How to Write a Leave Application for Office
A leave application for office is a short, formal letter asking your manager or head for leave, stating the dates, the reason in one line, and what happens to your work while you are away. Keep it short — one page is enough for most offices.
Format that works in most offices
- To: your manager / head, with designation.
- Subject: one line, e.g. “Request for leave from 10 November to 12 November 2026”.
- Opening: “Respected Sir/Madam, I request leave for 3 days, from 10 November to 12 November 2026, due to personal work.”
- Work handover: one line — who will handle your work, or that no pending work will be affected.
- Closing: “I kindly request you to grant the above leave. Thanking you, Yours faithfully, [your name, designation, date]”.
Sample (fill in the brackets)
To,
The Manager,
[Office name]
Subject: Request for leave from [from date] to [to date]
Respected Sir/Madam,
I, [your name], [designation], request leave for [number] days, from [from date] to [to date], due to [reason in one line]. During this period, [name] will look after my pending work.
I kindly request you to grant the above leave.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
[Designation]
[Date]
Tips that actually matter
- Apply before the leave, not after — and keep a copy of the approved application.
- Do not write a long personal story. One line for the reason is enough, unless your office asks for a medical certificate (for medical leave, attach it).
- If you are a Gramin Dak Sevak, do not use this office format — use the official quadruplicate form in the GDS Leave tool, which prints 4 copies plus a cover letter.
- For a school sick-leave letter, see the sick leave application guide instead.
Frequently asked questions
Should I mention the reason in detail?
No. “Personal work” or “medical ground” is enough in most offices. Give details only if your office rules ask for them.
Can I use this for a half-day?
Yes — write “half-day leave on [date], [morning/afternoon]” in the subject and body, and state the hours if your office needs them.