Experience letter: what it must contain, and why it is not the same as a relieving letter
Three documents, three templates, three different answers from HR. This page tells them apart, specifies what the certificate has to say to survive a background check, and generates the request.
What is an experience letter, and how do I get one?
An experience letter states your dates of employment and your designation on company letterhead. It is the document a background-verification agency actually checks, and it is a different document from the relieving letter — which confirms you were formally released — and from the service certificate, which is the statutory version required in some establishments within ten days of leaving.
The request that works specifies the six things the letter must contain rather than asking for “an experience letter”. HR is not withholding it; HR is looking at a request that requires them to open your file and decide what to write. Handing them the contents turns a research task into a five-minute job.
- Estimated time
- Five minutes to write the request
- Cost / impact
- Free · no signup · runs in your browser
- What you need
- Joining date, last working day, employee ID, designations held
Experience letter request generator
Ask for the certificate, or ask for one that is already issued to be corrected. Both versions specify exactly what it should say.
Quote it in every letter. It is what payroll searches on.
Use the registered name on your appointment letter, not the brand name.
A named person, not “HR”. A letter addressed to a department is nobody's job to answer.
Personal, never your work address — you will lose access to that one.
Say which document you want by name. “Experience letter”, “service certificate” and “relieving letter” are three different things to an HR team, and asking for the wrong one is a common reason a request bounces back.
Your draft
0 of 10 details filled[Date]
To
[Name]
[Designation]
[Employer name]
Subject: Request for experience letter — [Your full name], Employee ID [Employee ID]
Dear [Name],
I was employed at [Employer name] from [joining date] to [Last working day], most recently as [Your designation]. I would be grateful if you would issue me an experience letter on company letterhead.
So that it is complete for background-verification purposes, it should state:
My full name as it appears on your records: [Your full name]
Employee ID: [Employee ID]
Dates of employment: [joining date] to [Last working day]
Designation at the time of leaving: [Your designation]
Each designation held, with dates, where I held more than one.
The name, designation and signature of the person issuing it, and the date of issue.
If your policy is to issue a service certificate rather than an experience letter, that would be equally acceptable, provided it records the dates of service and my designation.
Please send it to my personal email address below, as I no longer have access to my work account.
I am sending this request by email and retaining a copy for my records. I would be grateful for a written acknowledgement of receipt.
Yours sincerely,
[Your full name]
[Your designation]
Employee ID: [Employee ID]
Email: [Your personal email]
Phone: [Your phone number]
Free, no signup, no email needed. Everything you type stays in this browser — the document is built on your device and nothing is sent to us.
Four exit documents, side by side
Employers keep four separate templates and treat the names precisely. Employees use them interchangeably. That mismatch is the single most common reason a document request comes back as a question instead of a document — so ask by the right name, and ask for all four in one email.
| Attribute | Experience letter | Relieving letter | Service certificate | No-dues certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The question it answers | Where did you work, in what role, for how long? | Have you been released, and from when? | What is the bare record of your service? | Is anything still owed either way? |
| Who actually wants it | Background-verification agencies; employers years later. | Your next employer, before you can join. | Rarely asked for by name — it is what standing orders require. | Nobody asks. Ask for it anyway. |
| Legal footing | Contract and practice. | Contract and practice. Not named in any central statute. | Model Standing Orders 2026 — 300+ worker establishments, within 10 days. | Contract and practice. |
| Does it state dates? | Yes — this is its core content. | Usually the last working day only. | Yes. | No. |
| Does it confirm release? | No. This is why it will not satisfy onboarding on its own. | Yes — this is its core content. | Not necessarily. | No. |
| Substitutes for the others? | Not for the relieving letter. | Partly, for dates — many do not state the joining date. | Good for dates; weaker on designation history. | No. |
Read the “does it confirm release” row twice. It is the reason an experience letter alone does not get you onboarded, and the reason people who asked for only one of these end up making a second request from a colder position. The relieving letter page covers the other half.
