How to write a correct experience certificate
Saudi law calls this a "service certificate" and specifies what it must contain. This builds it from that, rather than from a copied template.
Leave it open
An experience certificate is normally issued "To Whom It May Concern" so the employee can show it to several employers — the opposite of a salary letter, which is better addressed to one named institution.
Enter both dates
Length of service is calculated in whole years and months. The duration, the occupation and both dates are content Article 64 requires.
State the last salary
Article 64 makes the last wage part of a service certificate. Most circulating templates omit it despite the statute.
Choose the conduct and closing lines
Performance and conduct sentences are offered as a checklist with sources. A reason for leaving is optional and off by default — deliberately, see below.
What Article 64 requires
On the end of a contract, the employer must give the worker — on request and free of charge — a service certificate stating the date they joined, the date the relationship ended, their occupation, and the amount of their last wage.
The article adds an important restriction: the employer may not include anything that could harm the worker’s reputation or reduce their employment opportunities. That is a limit on what the certificate may contain, and it is distinct from the violation of failing to issue one at all — which is the one the penalty schedule prices.
- Date of joining
- Date the relationship ended
- Occupation
- The last wage
- And issued free of charge
Why the reason for leaving is off by default
Because Article 64 does not require it, and because it is the field most likely to breach the no-harm rule. A poorly worded reason can reduce an employee’s prospects — precisely what the statute forbids.
The option is there for those who need it, but it is not chosen for you, and no negative conduct or performance wording is offered at all.
Experience certificate or service certificate?
The statutory term is "service certificate"; people search for "experience certificate". It is one document under two names.
In the UAE, MOHRE issues an official experience certificate free through its app, so start there if you are there. An employer’s own letter still helps when you need company letterhead or particular wording.
Frequently asked questions
Is an employee entitled to an experience certificate?
Yes. Article 64 of the Saudi Labour Law obliges the employer to give the worker a service certificate on request and free of charge when the contract ends. Failing to do so is a listed violation, fined by establishment size: SAR 1,000 for 20 workers or fewer, SAR 2,000 for 21 to 49, and SAR 3,000 for 50 or more — and it multiplies by the number of workers affected.
Must the reason for leaving be stated?
The law does not require it. Article 64 in fact forbids including anything that could harm the worker’s reputation or reduce their job prospects, which is why the option is off by default here.
Should the last salary appear on the certificate?
Article 64 makes the last wage part of a service certificate’s content, yet most circulating templates leave it out. This tool lets you include it.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The certificate and the PDF are built in your browser, and the draft is saved only on your device.
This content is technical guidance and does not replace accounting or legal advice.