Relieving Letter and Experience Letter Format (India, 2026): 5 Ready-to-Use Templates

When an employee leaves, the two documents they care about most are the relieving letter and the experience letter. Their next employer will ask for them, background verification agencies will check them, and a delay or a mistake can hold up someone's new job. Yet many small companies still write them from scratch for every exit — with a different format, different wording and occasionally the wrong dates each time.

This guide gives you ready-to-use relieving letter and experience letter formats for India in 2026, explains the difference between them, what each must contain, when to issue them, what to do when notice wasn't served or the employee was terminated, and the mistakes to avoid.

General guidance as of 2 October 2026, not legal advice. Adapt the formats to your company's policies, and take advice for disputed exits.

The short answer

• Relieving letter: confirms the employee resigned, the resignation was accepted and they have been relieved of their duties on a given date. It's about the exit.
• Experience letter: confirms the employee worked with you, from when to when, in which role. It's about the tenure. Some companies add a line on conduct or performance.
• Many companies issue one combined letter. That's fine, as long as it has all the details below.
• Issue them on or soon after the last working day, once the F&F is settled — not months later.
• Use company letterhead, a reference number and the signature of an authorised signatory.
• Don't hold them hostage. Recover dues through the F&F; refusing documents to force payment is risky.
• Under standing orders, workers are typically entitled to a service certificate on leaving — an experience letter serves that purpose.

Relieving letter vs experience letter

	Relieving letter	Experience letter
Purpose	Proves the employee was formally released	Proves the employee's tenure and role
Main content	Resignation date, acceptance, last working day, that dues are settled	Joining date, last working day, designation, department
Who asks for it	New employer, before joining	New employer, BGV agencies, visa and education applications
Issued when	On the last working day or at F&F	Same time, or on request later
Can be combined?	Yes	Yes

What both letters must include

1. Company letterhead with name, address and, ideally, CIN or registration details.
2. Reference number and date of issue.
3. Employee's full name as in company records, and employee ID.
4. Designation at the time of leaving (and, optionally, the department).
5. Date of joining and last working day.
6. For the relieving letter: date of resignation and confirmation that it was accepted.
7. For the experience letter: a neutral line on tenure and role, and optionally on conduct.
8. Authorised signatory — name, designation, signature and company seal or digital signature.

Get dates right. A wrong last working day on a relieving letter can clash with the new employer's joining date or the PF exit date, and BGV agencies flag mismatches.

Format 1: Relieving letter

[Company letterhead]

Ref: [HR/REL/2026/045] Date: [31 October 2026]

To, [Employee name] Employee ID: [EMP-1023] [Address]

Subject: Relieving letter

Dear [Employee name],

This is with reference to your resignation dated [1 October 2026]. We confirm that your resignation has been accepted and you are relieved from your duties as [Designation], [Department], with effect from the close of business on [31 October 2026].

Your full and final settlement has been processed, and you have handed over all company assets and documents in your possession.

We thank you for your contributions to [Company name] and wish you success in your future endeavours.

For [Company name]

[Signature] [Name of authorised signatory] [Designation — e.g. HR Manager]

Format 2: Experience letter

[Company letterhead]

Ref: [HR/EXP/2026/045] Date: [31 October 2026]

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that [Employee name] (Employee ID: [EMP-1023]) was employed with [Company name] from [15 June 2022] to [31 October 2026].

At the time of leaving, [he/she/they] held the position of [Designation] in the [Department] department.

During [his/her/their] tenure, [his/her/their] conduct was [good]. [Optional: one line on key responsibilities.]

We wish [him/her/them] all the best for the future.

For [Company name]

[Signature] [Name of authorised signatory] [Designation]

Use the employee's pronouns as recorded in your HR system, or rewrite the sentences to use their name.

Format 3: Combined relieving and experience letter

Many small companies issue a single letter:

[Company letterhead]

Ref: [HR/RE/2026/045] Date: [31 October 2026]

To, [Employee name] Employee ID: [EMP-1023]

Subject: Relieving and experience letter

Dear [Employee name],

With reference to your resignation dated [1 October 2026], we confirm that your resignation has been accepted and you are relieved from the services of [Company name] with effect from the close of business on [31 October 2026].

We further certify that you were employed with us from [15 June 2022] to [31 October 2026], and your designation at the time of leaving was [Designation], [Department].

Your full and final settlement has been completed, and there are no dues pending from either side.

We thank you for your service and wish you the very best.

For [Company name]

[Signature] [Authorised signatory, designation]

Format 4: When notice wasn't fully served

If the employee left early and the buyout has been recovered in the F&F, say so neutrally:

...you are relieved from your duties with effect from [date]. The shortfall in your notice period has been adjusted in your full and final settlement as per the terms of your appointment letter.

If a recovery is still pending, it's usually better to issue the relieving letter with a factual line — "an amount of ₹[X] towards notice period shortfall remains outstanding" — than to refuse the letter altogether. Our notice period guide explains how buyouts are calculated and recovered.

Format 5: Service certificate after termination

When employment ends by termination rather than resignation, there's no "resignation accepted" to confirm. Issue a neutral service certificate:

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is to certify that [Employee name] (Employee ID: [EMP-1023]) was employed with [Company name] from [date of joining] to [last working day]. [His/her/their] designation at the time of leaving was [Designation].