The finished certificate, in the forms employers actually issue
“Experience letter format” is two different searches. One person is drafting a request — the generator at the top of this page. The other is holding a certificate and cannot tell whether it is complete, or is about to be handed one. Fill in your own details below and compare, line by line.
A specimen to check against, not a certificate to issue.Producing one yourself on a former employer's letterhead is forgery, and it is caught routinely — verification agencies confirm the signatory with the issuer. Use this to identify what is missing from what you were given, then ask for a corrected letter using the request generator above.
What your experience letter should say
The finished document, in the two forms Indian employers actually issue. Check what you were given against it.
Quote it in every letter. It is what payroll searches on.
Use the registered name on your appointment letter, not the brand name.
A named person with a designation. An unsigned letter, or one signed only "HR Department", is queried as a matter of routine.
A background-verification agency checks the dates and designation against your EPF record and against what your former employer confirms by phone. Anything vague or missing here becomes a discrepancy on a report you then have to explain.
Your draft
0 of 9 details filled[ On the letterhead of [Employer name] ]
[Date]
TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN
EXPERIENCE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that [Your full name] (Employee ID [Employee ID]) was employed with [Employer name] from [joining date] to [Last working day].
At the time of leaving, [Your full name] held the position of [Your designation].
This certificate is issued at the request of the employee for the purpose of employment verification.
For [Employer name]
[Name of authorised signatory]
[Designation]
[Employer name]
— Specimen only. This sets out what the document you are owed should contain, so you can check the one you receive against it. It is not a document to issue yourself.
Free, no signup, no email needed. Everything you type stays in this browser — the document is built on your device and nothing is sent to us.
The six things the letter must contain
A verification agency is not reading your letter for tone. It is checking six fields against your EPF record and against what your former employer confirms on a call. Any field that is missing, ambiguous or inconsistent becomes a line on a report that somebody in your new employer's HR has to sign off.
- 1Full name. Exactly as it appears on the employer's records — a mismatch with your PAN or Aadhaar is a discrepancy.
- 2Employee ID. What makes your record findable years later, when the HR team has turned over.
- 3Dates of employment. Both dates, to the day. Month-only dates are a common cause of a verification query.
- 4Designation at the time of leaving. The one on your appointment or promotion letter, which is what HR can evidence.
- 5Each designation held, with dates. Where you were promoted. A single final title hides a progression worth showing.
- 6Issuer, signature and date. Name, designation, signature and date of issue, on company letterhead.
Why the request generator lists these back to HR.The request above does not ask for “an experience letter”. It sets out the six fields with your actual values filled in, so the person receiving it can produce the document without opening your file or deciding anything. That single change is the difference between a request that is actioned this week and one that sits in a queue.
When you can ask for it as an entitlement rather than a favour
For most employees the experience letter rests on contract and practice. There is one situation where it rests on something firmer, and it is worth checking whether you are in it before you write, because the letter you send is different if you are.
The ten-day service certificate
The Model Standing Orders, 2026, notified on 8 May 2026 under section 29(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, require an employer to maintain a service card for each worker and to issue a service certificate within 10 days of discharge, termination, retirement or resignation.
The limit that matters. Standing orders apply to an industrial establishment in which 300 or more workers are, or were, employed on any day of the preceding twelve months. Below that threshold this obligation does not reach your employer at all, and citing it will simply be corrected. Whether a particular establishment is covered is a question of fact about its category and its worker count — check before you rely on it.
If your establishment is covered, say so specifically and ask for the service certificate by that name alongside the experience letter. If it is not, the request still works — it just works on reasonableness and on your contract rather than on a citation, which is how the generator above is written by default.
When the letter arrives wrong
An incomplete or inaccurate experience letter is a worse problem than no letter, because it looks resolved. People file it, move on, and discover the error eighteen months later when a verification agency flags a discrepancy they now have to explain from a position of having submitted the document themselves.
