Farewell Letter
Leaving is the one moment when it is completely normal to say what someone meant to you. It is a shame to waste it on "keep in touch".
Whether you are the one going or the one staying, name the specific thing you will miss. Vague warmth is forgotten by the following week.
There are two versions of this letter and they are not interchangeable. The one you write to a whole team is public, generous and slightly formal. The one you write to the person you actually sat beside for four years is not. Write the second one separately, even if you write the first one first — the second is the one that gets kept.
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Prefer paper? Print the fill-in-the-blank template and write it by hand.
What to say in a farewell letter
- 1What you will genuinely miss — a routine, a joke, a person's presence at a particular time of day.
- 2Something you learned from them.
- 3The thing you will miss that you never mentioned at the time.
- 4A moment you are taking with you.
- 5What you hope for them next, specifically rather than warmly.
- 6How you would actually like to stay in contact, with a real suggestion attached.
One thing to skip: Avoid "let's definitely stay in touch" with no plan attached. Suggest something real, even if it is a message every few months.
The difference one specific line makes
Same sentiment, two ways of saying it in a farewell letter.
Most people write
“It has been great working with you all. Let's definitely keep in touch. Best of luck for the future!”
Write this instead
“I will miss the 4pm coffee where you told me what was actually going on in this company. First Thursday of the month, same cafe — I will be there whether you turn up or not.”
Why it works: 'Keep in touch' is the phrase people use instead of keeping in touch. A named ritual with a standing invitation is the version that survives past the first month.
Three ways to open a farewell letter
The first line is the hard part. Steal one of these and fill in the brackets.
“Friday is my last day, and there are about four people I actually want to say something to.”
“We spent [how long] [doing what] and I never once told you [what].”
“I am not going to do the "keep in touch" thing. Here is an actual plan.”
Farewell letter templates
Start from one of these and make it yours — they open straight into the editor.
Bittersweet Goodbye
“Goodbyes are never easy, especially when they involve someone as wonderful as you...”
Use this template →Printable farewell letter template
Two ways to print it. Fill in the blanks and the page itself becomes the letter, or take the prompt sheet and write your own version by hand.
Print it, fill the blanks in pen, and give it as it is — no copying out.
👋 Farewell letter
Write in the blanks. The small words under each line tell you what to reach for — cross out any line that is not true of the two of you.
Dear their name,
Day is my last day, and you are one of the few people I actually wanted to write to.
What I will miss is the routine, the joke, the presence at a particular hour.
What I learned from you is what.
The thing I never mentioned at the time: what.
The moment I am taking with me is which one.
Instead of "keep in touch", here is an actual plan: the specific suggestion.
Your name
shareloveletters.com — free letter templates. Write it online and they open a sealed envelope with their name on it.
Need a different one? Browse all free printable letter templates.
How it arrives
Write it
Edit a template, pick a theme, add photos or a song.
Share a private link
Password-protect it, or set the date it unlocks.
They open an envelope
Sealed, with their name on it, opening into your farewell letter.
Questions people ask
What do you write in a farewell letter?
Name what you will miss, what you learned, and one memory you are keeping. Then propose a concrete way to stay in contact rather than a vague intention.
What do you write in a goodbye letter to colleagues?
One paragraph of genuine thanks, one specific memory of the team, and where to find you afterwards. Skip the corporate register and the list of achievements — nobody has ever been moved by a leaving email that reads like a performance review.
Should I write to a friend who is moving away?
Yes, and give it to them a day or two before they go rather than at the airport. They will read it during the move itself, which is exactly when they will need it.
Is this suitable for leaving a job?
Yes. It works for colleagues and teams as well as friends — keep the tone warm and specific, and skip the corporate register.
Other occasions
Need words to borrow? Browse our 700+ quote library or read our letter-writing guides.
Ready to write your farewell letter?
Write it before the final week, while there is still time to mean it. Letters drafted at 4pm on the last Friday read exactly like letters drafted at 4pm on the last Friday.
Start your farewell letter