How to Write a Resignation Letter

A resignation letter needs four things: a clear statement that you are resigning from your role, your intended last working day, a brief thank-you, and an offer to help with the handover. It should fit comfortably on one page, often in under 150 words. Its job is to create a dated written record, not to explain your reasons or settle old scores.

Talk first, write second

Where possible, tell your manager in person or on a call before the letter arrives. Hearing the news from an email feels abrupt, and a short conversation lets you agree on timing and on who tells the team. Then send the letter the same day, so the date is on record.

Check your notice period

Before you name a last day, read your employment contract or staff handbook. The required notice depends on the contract and on local employment law, and it can range from no fixed period to several months for senior roles. In some places two weeks is a common courtesy rather than a rule; elsewhere the minimum is set by law. Unused holiday, bonuses and benefits may also depend on the exact date. If anything is unclear, ask HR or seek advice on employment law where you work before you hand the letter over.

The structure

1. Date and addressee. Your manager by name, and HR in copy if that is the custom.
2. The statement. One sentence: you are resigning from your position as [job title].
3. The last day. Give an exact date, calculated from your notice period.
4. A short thank-you. One or two sentences about something specific you valued.
5. The handover. Offer to document your work, brief a colleague or help recruit a replacement.
6. Sign-off. A polite close, your name and your personal contact details if you want to stay in touch.

An outline you can adapt

Dear [name], I am writing to confirm my resignation from my position as [job title]. In line with my notice period, my last working day will be [date]. Thank you for the support during my time on the team; I have particularly valued [one specific thing]. Over the coming weeks I will make sure my projects are documented and handed over smoothly. Kind regards, [your name].

That is enough. Adjust the tone to your workplace: some teams expect a formal letter on paper, others are happy with a clearly worded email.

What not to put in writing

• Complaints about colleagues, managers or pay. If feedback is useful, an exit interview is the place for it.
• Detailed reasons for leaving. "I have accepted a new role" is plenty, and even that is optional.
• Promises you may not keep, such as being available for questions indefinitely.
• Anything you would not be comfortable seeing in your personnel file years from now.

Special situations

Leaving to move abroad

If you are resigning because you are relocating, timing matters more than usual: your last day affects visas, housing and the date you can start elsewhere. Line the letter up with the rest of your plans, using the order set out in our guide on how to move abroad. Some people ask instead whether they can keep the job and work from the new country; the questions in working remotely from another country are worth raising with your employer before you resign.

Resigning by email

Use a clear subject line, such as "Resignation – [your name]", and attach the letter as a PDF or put the text in the message body. Keep a copy, and ask for a reply confirming receipt.

After you hand it in

Agree a handover plan, return equipment on time, and say goodbye to people properly. The industry you work in may be smaller than it looks, and a calm exit is remembered. When you start writing applications again, the same restraint works well; the advice on writing a cover letter that gets read follows the same principle of saying less, more clearly.