The four errors that actually cause trouble:
- Wrong dates. Cross-checked against your EPF contribution history, which is a third-party record. Even a few weeks' mismatch is recorded as a discrepancy.
- A designation you did not hold. Including one inflated in your favour. A verification call to your former manager contradicts it, and it is among the most commonly caught issues.
- Only the final designation, where you were promoted. Not an error exactly, but it hides a progression that is worth showing and can make your tenure look static.
- No issuer details, or a month-only date. An unsigned letter, or one without the issuer's designation, is queried as a matter of routine.
Ask for the correction while the file is still warm. The correction version of the generator above states what the letter says and what it should say, and offers your appointment letter and payslips as evidence — framing it as a records issue rather than a disagreement, which is usually exactly what it is. Ask also that the correction be passed to anyone who already received the original.
Where this sits in your exit
Seven things happen when you leave a job in India, and they fall due in this order — not the order most people expect. Your final wages are due before your relieving letter, and both are due before the rest of the settlement.
- Already due
Resignation submitted
Day 0Contract / policy
The day your letter is delivered and acknowledged
- Already due
Last working day
End of noticeContract / policy
Notice period in your appointment letter, less any waiver
- Already due
Final wages paid
2 working daysStatutory
Your last working day
- This page
Relieving and experience letters
10 daysConditional
Your last working day
- Still ahead
Gratuity paid
30 daysStatutory
The date the gratuity becomes payable
- Still ahead
Rest of the settlement
Policy, often 30–45 daysContract / policy
Your last working day
- Still ahead
PF withdrawn or transferred
Your own timingYou control this
Your exit date being reported — by the employer, or by you after two months
- Already due
Resignation submitted
Day 0Contract / policy
An acknowledgement proves the letter was received and fixes when notice started. It is not itself the trigger for the statutory payment deadlines — those run from your last working day.
From: The day your letter is delivered and acknowledged
Write my resignation letter - Already due
Last working day
End of noticeContract / policy
Your notice period comes from your contract, not from statute. The date it lands on decides your service length, your final month's salary and your leave balance.
From: Notice period in your appointment letter, less any waiver
Work out my last working day - Already due
Final wages paid
2 working daysStatutory
Wages for the days you actually worked. This is the shortest deadline in the whole exit and the one employers most often miss.
From: Your last working day
Chase unpaid wages - This page
Relieving and experience letters
10 daysConditional
A service certificate is due within ten days where the Model Standing Orders apply to your establishment. Below that threshold the relieving letter is a contract and policy question, not a statutory one.
From: Your last working day
Request my relieving letter - Still ahead
Gratuity paid
30 daysStatutory
The employer must determine the amount, notify you and the competent authority, and pay within thirty days — with simple interest running if it is late.
From: The date the gratuity becomes payable
Gratuity not paid - Still ahead
Rest of the settlement
Policy, often 30–45 daysContract / policy
Leave encashment, bonus, reimbursements and any notice adjustment. These run on your contract and your employer's policy, which is why a blanket “two working days” demand for the whole settlement is easy to deflect.
From: Your last working day
Settlement not received - Still ahead
PF withdrawn or transferred
Your own timingYou control this
Your PF sits with the EPFO, not your employer, so it is never part of the settlement. Your employer should report your date of exit, but if it does not, you can mark it yourself on the member portal once two months have passed since the last contribution.
