How to Write Formal Letters to Institutions

Do you know how to talk to institutions? Find out what forms to use, what structure you should follow, and what mistakes you should be avoiding when writing a formal letter.

These days we often find ourselves writing (or translating) various kinds of formal letters, from cover letters to information requests to business correspondence.

But what changes when the letter is addressed to a representative of an institution? The fundamental principles of writing a letter to an institution in English are quite simple. At the end of this article you will find a practical guide with rules for writing formal letters and 10 letter templates, which you can download by choosing your price.

But before turning to the technical part, a thought.

The time we lose in bureaucracy

Millions of hours of work are wasted each year because of poorly filled out forms, ineffective communications, and slow and redundant processes. Writing formal letters is only the tip of the iceberg: behind there is a system where you continue to do everything “by hand,” in an analog way.

We at Qabiria do just that: we automate repetitive processes and help companies, professional firms and public administrations transform digitally, improving productivity.

Because yes, it is important to know how to write a letter to the mayor. But it’s even more important to figure out how to avoid having to write it every month.

Structure of a formal letter

First of all, you need to pay particular attention to the structure. It’s best to divide your letter into sections and paragraphs that make the message clear and easy to read.

A formal letter will generally consist of the following elements:

1. Sender: if you are not writing with a letterhead, you should put the sender’s information on the upper left-hand area of the page. Note: on the envelope, include nothing more than the information needed by the postal service in case of non-delivery (full name and address), while all information relevant to the addressee, i.e. telephone/fax number and possible tax code or VAT number, must be included on the inside.
2. Recipient: must be placed in the upper right-hand corner, one line away from the sender’s information. This section is normally written over several lines, and includes: - To Title +Name and Surname - at / c/o + full address of the office or institute where the recipient is employed.
   • Note: when it comes to institutional letters, it’s important to address the recipient correctly: Mr., Mrs., and Ms. are the most commonly used for known persons, and “to whom it may concern” for unknown persons, and these will apply in most cases. However, this changes when addressing politicians, medical and academic professionals, and members of the clergy (e.g. Rt Hon, Dr., Prof., His Grace. ). London based professional coaching company and publisher Debretts has been writing on this subject since 1769 and provides a useful list of forms of address in English, which can be found here. Titles must be written with a capital letter. If a person has multiple titles, use the most qualified or appropriate one only.
3. Date and location: leave one line of space at the top right, indicate the place and date the letter was written. Both the date and location should be written on one line and separated by a comma. The date can be written in two ways: either with the day in numbers, the month in letters and the year in numbers, or using the classic dd/mm/yyyy (or mm/dd/yyyy for the US), that is, two digits for the day and month, four digits for the year. This section can also be inserted at the end of the letter, in the lower left corner before the signature.
4. Subject: at the top left, on a single line if possible, briefly summarize the subject of the letter, in one word if possible. If relevant, try to include a useful reference to any documentation referred to in the letter.
5. Letter openings: again, use the formula used in point 2 (Title + First Name and Last Name).
6. Body of the letter: use a concise, rigorous and precise style. This will usually include an introduction, body and conclusion. First of all, you need to introduce yourself and your reason for writing, which you will then need to expand upon before concluding with any requests you may have. Two tips:
   • You must use the first person (I, the undersigned) to introduce yourself, and this should be maintained throughout the text.
   • Try to avoid using direct forms where feasible, and instead use the passive voice where possible (e.g. “All the preparations have been made.” ). . .
7. Closing letters: at the bottom left. “Yours sincerely” or “regards” are the most common ways to sign off a formal letter, and this can be expanded by preceding them with expressions like:
   • many thanks in advance
   • I look forward to hearing from you soon
   • cordially yours
   • respectfully
     If, on the other hand, you want to confirm the reliability of what is testified to in the letter, use expressions such as “your help is greatly appreciated” or “with gratitude”.
8. Signature: at the bottom left, one line away from the close (or from place and date, if placed at the bottom of the letter). You must include your full name and surname, which can be handwritten or typed with a handwritten signature below, to make it easier to read.
9. Attachments: if present and mentioned in the body of the letter, these should be listed in summary form at the end of the letter, in the lower left-hand corner.

Spelling and format in formal letters

Before sending your letter, it’s a good idea to check that the spelling and grammar is correct by using the spellchecker in Word or the word processor you are using. If it’s an important letter, you can even use a professional proofreader.

It’s also best to use a clear and easily-readable font and generous line spacing (e.g. 1.5) and avoid including coloured parts that might distract the recipient’s attention. For more on the readability of the texts, please refer to the article "All in one breath: what is readability and why is it important."

Mistakes to avoid in a letter

It’s best to avoid using specialised jargon, acronyms, or abbreviations unless you are sure the recipient will understand them. For more on how to write non-creative, but formal or technical text, see the article "12 mistakes to avoid when writing a user manual," which contains useful pointers not only for those who have to write manuals, but also for anyone who has to compile descriptive text.

The concepts briefly outlined in this article are covered in the handbook Come scrivere una lettera formale (How to write a formal letter) by Chiara Boarina and Marco Cevoli, which can be downloaded below as a PDF file (minimum price €1.99).

This handbook also contains 10 templates or formal letter templates that readers can freely copy and modify to write their own letters to institutions:

1. Termination of a water supply contract.
2. Letter reporting a problem to the mayor.
3. Reporting a claim to an insurance company.
4. Request for payment of salary.
5. Request for technical assistance for a broken boiler.
6. Job applications.
7. Letter of complaint to a school director.
8. Requesting a quote for renovation.
9. Letter of thanks.
10. Invitation to attend an event.

Read the manual on

Nota: article originally written on 20/03/2015 and updated on 05/05/2025.