For [Company name] ...

Keep it factual. Don't state reasons for termination or make negative comments in a certificate — they can lead to defamation claims and disputes. If the next employer asks for a reference, handle it separately and carefully.

When to issue the letters

The cleanest sequence:

1. Resignation accepted, last working day agreed in writing.
2. During notice: handover, asset return, access revocation, exit interview.
3. Last working day: final attendance and leave balance confirmed.
4. Within 2 working days: full and final settlement paid, as required under the Code on Wages. See our F&F guide.
5. Same time: relieving and experience letters issued by email (PDF) and, if requested, on paper.
6. PF exit date updated on the EPFO portal to match the last working day.

Issuing letters weeks after the exit is one of the most common complaints employees raise on review sites. It costs nothing to fix.

Can an employer refuse to issue a relieving letter?

There's no single statute that says "issue a relieving letter in X days" for every employee, but:

• Standing orders applicable to many industrial establishments require a service certificate for workers who leave.
• Withholding a relieving letter after the employee has resigned and served notice (or had the shortfall recovered) can lead to legal claims, including for lost job opportunities.
• Withholding it to recover money — rather than recovering through the F&F or a separate claim — is the riskiest approach.

If there's a genuine dispute (missing assets, unrecovered advances), document it, communicate it in writing, recover what you can in the F&F and seek advice before refusing documents.

Digital letters and verification

• PDF on letterhead with a digital signature is widely accepted.
• Include a reference number, and keep a register of letters issued so BGV agencies can verify them.
• Send from an official company email domain, not a personal email.
• Keep a copy in the employee's file for at least as long as you keep other employment records.

Common mistakes

1. Wrong last working day — different from payroll, attendance or the PF exit date.
2. Name or designation errors — the name must match ID documents.
3. Issuing letters only on request, months after the exit.
4. Holding letters until the employee pays a notice buyout.
5. Negative remarks in experience letters.
6. Signed by someone without authority — use an authorised signatory.
7. No reference number or record of letters issued.
8. "Relieved" without confirming acceptance of the resignation.
9. Different formats for every exit, so letters look unofficial and invite BGV queries.

How PeopleVio helps

What PeopleVio does:

• Resignation workflow — the employee submits a resignation with a reason and last working day; HR approves or rejects it, so the dates on your letters come from an approved record.
• Offboarding checklists with steps for handover, asset return, access revocation, exit interview, full and final settlement and "Issue relieving and experience letter", each assigned to HR or the employee — so the letter step isn't forgotten.
• Employee records with joining date, designation, department and employee ID in one place, so the details in your letter match the system.
• Asset tracking, so you know what has been returned before you confirm it in the letter.
• Final payroll with proration to the last working day and one-off adjustments for recoveries and leave encashment.
• Document storage on each employee profile, so you can upload the signed letter for the record.

What PeopleVio doesn't do (yet): it doesn't generate relieving or experience letters automatically. Use the formats above, fill them from the employee record, and upload the signed copy to the employee's documents.

Active employees	Monthly billing	Yearly billing (per month)
20	₹1,180	₹980
50	₹2,450	₹2,050
100	₹4,900	₹4,100

Prices exclude GST. See the pricing page.

Exit documents checklist

• Resignation accepted in writing; last working day confirmed.
• Handover and asset return completed.
• Final attendance and leave balance confirmed.
• F&F calculated and paid within 2 working days.
• Relieving letter issued, with the correct dates.
• Experience letter issued (or combined letter).
• Letters recorded with reference numbers; signed copies filed.
• PF exit date updated.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a relieving letter and an experience letter? A relieving letter confirms that the employee's resignation was accepted and they were released on a given date. An experience letter certifies the employee's tenure and role. Many companies combine them.

When should a relieving letter be issued? On the last working day or when the full and final settlement is completed — which should be within 2 working days of the last working day.

Can a company refuse a relieving letter if notice wasn't served? It's risky. Recover the notice shortfall through the F&F as the contract allows, and issue the letter — mentioning any outstanding amount factually if needed.

Is an experience letter mandatory? For workers covered by standing orders, a service certificate is typically required. For others, it's standard practice, and refusing one invites disputes.

Who should sign a relieving letter? An authorised signatory — usually the HR manager, a director or another person authorised by the company.

Can a relieving letter be sent by email? Yes. A PDF on letterhead with a signature or digital signature, sent from an official email address, is widely accepted.

What should an experience letter say for a terminated employee? Keep it factual: name, employee ID, dates of employment and designation. Avoid reasons for termination or negative remarks.

Does PeopleVio generate relieving letters? Not automatically yet. PeopleVio tracks the resignation, last working day and offboarding checklist — including the relieving letter step — and stores the signed letter on the employee's profile.

The bottom line

A relieving letter and an experience letter take ten minutes to write and can save an ex-employee weeks of trouble. Use one standard format, take the dates from approved records, issue them with the F&F, and never use them as leverage.

Still running exits from your inbox? PeopleVio puts resignations, approvals, offboarding checklists, asset returns and final payroll in one place, so every exit — and every letter — goes the same way. See PeopleVio's pricing or book a demo.

Related reading: Notice period rules in India · Full and final settlement · Offer letter format with salary structure · HR compliance checklist for small teams