An experience certificate is one of those documents you barely think about until a new employer, a visa officer, or a licensing authority asks for it. If yours has gone missing — lost in a house move, damaged beyond use, or left behind in a country you no longer live in — this guide on How to Replace a Lost Experience Certificate walks you through exactly what to do, who to contact, and how to make sure the replacement is accepted.
The good news: an experience certificate is always issued by an employer, not a government body, so replacement means going back to the source. The challenge is practical — the company may have changed names, merged, or shut down entirely. Below is a complete step-by-step process that covers both straightforward and difficult cases.
Quick Answer
To replace a lost experience certificate, contact the HR department or the signatory of your former employer and request a re-issued (duplicate) copy on company letterhead with the official seal and signature. Provide your employee ID, designation, and dates of employment to speed things up. If the company has closed, prepare an affidavit and gather supporting evidence (offer letter, payslips, relieving letter, bank statements) to explain the gap to the requesting authority.
What Is an Experience Certificate, and Why Does It Matter?
An experience certificate is a formal document issued by an employer when an employee leaves, confirming the person’s designation, department, period of employment, and sometimes a summary of duties. Unlike a salary certificate, which mainly states compensation, the experience certificate focuses on the work you did and how long you did it.
Common situations where you will be asked to produce one include:
- Joining a new employer who wants to verify past experience before confirming seniority or salary
- UAE work visa or permit processing, where authorities may review employment history
- Professional licensing (engineering, healthcare, teaching, and other regulated fields)
- Immigration or points-based skilled worker applications abroad
- Bank or loan applications that require employment history verification
If you need to understand the document from scratch first, see our guide on how to get an experience certificate and the full list of experience certificate requirements and uses.
How to Replace a Lost Experience Certificate: Step by Step
Step 1: Search your records thoroughly
Before contacting anyone, spend a little time making sure the certificate is genuinely lost. Many people later find a scanned copy in an old email thread, a job application portal, or a document folder. Check:
- Your email inbox — search for the company’s name, “experience letter”, or the HR contact’s name
- Old job applications and portals where you may have uploaded the certificate
- Cloud storage, old phones, USB drives, and backed-up folders
- Physical files and folders from previous moves
Even a clear scanned copy is often accepted by employers while you arrange a formal re-issue, so do not discard a scan as useless.
Step 2: Identify the right contact at the company
The replacement must come from the employer. Contact the HR department first — if you remember a specific HR officer or your manager, reach out to them directly. Large companies usually have a standard process for duplicate certificates. Smaller companies may just need a polite request to the person who signed the original.
Send a written request (email is best) including:
- Your full name as it appears on company records
- Employee ID or personnel number
- Designation and department
- Date of joining and last working day
- The reason for the request (lost original) and the address where the replacement should be sent
Step 3: Request a duplicate on official letterhead
Ask the company to re-issue the certificate on official letterhead with the authorized signature and company seal or stamp. A good duplicate will contain the same core facts as the original: your name, designation, department, dates of employment, and a brief statement of conduct or duties. Many companies mark re-issued documents with “Duplicate” — this is normal practice and does not reduce the document’s validity.
Processing time varies widely: some HR teams issue a duplicate within a few working days, while others take one to three weeks. Follow up politely if you hear nothing within a week. There is no standard government fee for this — companies generally re-issue certificates free of charge, though some may charge a small administrative fee.
Step 4: Verify the replacement before using it
When you receive the duplicate, check it against your records: names, dates, designation, and the company seal must all be correct. If anything is wrong, do not “fix it yourself” — a self-altered certificate is a serious integrity issue. Instead, follow the proper process in our guide on how to correct an employment certificate.
For practical steps to confirm a re-issued certificate will pass scrutiny, read how to verify an employment certificate.
What If the Company Has Closed or Changed Names?
