Certificate of employment request letter

A short formal request to HR for a certificate of employment, for a loan, a visa, a new job or a government application. It gives your position and dates of employment, says what the certificate is for, asks for the details the receiving office needs, such as salary or job description, and notes that Labor Advisory No. 06, series of 2020 asks employers to issue a COE within three days of a request. It works for current and former employees.

Templates

  • Certificate of employment request (document): A certificate of employment (COE) request letter format for the Philippines to HR, citing DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06, Series of 2020, for a bank loan or visa application. Sample request letter included.
  • Experience letter (document): An employer-issued experience letter in the Indian format, on company letterhead, confirming an employee's designation, dates of service and conduct.

How to use these templates

  1. Find out what the receiving office wants on the certificate: dates only, or also position, salary and nature of work. Embassies and banks each have their own list.
  2. Open the template and tell the AI your details: "senior accountant at Dela Cruz Trading from March 2021 to date, COE with salary for a housing loan".
  3. Say how you want to receive it, by email as a PDF or as a signed original, and by when.
  4. Send it to HR by email or the HR portal, and keep a copy; the three-day period runs from the request.

Getting your COE quickly

  • Ask for exactly what the bank, embassy or new employer listed. A COE without salary is useless for a loan, and asking twice costs you a week.
  • The three-day rule in Labor Advisory 06-20 applies to all employers, including for former employees, whatever the reason the employment ended.
  • Request it in writing even if HR is friendly. A dated email is your proof if the certificate is delayed.
  • For visa applications, ask that it be printed on company letterhead with the signatory's name and position, and ask for two originals.
  • If HR refuses or stalls past three days, the DOLE regional office nearest you handles the complaint, and a copy of your written request is what they will ask for first.

Frequently asked questions

Can a former employee ask for a COE?

Yes. The advisory covers employees whose employment has ended, regardless of the cause, and the employer must still issue it within three days.

Does a COE show my salary?

Only if you ask for it. A standard COE states the position and dates; a "COE with compensation" adds your pay and is what banks and embassies usually need.

Is a COE the same as a clearance?

No. Clearance is the company's internal sign-off that you have returned property and settled accounts. A COE is a certificate of the facts of your employment and cannot be withheld until clearance is done.

What if my employer no longer exists?

Use your pay slips, SSS contribution record and BIR form 2316 as proof of employment instead, and explain in your application that the company has closed.

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