Experience Letter Format: Sample of What It Looks Like [2026]

If you want to see what an experience letter looks like, or need a clean format to issue from your company, this guide has three copy-ready samples, the standard structure, and an email you can send to request one from a previous employer. An experience letter is one of the most common HR documents in India, and getting the structure right makes it easy for the next employer to verify.

What Is an Experience Letter?

An experience letter, also called a work experience certificate or service certificate, is a formal letter from an employer confirming that a person worked with them. It states the job title, the dates of employment, and usually a short line on responsibilities or conduct. It is issued on company letterhead and signed by an authorised HR representative or director.

Employers rely on experience letters for three things: proving how long a candidate has worked (which drives seniority and salary decisions), verifying job titles during background checks, and confirming that the candidate left in good standing.

Experience Letter Format

A good experience letter follows a predictable structure, which makes it easy to verify and hard to dispute.

1. Company letterhead with registered name, CIN and address
2. Reference number and date of issue
3. "To Whom It May Concern" opening, or the employee's name if addressed directly
4. Full legal name of the employee
5. Designation held at the time of exit
6. Dates of employment, from joining date to last working day
7. A one or two line summary of responsibilities or conduct
8. A closing line with good wishes
9. Signature block with the signatory's name and designation

Keep it to one page. Long experience letters raise red flags with background verification teams because they look self-written.

Experience Letter Sample 1: Standard Format

A clean, minimal experience letter you can copy onto your company letterhead.

[Company Letterhead]

Ref: HR/EXP/2026/0119
Date: 9 April 2026

To Whom It May Concern

This is to certify that Mr. Arjun Patel, son of Mr. Kiran Patel, was
employed with Nimbus Software Services Private Limited from 5 July 2021
to 31 March 2026. At the time of leaving the organisation, he was working
as a Senior Product Designer in the Platform team.

During his tenure, Arjun was responsible for design research, prototyping
and shipping customer-facing features across our web and mobile products.
We found him to be diligent, collaborative and consistent in delivering
high-quality work. He left the organisation on his own accord after
serving his full notice period.

We wish him the very best in his future endeavours.

For Nimbus Software Services Private Limited,

Meera Iyer
Head of People Operations

Experience Letter Sample 2: Detailed Format With Responsibilities

Employees applying to foreign universities or for visas often need a longer letter that lists key responsibilities.

[Company Letterhead]

Ref: HR/EXP/2026/0120
Date: 9 April 2026

To Whom It May Concern

This is to certify that Ms. Kavya Reddy was a full-time employee of
Bluehive Logistics Private Limited from 12 August 2019 to 28 February 2026.
Her last designation was Operations Manager, South India, and she reported
directly to the Chief Operating Officer.

In her role, Kavya managed a team of 34 operations associates across
Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. She was responsible for last-mile
delivery planning, vendor negotiations, monthly cost reconciliation and
driver onboarding. She was a key contributor to the rollout of our
warehouse management system across the southern region.

Kavya was sincere, results-oriented and well respected by her peers and
reports. She left on her own accord and was relieved after completing all
handover formalities. We wish her continued success.

For Bluehive Logistics Private Limited,

Sanjay Rao
Director, Human Resources

Experience Letter Sample 3: Short Format for 1 to 2 Years of Service

For junior employees, interns who converted to full time, or anyone with one or two years of service, a short letter is enough.

[Company Letterhead]

Ref: HR/EXP/2026/0131
Date: 9 April 2026

To Whom It May Concern

This is to certify that Mr. Faizan Ali worked with Greenleaf Retail
Private Limited as a Customer Support Executive from 1 March 2024 to
31 March 2026, a period of two years and one month.

During this period, he handled customer queries over phone and email and
maintained a good record of conduct.

We wish him success in his future career.

For Greenleaf Retail Private Limited,

Ritu Sharma
HR Executive

Who Signs an Experience Letter?

An experience letter should be signed by someone authorised to speak for the company about employment records: the HR head, an HR manager, or a director in a small company. The signatory's name and designation should appear under the signature, and the letter should carry a reference number so the company can trace it in its records if a verification agency calls.

If you issue the letter as a PDF, an Aadhaar eSign puts a verifiable signature in the file itself. Anyone who receives it can open the signature panel in a PDF reader and see who signed it and when.

How to Request an Experience Letter From a Previous Employer

If you left a company without receiving your experience letter, or need a fresh copy years later, email the HR team with your details. Most companies will issue one.

Subject: Request for experience letter: [Your Name], Employee ID [ID]

Dear [HR Manager's Name],

I worked with [Company Name] as [Designation] from [joining date] to
[last working day]. My employee ID was [ID].

I request you to issue an experience letter for this period. I need it
for [purpose, for example a new job / higher studies / visa application].

I have attached a copy of my relieving letter and last salary slip for
your reference. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Regards,
[Your Name]
[Mobile Number]

What Not to Include in an Experience Letter

Keep the letter neutral and verifiable. Leave out opinions that cannot be backed up, salary figures, confidential project names, and any negative commentary. If the exit was not clean, issue a service certificate with only dates and designation rather than writing praise you do not mean.

Legal Validity of a Digitally Signed Experience Letter

Under Section 3A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, an experience letter eSigned with Aadhaar OTP is a valid electronic signature. Employers, banks, visa offices and universities in India generally accept eSigned experience letters as proof of employment. If a specific institution asks for a wet-ink original, follow their instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is an experience letter different from a relieving letter?

An experience letter certifies the period, role and conduct of employment. A relieving letter only confirms that the employee was released from duties on a specific date. Most companies issue both together. See our relieving letter sample for that format.

Does an experience letter include salary?

Usually not. Best practice is to keep salary out of the experience letter. If a bank, embassy or new employer needs pay details, ask for a separate salary certificate.

Can I request an experience letter years after leaving?

Yes. Most employers will issue a duplicate or delayed experience letter. Use the email above and include your employee ID and dates.

Is an eSigned experience letter valid for background verification?

Yes. The Aadhaar eSign is embedded in the PDF, so a verification agency can check the signer's name and signing time in any PDF reader.

Can a startup issue an experience letter without printed letterhead?

Yes. A PDF with the registered company name, CIN and address in the header, signed by an authorised person, is acceptable. Keep a copy of the signed PDF in your HR records.

Sign Your Experience Letter Online

Issue experience letters without printing and scanning. Upload the PDF to SignYu and the authorised signatory signs with an Aadhaar OTP in about two minutes. ₹15 per signature, no subscription. For step-by-step drafting advice, read how to write an experience letter, or start from our free experience letter template.

Drop your experience letter PDF here to get started.