About this template
Employment Certificates and Service Certificates – Word, PDF, and Excel Templates 2026/2027
Do you need to issue an employment certificate, certificate of service, or service testimonial for an employee? This digital package provides employers and HR with separate, editable document templates for ongoing and concluded employment, a specific service testimonial with optional factual assessments, a version with an optional salary statement, and a control form for signing and secure issuance.
Also included is an Excel register with nine tabs and 16 administrative key performance indicators (KPIs) for those wishing to track requests, issued certificates, factual checks, corrections, and issuances. The templates are designed for the Swedish labor market, where the specific employment and any collective agreement rules must always be verified.
Digital ZIP delivery: 15 files – 7 editable Word (DOCX), 7 searchable PDF in A4, and 1 Excel (XLSX). Five main Swedish documents, a Swedish user guide, and a separate English User Guide.
01. Package Contents
15 files in a digital ZIP: 7 Word, 7 text-searchable PDF, and 1 Excel. Five main templates in Swedish, one Swedish step-by-step guide, and one English user guide. The Excel register contains 9 tabs and 16 control KPIs. The file previews in the product images are based on the actual documents provided.
Version: 1.0 – 2026/2027. Editorial source check: October 16, 2026. Language: Swedish main documents, English User Guide. Format: editable DOCX, readable searchable PDF, and XLSX, without subscription or physical shipping. The specified 2027 version is not a guarantee of future legislative changes or external legal certification.
02. What the files contain – document by document
| Document | Purpose and content | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 01. Employment Certificate – ongoing employment | Neutral certificate regarding employer, start date, position, type of employment, and extent of employment for, e.g., bank, landlord, or personal use. | DOCX + PDF |
| 02. Certificate of Service – concluded employment | Factual certificate with documented start and end date, positions, periods, and duties performed. | DOCX + PDF |
| 03. Service Testimonial with optional assessments | Employment reference with clearly separated, verifiable work-related assessments when applicable according to collective agreements and the individual's wishes. | DOCX + PDF |
| 04. Employment Certificate with optional salary statement | Separate certificate for specific recipient purposes where information about actual agreed salary is needed and may legally be provided. | DOCX + PDF |
| 05. Request, factual check, and issuance journal | Checklist for verifying employment details, authorized signing, secure transfer, corrections, and document versioning. | DOCX + PDF |
| 06. Swedish User Guide | The difference between the documents, ten work steps, collective agreement control, GDPR, and verified source references. | DOCX + PDF |
| 07. English User Guide | English instructions for the main Swedish documents; no English certificate templates are included. | DOCX + PDF |
| 08. Certificate Register in Excel | Nine tabs, 16 administrative KPIs, and tracking of requests, certificates, testimonials, issuance, corrections, and data protection. | XLSX |
All Word and PDF documents feature two separately framed information boxes with the headings 01. Package Contents and 02. What the files contain. The templates have marked input fields for name, employer, employment period, position, extent, and authorized signing—not made-up employees or fictitious salaries.
03. Excel – certificate register with nine tabs and 16 KPIs
Tabs: Overview · Employees · Requests · Certificates · Testimonials · Issuance · Corrections · Data Protection · Read me.
Administrative overview of the number of registered certificates, ongoing and concluded employment, new requests, certificates reviewed or issued, certificates where salary information needs to be considered, service testimonials requiring control, sent certificates, open corrections, and data protection cases. On the Corrections tab, the status is displayed as Open or Resolved depending on whether an actual action date has been registered.
Excel is an administrative support tool, not an authorization-based HR database, a payroll system, or an automated decision service. Use internal employee IDs and a protected storage location. It does not determine legal grounds, contractual notice periods, correct service assessments, or valid signatures. The workbook is delivered without fictitious personal data and without test values.
How to issue an employment certificate – ten steps
- Determine which document is being requested. Distinguish between certificates for banks/landlords, service testimonials, and the separate official employer's certificate for unemployment insurance.
- Check the authorized employer. Verify the legal employer, corporate registration number, and contact details.
- Retrieve the correct employment period. Use actual data regarding start, end, any breaks, and changed positions.
- Choose the right template. Document 01 for ongoing employment, 02 for concluded, 03 for testimonials, and 04 when salary information is truly necessary.
- Review position and extent. Check the form of employment, employment rate, and actual service content.