From: Your exit date being reported — by the employer, or by you after two months
PF claim stuck or rejected
- Resignation submitted
- An acknowledgement proves the letter was received and fixes when notice started. It is not itself the trigger for the statutory payment deadlines — those run from your last working day. Write my resignation letter →
- Last working day
- Your notice period comes from your contract, not from statute. The date it lands on decides your service length, your final month's salary and your leave balance. Work out my last working day →
- Final wages paid
- Wages for the days you actually worked. This is the shortest deadline in the whole exit and the one employers most often miss. Chase unpaid wages →
- Relieving and experience lettersThis page
- A service certificate is due within ten days where the Model Standing Orders apply to your establishment. Below that threshold the relieving letter is a contract and policy question, not a statutory one. Request my relieving letter →
- Gratuity paid
- The employer must determine the amount, notify you and the competent authority, and pay within thirty days — with simple interest running if it is late. Gratuity not paid →
- Rest of the settlement
- Leave encashment, bonus, reimbursements and any notice adjustment. These run on your contract and your employer's policy, which is why a blanket “two working days” demand for the whole settlement is easy to deflect. Settlement not received →
- PF withdrawn or transferred
- Your PF sits with the EPFO, not your employer, so it is never part of the settlement. Your employer should report your date of exit, but if it does not, you can mark it yourself on the member portal once two months have passed since the last contribution. PF claim stuck or rejected →
Reading the badges. A statutory deadline is written into the Code and applies whatever your contract says. A conditional one applies only where your establishment meets a threshold — the ten-day service certificate, for instance, comes from standing orders that reach establishments of three hundred or more workers. A contract / policydeadline exists only because your appointment letter or your employer's policy created it, which is where most of the exit actually lives. And you control this marks the step nobody else has to take for you — the provident fund, where you can mark your own date of exit if your employer has not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an experience letter, a relieving letter and a service certificate?+
What should an experience letter contain?+
Is an employer legally required to give an experience letter in India?+
My experience letter has the wrong dates. Does it matter?+
Can I ask for a specific designation to be shown on my experience letter?+
How do I ask for an experience letter after I have already left?+
What if my employer has shut down or been acquired?+
Should I ask for a reference letter as well?+
Next
What to do next
- 1
Ask for the relieving letter in the same email
The experience letter says nothing about your release, so on its own it will not satisfy a new employer's onboarding.
Relieving letter request generator - 2
Check your EPF record matches the dates on the letter
Your contribution history is what a verification agency cross-checks against. If your date of exit is unmarked or wrong, fix that before the letter goes anywhere.
PF records and grievances - 3
Work through the rest of the exit file
Twelve documents in total, each with its own deadline and its own route when it does not arrive.
Exit documents checklist
Sources for the figures on this page
Days within which a service certificate must be issued, where the Model Standing Orders apply
Model Standing Orders, 2026, notified 8 May 2026 under s.29(1) of the Industrial Relations Code 2020 — the employer maintains a service card for each worker and issues a service certificate within ten days of discharge, termination, retirement or resignation. IMPORTANT LIMIT: standing orders apply to industrial establishments that employed three hundred or more workers on any day in the preceding twelve months, so this is not a universal entitlement. Below that threshold a service certificate is a matter of contract and company policy.
View sourceChecked 2026-09-01
Workers an industrial establishment must have employed before standing orders apply to it
Industrial Relations Code 2020, s.28 read with s.29 — the standing orders provisions apply to an industrial establishment in which three hundred or more workers are, or were, employed on any day of the preceding twelve months.
View sourceChecked 2026-09-01
Is there a central statutory right to a relieving letter in India?
No central statute names a 'relieving letter' or obliges an employer to issue one. The nearest statutory instrument is the service certificate under the Model Standing Orders 2026, which applies only to establishments covered by standing orders, and a service certificate is a narrower document. Everything else — the relieving letter, the experience letter, the no-dues certificate — comes from the employment contract, the employer's policy, and market practice. That is why the practical routes on these pages are contractual and evidentiary rather than a claim under a named section.
View sourceChecked 2026-09-01
Written and reviewed by Deepak Middha, Chartered Accountant (ICAI, India) and founder of LayoffNext.
Deepak Middha is the founder of LayoffNext and a Chartered Accountant (ICAI, India). A U.S. immigrant with nearly 20 years of experience — and 17 years in hedge fund and private equity administration, including as Vice President of Fund Accounting at NAV Fund Administration Group and Associate Director of Private Equity and Real Estate at SS&C Technologies — he builds free, plain-language layoff tools and guides for employees, H-1B workers, and immigrant families.