This is the hardest scenario, and it is more common than people expect. If the company no longer exists, you cannot obtain a fresh letterhead document from it. In that case:
- Gather supporting evidence. Collect everything that proves the employment: the original offer/appointment letter, payslips, bank statements showing salary credits, the relieving letter, old employment contracts, and reference letters from former colleagues or managers.
- Prepare an affidavit. Draft a sworn affidavit stating that the experience certificate was issued by the company, that it has been lost, and that the company is no longer reachable or operational. An affidavit in the UAE is typically prepared through a legal translator and notarized by an authorized notary public.
- Ask your current or prospective employer what they accept. Many employers, visa authorities, and licensing bodies accept an affidavit plus supporting evidence in place of the lost certificate. Requirements differ, so confirm before spending money on notarization.
- Check trade-license records. If you need to prove the company existed, trade license records from the relevant licensing authority (such as the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai or the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi) can corroborate your employment history.
Attestation and Translation of the Replacement
If the lost certificate was an attested document — for example, one you had attested for visa or immigration use — the replacement usually needs to go through the same attestation chain again. A duplicate certificate issued by the company is treated as a new document for attestation purposes. Our guide to the UAE document attestation process explains the typical steps.
If the requesting authority requires the certificate in a language other than the one it was issued in, the translation must be done by a certified legal translator. See UAE legal translation requirements for how that works.
Preventing the Problem Next Time
Once you have your replacement, take five minutes to make sure you never need to do this again:
- Scan every employment document the day you receive it and store copies in at least two places (cloud storage plus a local backup)
- Keep a dedicated folder — physical or digital — for each employer, with the offer letter, experience certificate, relieving letter, and final payslip together
- When leaving a job, confirm you have received all documents before your last day; chasing HR months later is much harder
- If you are currently employed, review your UAE employment contract details so your records stay consistent across documents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I get a duplicate experience certificate if I left the company years ago?
Yes. There is no time limit on requesting a duplicate from an employer that still operates. Companies keep employment records for years, and HR departments handle such requests routinely. Provide as many identifying details as you can — employee ID, exact designation, and employment dates — to help them locate your file.
Does a re-issued certificate say “Duplicate” on it?
Often, yes. Many companies stamp or print “Duplicate” on re-issued certificates as standard record-keeping practice. This is completely normal and does not affect the certificate’s acceptance by employers, visa authorities, or licensing bodies.
Can I write my own experience certificate if the company is closed?
No. You cannot issue a certificate to yourself on a former employer’s behalf — that would be a fabricated document with serious legal consequences in the UAE. The correct route is an affidavit supported by evidence such as payslips, bank statements, and the relieving letter.
How long does it take to get a replacement experience certificate?
It depends on the company. Efficient HR departments may issue a duplicate within a few working days; others take one to three weeks. If the company has closed and you need an affidavit plus attestation instead, allow extra time for notarization and any document attestation steps.
Will a scanned copy of my lost certificate be accepted?
Sometimes, for initial job applications or internal reviews. But official processes — visa applications, licensing, and immigration — almost always require the original or a properly re-issued document, sometimes with attestation. Treat a scan as a stopgap, not the final solution.
Do I need to file a police report for a lost experience certificate?
Generally, no. A police report is not a standard requirement for replacing an experience certificate, since it is an employer-issued document rather than a government identity document. The re-issue request to your employer is the primary step. A report may occasionally be requested if you are also documenting a wider loss (for example, a lost bag containing multiple documents), but check with the requesting authority first.
The Bottom Line
Replacing a lost experience certificate starts with a simple written request to your former employer’s HR department — in most cases, that is the whole job. The process only gets complicated when the company has closed or changed hands, and even then an affidavit plus supporting evidence usually satisfies whoever is asking. Get the duplicate issued on official letterhead with the company seal, re-run attestation if the original was attested, and this time, keep a scanned backup somewhere safe.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Asandada24, covering driving, visas, banking, insurance and everyday UAE life. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Asandada24 is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.