A resignation letter is the written notice that tells your employer you are leaving the job by your own decision, and from what date. It does not need to be long or explain your reasons: it only has to record the decision, your last working day and the notice period you will work.
Below are resignation letter templates to copy and adapt, split by country because the rules differ: in Spain the notice period comes from your collective agreement; in Mexico resignation is governed by the Federal Labour Law and what matters most is your final settlement. This guide is general information: your exact notice depends on your contract or collective agreement, and for a specific case it is worth asking an employment lawyer.
What Should a Resignation Letter Include?
The format is not regulated, but a resignation letter that does its job has six elements. If one is missing, especially the effective date, the letter invites misunderstandings at exactly the wrong moment.
- Place and date of delivery.
- Recipient: the company and the person responsible (your direct manager or HR).
- Your details: full name, ID number (DNI or NIE in Spain), current job title.
- The decision, in one unambiguous sentence: “I am writing to inform you of my voluntary resignation.”
- Your last working day, calculated with the notice you owe.
- Signature, plus space for the company to sign and date a receipt.
Include
- One clear sentence: I am leaving by my own decision
- Your last working day as an exact date
- One line of thanks, nothing more
- Space for the company's signed receipt
Avoid
- Complaints or grievances in writing
- Saying which company you are joining
- Vague dates like “in a few weeks”
- Signing blank pages or keeping no copy
What you leave out matters too. The letter stays in your file and can be read by anyone you later ask for references, so it is not the place to settle scores.
Resignation Letter Template for Spain
Spain's Workers' Statute lets an employee end the contract by resigning, provided they give the notice set by the collective agreement or local custom (article 49.1.d). In other words, the law does not set a number of days: your collective agreement does. Fifteen days is the most common, but some agreements require a month or more for technical or senior roles.
Standard template with notice:
[City], [date]
For the attention of [manager's name or HR department]
[Company name]
I, [full name], ID [number], employed by this company as [job title] since [start date], hereby give notice of my voluntary resignation.
In line with the [number]-day notice period set by my collective agreement, my last working day will be [date].
Thank you for the opportunity and the trust you have placed in me. I am happy to help with the handover of my responsibilities.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
[Full name]
Received: [company name and signature] — Date: [date]
If you are leaving during your probation period, either side can end the contract without notice. Just change the second paragraph:
As I am still within my probation period, my last working day will be [date].
If you need to leave earlier than your agreement requires (for example, because a new job starts sooner), ask for it in the letter itself. The company does not have to agree, but having it in writing avoids disputes over your final pay:
My notice period under the collective agreement would end on [date]. I would like to ask, if possible, for my last working day to be [earlier date], and would be grateful if you could confirm your answer in writing.
Before you sign, keep two consequences in mind. First, a voluntary resignation does not entitle you to unemployment benefit; Spain's public employment service says so plainly in its unemployment benefit FAQ: if you leave a job voluntarily, you cannot receive the benefit. Second, there is no severance. Your final settlement (finiquito) covers pay for the days worked, accrued but untaken holiday and the pro-rata share of the extra payments if they are not already spread across your monthly salary.
Resignation Letter Template for Mexico
Mexico's Federal Labour Law does not set a notice period for an employee who resigns. The norm is 15 days or whatever your contract or the company's internal rules say, as a courtesy and to make the handover easier. What the law does regulate is what you are owed when you leave.
[City], [date]
[Manager's name]
[Job title]
[Company legal name]
I, [full name], hereby submit my irrevocable voluntary resignation from the position of [job title], which I have held since [start date], effective [date].
I request my final settlement with the benefits set out in the Federal Labour Law, as well as my employment certificate.
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of [company]. I will leave my work in order up to my last day.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Full name]
Acknowledgement of receipt: [name, signature and company stamp] — Date: [date]
When you resign you are not entitled to the three-month severance (that applies to unfair dismissal), but you are owed a final settlement. Under the Federal Labour Law, it includes the pro-rata Christmas bonus (aguinaldo, article 87), pro-rata holiday pay for the time worked (article 79) with a holiday premium of at least 25% (article 80), and any unpaid salary. The seniority premium of twelve days' pay per year is only paid on resignation if you have at least fifteen years with the employer (article 162).
