Template · Separation and offboarding
Relieving letter
In short
A relieving letter is a formal letter from an employer confirming that an employee who resigned has been released from their duties, stating the last working day and that handover and exit clearance are complete. This relieving letter format is ready to use on letterhead, with an optional experience paragraph, settlement wording and a pre-issue checklist for HR.
Relieving Letter template
Relieving Letter
Issue on company letterhead on or after the employee's last working day, once exit clearance is complete. Replace every [Placeholder] and delete optional paragraphs you do not use. The internal checks at the end are for HR and are not printed.
Header
[Company Legal Name] [Registered Office Address] [Company Registration / CIN Number, where applicable]
Ref: [Letter Reference Number] Date: [Date of Issue]
[Employee Full Name] Employee ID: [Employee ID] [Employee Address]
Subject
Subject: Relieving letter
Body
Dear [Employee Name],
This is with reference to your resignation dated [Resignation Date], which was accepted on [Acceptance Date]. We confirm that you have been relieved from your duties as [Designation] in the [Department] department at our [Location] office, effective from the close of business on [Last Working Day].
You were employed with [Company Name] from [Date of Joining] to [Last Working Day].
Notice period (choose one)
[Option A] You have served the full notice period of [number] days as required under your terms of employment.
[Option B] Your notice period was shortened by mutual agreement, and your last working day was set as [Last Working Day].
[Option C] The unserved portion of your notice period has been adjusted against your full and final settlement in accordance with your terms of employment.
Clearance
We confirm that you have completed the handover of your responsibilities and the exit clearance process, including the return of all company property, and that no dues are outstanding from you to the Company as of the date of this letter.
Full and final settlement
[Your full and final settlement, including salary up to your last working day, payment for [number] days of earned leave and other dues as per Company policy, [has been processed and paid on [Date] / will be credited to your registered bank account on or before [Date]].] [Your provident fund and gratuity, where applicable, will be processed as per the applicable rules. For provident fund transfer or withdrawal, please use your Universal Account Number (UAN) [UAN].]
Experience paragraph (optional)
[During your tenure, you held the position(s) of [Designation 1] from [Date] to [Date] and [Designation 2] from [Date] to [Date]. Your responsibilities included [two or three factual lines describing the role].]
Continuing obligations
Please note that your obligations regarding confidentiality and the protection of the Company's information, as set out in your [appointment letter / confidentiality agreement] dated [Date], continue after the end of your employment.
Closing
We thank you for your contribution to [Company Name] and wish you success in your future endeavors.
For [Company Legal Name]
[Signature] [Authorized Signatory Name] [Designation, e.g. Head of Human Resources] [Company Seal, where used]
Internal checks before issuing (do not print)
- Resignation letter and acceptance on file, with dates matching the letter
- Last working day confirmed against attendance and payroll records
- Notice period served, waived or recovered as stated in the chosen option
- Exit clearance signed off by the manager, IT, finance, administration and HR
- Laptop, ID card, access cards, SIM, tools and documents returned
- Full and final settlement calculated and approved, with payment date confirmed
- Designation and dates of joining checked against the HRIS and appointment letter
- Statutory exit steps completed for the country (for example, provident fund exit date updated)
- Signed by an authorized signatory and a copy filed in the personnel record
How to use this template
- Confirm the resignation, acceptance date and last working day from the personnel file.
- Collect exit clearance sign-offs from the manager, IT, finance and administration before drafting.
- Choose the notice period option that matches what actually happened and delete the others.
- Fill in the settlement paragraph only with dates and amounts payroll has confirmed.
- Add the experience paragraph if you issue one combined relieving and experience letter; otherwise issue a separate experience letter.
- Have an authorized signatory sign it on letterhead, send a scanned copy to the employee's personal email and keep a copy on file.
What a relieving letter is and where it is used
A relieving letter, sometimes called a release letter or employee release letter, is standard practice in India and common in the Middle East and parts of Southeast Asia. Employers there routinely ask new joiners for the relieving letter from their previous employer as proof that they left properly, served or settled their notice period, and are free to join. Background verification firms check it too.
In the US it is not a standard document. A US employee who resigns usually receives a resignation acceptance letter and later, if asked, an employment verification. But US companies with offices, shared service centers or contact centers in India need a consistent relieving letter format, because their departing employees cannot start their next job smoothly without one.
Relieving letter versus experience letter
The two are often confused. The relieving letter confirms the exit: resignation accepted, duties handed over, clearance done, last day fixed. An experience letter confirms the employment history: job titles, dates and responsibilities. A new employer typically wants both.
Many companies combine them into one "relieving cum experience letter" using the optional experience paragraph in this template. That works well for small and mid-sized teams. Large employers often keep them separate, because the experience letter may be requested again years later, while the relieving letter is tied to one specific exit date and clearance status.
When to issue it, and when it gets held back
Issue the letter on the last working day or within a few days of it, once exit clearance is complete. Some employers wait until the full and final settlement is paid, which can mean weeks of delay. Under India's Code on Wages, 2019, wages due on resignation are payable within two working days, which has pushed many employers to shorten the old 30 to 45 day settlement cycle. Check current central and state rules with counsel.
The most common dispute is a relieving letter withheld because the employee did not serve the full notice period or still owes the company money. Our view: settle the money in the full and final settlement, under the terms of the appointment letter, and issue the letter anyway with the accurate notice period wording (Option C). Holding the document hostage invites complaints to labor authorities and legal notices, and it rarely recovers more than a payroll deduction would.
What not to put in a relieving letter
Keep it factual. Do not comment on performance, conduct, attendance or the reason for leaving. If the employee was terminated rather than resigning, a relieving letter is usually the wrong document; issue a termination or service letter that states the facts instead. Avoid words like "absconding" in any document given to the employee unless you have followed your documented process and taken advice, since that label can follow someone through background checks for years.
Dates and designation must match the payroll and HRIS records exactly. A one-day mismatch between the relieving letter and the provident fund exit date is enough for a background verification firm to flag the candidate, which then lands as an inquiry on your HR team.
Issuing relieving letters at volume
A 2,000-seat BPO in India with 40% annual attrition processes 65 to 70 exits a month. Hand-typed letters at that volume produce errors and delays. Generate letters from the HRIS once clearance is marked complete in your offboarding checklist, pull dates and designations directly from the record, and route them for e-signature by one authorized signatory. Send a PDF to the employee's personal email on the last day and keep the signed copy in the digital personnel file.
Track the time from last working day to letter issued, and the number of follow-up requests from ex-employees. Both tell you where the clearance process is getting stuck.
Frequently asked questions
What is a relieving letter from employer?
It is a letter confirming that an employee who resigned has been formally released from their duties, with their designation, joining date, last working day and confirmation that exit clearance is complete.
What is the difference between a relieving letter and an experience letter?
A relieving letter confirms the exit and clearance. An experience letter confirms job titles, dates and responsibilities. Many employers issue both, or one combined letter.
Can an employer refuse to give a relieving letter?
Employers sometimes hold it back over unserved notice or unpaid dues, but that practice often leads to disputes. The safer approach is to recover amounts through the full and final settlement under the employment terms and still issue an accurate letter.
Is a release letter the same as a relieving letter?
Usually yes. "Release letter" and "employee release letter" are common alternative names for the same document.
Do US employers need to issue relieving letters?
It is not a US legal requirement or common practice. US employers with employees in India or other countries where relieving letters are expected should issue them for those employees.
When should a relieving letter be issued?
On the last working day, or within a few days of it, once handover and exit clearance are complete.