Certificate of employment in the Philippines: how to request one (with a sample request letter)

What a certificate of employment is

DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06, series of 2020 (LA 06-20), signed on 31 January 2020, defines a certificate of employment (COE) as a certificate from the employer specifying the dates of the employee's engagement and the termination of employment, and the type or types of work in which the employee is employed. In plain terms, it shows when you started, when you left, and what work you did.

You do not have to wait until you leave. The advisory says an employee whose employment has not yet ended may also ask for a COE. If you still work there, ask that it state you remain employed as of the date it is issued.

People often need a COE for a new job, a bank or housing loan, a visa application, or a school or government requirement. Check what the bank, embassy, or new employer asks for before you send your request, so you only have to ask once.

How fast your employer must issue it

Section III of LA 06-20 says the employer shall issue a certificate of employment within three (3) days from the time of the request by the employee. The advisory does not say whether these are calendar or working days, so make your request early and keep proof of the date HR received it.

The three days run from your request. LA 06-20 does not list clearance, return of company property, or final pay as conditions for issuing the COE. Final pay is a separate matter: the same advisory gives it its own period of 30 days from separation.

Kasambahay (domestic workers) are covered by a separate law. Under Section 35 of the Batas Kasambahay (Republic Act No. 10361), when the employment ends, the employer must issue a certificate of employment within five (5) days from the request, stating the nature and duration of the service and the worker's work performance.

COE with compensation: asking for your pay to be included

LA 06-20 describes a COE by its dates and type of work. It does not require the certificate to state your salary. Some lenders and embassies ask for a COE that also shows your pay, often called a "COE with compensation", so you need to ask for it specifically.

Your salary, written on a certificate that names you, is personal information under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173). The Act allows personal information to be processed only when at least one lawful condition exists, and the first one it lists is the consent of the person concerned. Consent must be freely given, specific, and informed, and shown in writing, electronically, or by a recording. The Act also says personal information should be adequate and not excessive for its purpose.

In practice, put it in your written request: say that you want your pay included, which amounts (for example, monthly basic pay only, or basic pay plus regular allowances), and the purpose, such as a housing loan. That gives HR a clear written record of what you agreed to share. Ask only for what the lender or embassy needs.

How to request a COE

Make the request in writing, by email or printed letter, to HR or whoever keeps employee records. Keep a copy with proof of the date it was received: a signed and dated receiving copy for a printed letter, or the sent email. Your request should state:

• Your full name, position, department, and employee number, if you have one.
• Your start date and, if you have left, your last day.
• The purpose, such as a new job, a loan, or a visa application.
• Whether you need your pay included, and which amounts.
• Whether it should be addressed "To Whom It May Concern" or to a named bank, embassy, or company.
• How you want to receive it (pick-up, email, or courier) and how many signed copies you need.

Sample request letter for a certificate of employment

The names and details below are fictional. Replace them with your own, and delete the salary sentences if you do not need your pay stated.

28 September 2026

Ms. Liza Reyes

Human Resources Manager

XYZ Trading Corporation

Pasig City

Dear Ms. Reyes:

I respectfully request a Certificate of Employment. I have worked at XYZ Trading Corporation as an Accounting Assistant in the Finance Department since 3 March 2021, under employee no. 21-0457.

I need the certificate for a housing loan application. The bank requires that it state my salary, so I ask and authorize the company to include my current monthly basic pay in the certificate for this purpose. Please address it "To Whom It May Concern".

Under DOLE Labor Advisory No. 06, series of 2020, a certificate of employment is issued within three days from the request. I would appreciate receiving the signed certificate by 1 October 2026. I can pick it up at the HR office, or you may email a scanned copy to juan.delacruz@example.com.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Juan dela Cruz

Accounting Assistant, Finance Department

If you have already left the company, write "I worked at XYZ Trading Corporation as an Accounting Assistant from 3 March 2021 to 15 August 2026" instead, and give an email or address where the certificate can reach you.

If you have resigned or left the company

You can still request a COE after you resign, finish a contract, or are dismissed. DOLE's definition itself covers the dates of your engagement and the termination of your employment, and the three-day period runs from your request. Send the request to your former employer's HR by email or letter, the same way.

Your COE and your final pay are separate. Under LA 06-20, final pay must be released within 30 days from separation, unless a company policy or an individual or collective agreement is more favorable.

If your COE is late, withheld, or wrong

Follow up in writing first. Mention the date of your original request and ask for a release date. If the dates, position, or pay on the certificate are wrong, ask HR in writing to correct them; the Data Privacy Act gives you the right to dispute inaccurate personal information and have it corrected.

If HR still does not issue it, LA 06-20 says any issue about the issuance of a certificate of employment is filed with the nearest DOLE Regional, Provincial, or Field Office covering the workplace, for conciliation. Under Republic Act No. 10396, labor and employment issues go through mandatory conciliation-mediation, known as the Single Entry Approach (SEnA). You file a Request for Assistance (RFA), and a SEnA desk officer helps you and the employer try to settle within 30 calendar days. If there is no settlement, the request can be referred to the proper DOLE office.

Under the 2025 SEnA rules (DOLE Department Order No. 249, series of 2025), you may also file at the DOLE office nearest your home, or online, including through the DOLE Assistance for Request Management System (DOLE ARMS). For questions, call the DOLE Hotline 1349. Bring copies of your written request, proof that HR received it, and your follow-ups.

Common questions