Certificate of Employment
A one-page confirmation that a person works, or worked, for your company: position, start date, purpose and signature. Pay and birth date appear only if you add them.
Free. Fill in, print, save as PDF or download as Word without an account. Saving to your account needs a free account.
Country versions
- International
- United States
- United Kingdom *
- Korea *
- Japan *
- Germany *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
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What it is
A certificate of employment, also called an employment verification letter, is a short document in which an employer confirms that a person works, or worked, for it. Banks ask for it with a loan application, landlords with a rental application, embassies with a visa application, and new employers or schools to check a career history. It is a statement of facts, not an opinion about the person.
This template keeps the document to those facts: the employee's name and position, the type of employment, the start date and, for a former employee, the last day. Everything else is optional and off by default. Pay appears only if you switch it on because the employee asked for it, a birth date only if the recipient needs it, and the form never stores identity or social-security numbers. Choose the country for the layout that is customary there: the box layout with a company seal in Korea, the 在職証明書 or 退職証明書 in Japan, the German Beschäftigungsbescheinigung, and the verification and confirmation letters used in the United States and the United Kingdom.
When to use it
- An employee needs proof of employment for a loan, a rental, a visa or a new job.
- A former employee asks for confirmation of the period they worked for you.
- You want one standard, minimal text instead of writing a new letter each time.
- The recipient asks for a signed and dated letter on company paper.
How to fill it in
- Check that your company details are right; your saved company details are filled in for you.
- Enter the employee's name and position, and choose whether the person still works for you.
- Enter the start date and, for a former employee, the last day; choose the type of employment.
- Add the purpose and the recipient if you know them. Switch on pay only if the employee asked for it.
- Read the preview, then print the certificate for signature and company stamp, or download it as Word.
Common mistakes
- Adding pay, birth date or an identity number "just in case"; include only what the recipient needs.
- Adding opinions about performance or character; this certificate states facts only.
- Issuing it without a date and a named signatory, which many recipients reject.
- Writing dates or titles that differ from the employment contract or payroll records.
- Using it where an official form is required, such as the unemployment certificate in Germany.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German
- United States (US): Written in English
- United Kingdom (GB): Written in English – check with local advice
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
- Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Classic
- Modern
- Minimal
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
- Formal
- Side band
- Banner
- Executive
- Ledger
- Compact
- Boxed form
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- Does the employer have to issue one?
- It depends on the country. Some countries oblige employers to give a certificate to a person who has left, for example Korea (Labor Standards Act, article 39) and Japan (Labor Standards Act, article 22), limited to what the person asks for. For current employees it is usually a matter of courtesy or company policy. Check the rules that apply to you.
- Should the certificate show the salary?
- Only if the employee asks for it, usually for a loan or a rental. Pay is personal data, so many employers leave it out by default and add it with the employee's written agreement. The pay field here stays off until you switch it on.
- What is the difference from an employment reference?
- A certificate of employment states facts: who, which position, since when. A reference or a German Arbeitszeugnis also assesses performance and conduct and is written for a different purpose. If you need an assessment, use the recommendation letter form instead.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. It is a general template. What you must or may include depends on your country and on the recipient, so check the requirements yourself or ask a qualified adviser.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 6 country versions: International, United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.