- Check the collective agreement. The right to receive a service testimonial and time limits may follow from the agreement. There is no general statutory weekly time limit.
- Handle assessments carefully. They must be supported by actual work-related experience; consider a request to omit assessments.
- Minimize personal data. Personal identity numbers, salary, and private circumstances should not be included routinely.
- Sign and issue securely. Ask an authorized representative to check, sign, and deliver the certificate via an appropriate channel.
- Register any corrections. Use document 05 and Excel for version management and planned purging according to actual needs.
What do the rules say about employment certificates and service testimonials?
What should an employment certificate contain?
Unionen describes that an employment certificate should normally contain the employer, employment period or start date, position, form of employment, and extent of employment. Salary can be added if the employee wants it included and the information is needed for an actual purpose. This may be relevant for a bank, landlord, or future employer. The certificate is not a guarantee of continued employment or future salary.
Service testimonials and collective agreements
Unionen explains that there is no general statutory right to a service testimonial, but such a right often follows from collective agreements. The service testimonial may contain the period of employment, work duties, and the employer's factual assessment. According to many relevant collective agreements, the employee may request that assessments be omitted. Time limits and when testimonials should be issued depend on the agreement. Therefore, check the applicable agreement, not an alleged general seven-day deadline.
The official employer's certificate for unemployment insurance is free
Sveriges a-kassor recommends that the employer fills in the employer's certificate free of charge at arbetsgivarintyg.nu. The documents in this package are not replacements for an unemployment insurance certificate. The user does not need to buy a commercial employer's certificate template to use the free service.
GDPR: correct information, limitation, and security
According to IMY's guidance, the employer must be able to demonstrate a legal basis, comply with purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, storage limitation, and integrity/confidentiality. Notes on employees must be factual and not offensive. Only send information that the actual recipient needs, ensure authorized issuance, and correct errors. Public employers may also be subject to special archival and transparency regulations.
Related document templates
Do you need to document a new employment? See Employment Agreement – template package 2026. When an employee concludes their own employment, there is Resignation from employee – template. In case of a voluntary termination agreement, Agreement on termination of employment may be relevant. Also explore HR, Labor Law & Whistleblowing – Templates. These are separate products and are not included in the ZIP archive.
Frequently asked questions about employment certificates and service testimonials
What is the difference between an employment certificate and an employer's certificate?
The employment certificate confirms the facts of the employment. The employer's certificate is used for the unemployment fund's assessment of unemployment benefits and is issued free of charge via arbetsgivarintyg.nu. The latter is not included in the package.
Can I use the certificate for the bank or landlord?
Yes, documents 01 and 04 are designed for common verification needs, but the recipient determines for themselves which information is required. Salary information should only be included when there is an actual need.
Can an employment certificate be issued while I am employed?
Yes. Unionen describes that one can ask for an employment certificate even during ongoing employment. Document 01 contains specific fields to indicate that employment is ongoing as of the date of the certificate.
What does a service testimonial contain?
Usually the period of employment, main duties, and any work-related assessments. How obligations and content are regulated may depend on collective agreements.
Do I have the right to a service testimonial within one week?
Not as a general statutory rule. Several collective agreements may contain time limits, but the relevant agreement text must be checked.
Does the salary have to be stated on the certificate?
No, it is not a mandatory piece of information in every employment certificate. Document 04 is intended for special situations where the salary information is needed and may be disclosed.
Is the employer allowed to leave negative comments?
Certificates and testimonials should be factual, relevant, and correct. Including unverified or derogatory information should be avoided. Agreement rules and requests to omit assessments may be relevant.
Can Excel automatically print signed employment certificates?
No. Excel is a register for requests, control, issuance, and corrections. Finished certificates are prepared in Word and must be fact-checked and signed by an authorized employer representative.
Are certificates in English included?
The five main documents are Swedish. An English User Guide is included for users who need English instructions. No complete English certificates are promised.
Are the templates legally certified or issued by authorities?
No. The documents are editorial working papers and have not been reviewed or approved by an authority, Sweden's unemployment insurance funds, or an external lawyer. They need to be filled in with correct information and follow applicable collective agreements.
Sources and version
Version 1.0 / 2026–2027. Editorial source check October 16, 2026. Sources: Unionen – employment certificate, Unionen – service testimonial, Sveriges a-kassor, and IMY – GDPR in working life.
