join a new company quickly, the notice period in their contract is longer, and the relieving letter becomes a bargaining chip. Try not to let it become one.
Keep the letter factual. It can record the actual last working day, and the shortfall can be dealt with the way the contract allows, usually by pay in lieu of notice or by adjusting it in the settlement. If you agree to waive part of the notice, say so in writing. Do not hold back original certificates or other personal documents as security; that tends to turn a small disagreement into a bigger one.
If the person simply stopped coming to work, do not write a relieving letter that says the resignation was accepted and handover completed when neither is true. Take advice on the right wording for your case. This page cannot tell you what a court would decide on your facts.
What goes wrong
Most problems with these letters are small errors that cost the person a job offer or a visa, and cost you an awkward correction later.
Dates that do not match payroll or PF
A background check flags it against the employee. Always take dates from payroll.
Unsigned or on plain paper
Issue it on letterhead, signed by someone with authority, and send a PDF the person can keep.
Reference-style praise in a relieving letter
Keep conduct lines for the experience wording, and keep them to one true sentence.
Letter delayed until settlement is paid
The two are separate. Holding one back for the other makes the exit harder than it needs to be.
Covering email when you send the letter
Subject: Your relieving and experience letter — [Company Name]
Dear [Employee Name],
Please find attached your relieving and experience letter, confirming your last working day as [Last Working Day].
Your full and final settlement statement will be shared separately by [date / the payroll team]. If any detail in the letter is wrong, reply to this email and we will correct it.
Thank you for your work with us, and all the best for what comes next.
Regards,
[Name]
[Title], [Company Name]
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an experience letter and a relieving letter?
An experience letter records how long the person worked with you and in what role, and is addressed 'to whom it may concern'. A relieving letter is addressed to the person and confirms that their resignation was accepted and they have been relieved of their duties. Many companies issue one combined letter.
Is an employer required to give an experience letter?
Most employers give one as standard practice, and some state laws and standing orders require a certificate of service when an employee asks for it. Check what applies to your establishment. Either way, refusing a factual letter to someone who left properly usually creates more trouble than it saves.
Can a company refuse a relieving letter if notice was not served?
Companies often hold it back until the notice shortfall is settled as the contract allows, usually by pay in lieu of notice. Whether that is fair depends on the contract and the facts. If you are an employee in this spot, ask HR in writing what is outstanding and how to close it; if it cannot be resolved, get advice.
When should the relieving letter be issued?
On the last working day, once handover and exit clearance are done. If clearance takes a few more days, issue it as soon as it is complete. It should not wait for the full and final settlement to be paid.
What should an internship experience letter say?
The intern's name, the team and role, the start and end dates of the internship, and optionally one line on their work. It should say 'internship', not 'employment', so there is no confusion later about what the relationship was.
Should the experience letter mention salary?
No. Salary is private and the letter will be shown to others. If the person needs proof of income, give payslips or a separate salary certificate.
Can an employer write negative remarks in an experience letter?
It should not. The letter is a record of fact. If you cannot say something positive and true about conduct, leave the conduct line out entirely. A negative remark you cannot back up invites a dispute.
Does the letter need a stamp or to be on stamp paper?
No stamp paper is needed. Issue it on company letterhead, signed by an authorised person. Adding the company seal is common practice, not a legal requirement for a letter like this.
My relieving letter has the wrong dates. What do I do?
Write to HR with the correct dates and something that proves them, such as your offer letter, a payslip or your PF record, and ask for a corrected letter. Do not start a new job with a letter that does not match your records, because background checks compare them.
Is an emailed PDF of the letter valid?
Yes, in practice most companies now send a signed PDF, and electronic records are recognised under the Information Technology Act, 2000. Keep the email it came with as well.
Want to see it finished first?Fill it with an example, then type over it.
To,
Subject: Relieving and experience letter
Dear ,
This refers to your letter of resignation dated . We confirm that your resignation has been accepted and that you are relieved from your duties with with effect from the close of business on .
We certify that you were employed with from to , and that at the time of leaving you held the position of in the department.
We confirm that you have handed over your responsibilities and all Company property in your possession, and that your exit clearance is complete.
Your full and final settlement will be processed separately, as per Company policy and applicable law.
Please note that your obligations of confidentiality, and in respect of the Company's intellectual property, as set out in your terms of employment, continue after you leave.
We thank you for your contribution to and wish you every success in the future.
_______________________________
, HR Manager
For and on behalf of [Company Name]
Date: ____________________
Click a highlighted blank to fill it in, or click any clause to change its wording.