There are several situations in daily life, when an individual may need to state, assert, acknowledge, contest or announce certain information to another individual, organization or authority in an orderly manner. This communication then needs to be legally binding for the individual making the same. A letter containing any of the types as mentioned above of information is known as a declaration letter.

There are numerous occasions, when all of us have written a letter, without realizing that it is called so. Some common examples being a self-declaration about educational qualifications and previous employment while applying for a new job, a letter for current financial obligations while applying for a loan, receiving a medical fitness certificate while going for a new job or an adventure sport.

Some other examples of these letters that are slightly less frequently used but important nonetheless are sponsorship letter when applying for immigration, submissions to the court in case of an ongoing court case, letter from an organization to the shareholders on appointment or removal of a director, notice for tender on a project by a public or private organization etc.

Declaration Letter Format

Writing a letter is one of the most difficult tasks in terms of the content, yet it is one of the simplest things in terms of the format.

How to Write a Declaration Letter

A standard letter format has only four major components:

1. The Writer’s Identification: Since the primary purpose of writing this letter is to establish credibility, it is very important to state upfront, who is writing the letter and in what capacity. The value of a letter is decided by the authority of the writer on the subject.
2. The Intended Recipient(s): The next and critical component of any letter is the intended recipient(s) of the letter. It may be an individual, organisation or even an unknown group. The language, tone, and responsibility of a letter depend and may vary as per the recipient. Hence, it is important to identify, who this letter is being written for.

When it is not known who will be receiving the letter or that the recipients are large and varied groups, it is standard practice to start the letter with "To whomsoever, it may concern". This is generally used in public notices. There is a completely different set of letters that fall into this category and are frequently used. Some examples of this are public notice for a tender being floated by the government organisations, the bonafide letters issued by the HR department to the employees for a multitude of requirements including bank loan, address proof, letter of employment, etc. and banks issuing notices against defaulters.

      iii. The Date: A very important component of this letter, this must be a part of the letter. This is the one component that may make or break the legal case based on the letter. Also, it may impact the claims, defeating the primary purpose of the letter. Hence, you must ensure to put in the date correctly.

Since a letter of the declaration has legal validity and weight in courts of law, having a correct date gives it more credibility during an ongoing case. The format of the date may vary, but its presence is required.

      iv. The Declaration: This is the heart of the letter, the reason why it is being written in the first place. The content for this section must be carefully drafted, properly worded and thoroughly proofread to ensure it conveys the communication required and fulfills the purpose of writing the letter.

The standard rules of writing formal documents apply to these letters as well. The tone of the letter should be assertive and yet not rude. The recipients may be a large group, and hence simple language makes it better to comprehend. 

This letter is the formal communication of intent from the writer to the audience. These are used for almost all official purposes and can be used as documentary evidence in a legal case. Hence, the entire content and its implication need to be carefully thought out before putting it on paper.

Also, since it can be critical in formal proceedings, the best practice for writing a letter is to keep it short and crisp. Avoid the use of any flowery language or unnecessary details making it ambiguous.

Declaration Letter Sample with Examples

Although there are a variety of reasons for which letters are written and circulated, here we have outlined the samples for some of the most common ones being used.