A practical tip: sign two copies and keep the one with the acknowledgement of receipt. And never sign a blank page, or a resignation put in front of you that you did not decide on.
How Much Notice Do You Need to Give?
It depends on the country and, above all, on your contract or collective agreement. This table sums up the differences that affect the letter most:
| Spain | Mexico | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is called | Baja voluntaria or dimisión | Renuncia voluntaria |
| Notice period | Set by the collective agreement or custom; 15 days is most common | Not set by law; 15 days or your contract's terms is the norm |
| During probation | No notice needed | Check your contract |
| If you skip the notice | Many agreements let the company deduct the missing days from final pay | No legal penalty; it can cost you references |
| What you are paid | Final settlement: unpaid salary, untaken holiday, pro-rata extra payments | Final settlement: unpaid salary, pro-rata aguinaldo and holiday pay with premium |
| Severance | No | No (seniority premium only after 15+ years) |
| Unemployment benefit | Not available after resigning | There is no federal unemployment insurance |
To work out your last day, count the notice from the day after you hand in the letter, and check your agreement to see whether it means calendar or working days. If in doubt, ask HR before you put a date in writing.
How to Hand In Your Resignation Letter
The letter is the last step of a conversation, not the first. Your manager should not find out by reading it: tell them in person first, then make it formal. The professional relationships you look after on the way out will outlast the job itself.
- 1
Check agreement and contract
Confirm the notice days and whether they are calendar or working days.
First
- 2
Tell your manager
In person or on a video call, before the letter reaches them.
Day 0
- 3
Hand in the letter
Two signed copies; get a dated receipt on yours.
Day 0
- 4
Work your notice
Document your tasks and complete the handover.
15 days or as agreed
- 5
Check the final pay
Review every item before signing; you can sign “not in agreement”.
Last day
If the company refuses to sign the receipt, in Spain you can send the letter by burofax with certified content; in Mexico, by email to HR keeping a record of the message, or in front of witnesses. What matters is being able to prove when you delivered it, because your notice period runs from that date.
Use your last weeks to ask for a work recommendation letter from someone who saw your work up close: your results are fresh, and it will never be easier to get one.
What If Your Employer Makes a Counteroffer?
Sometimes, once they hear your decision, the company offers more money or a different role. Before you answer, ask yourself whether you were leaving for the money or for something else: a raise does not fix a bad manager or a dead-end job, and the underlying reasons tend to come back.
If pay was the real reason, maybe the missing conversation was a different one. It is worth knowing how to ask for a raise before it comes to resigning next time. And if you are after a bigger shift, this guide to a career change without experience helps you plan it before you let go of what you have.
In short: check your notice period, talk first, hand in the letter with a receipt and review your final pay before signing. If you are leaving to start a job search, you can keep your job applications organised in a tracker from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to give notice when I resign?
In Spain, yes, if your collective agreement sets it; if you skip it, the company can deduct the missing days from your final pay. In Mexico the Federal Labour Law does not require it, but giving 15 days or what your contract says is the norm.
Can I resign by email?
Yes, as long as you can prove the company received it and when. A signed paper letter with a receipt is still the safest option; if you use email, ask for a read receipt and keep the sent message.
Do I have to explain why I am leaving?
No. The letter only needs your decision and the effective date. If you want to give reasons, do it in person and keep it positive; in writing, one line of thanks is enough.
Can I claim unemployment benefit after resigning in Spain?
No: a voluntary resignation does not give you the right to unemployment benefit. You could claim it later if you find another job and lose it for a different reason, such as the contract ending.
Can I withdraw my resignation after handing it in?
Only safely if the company agrees. That is why a resignation letter should never be used as a bargaining tactic: hand it in only when the decision is final.