Unemployed workers can use documents other than a severance agreement (finiquito) to claim benefits from the Unemployment Fund Administrator (AFC).
While a severance agreement is the most common form of proof, regulations allow for several alternatives, provided they meet all necessary legal formalities.
Valid options include dismissal or notice letters, as long as they are signed by the employer, include the company's stamp or letterhead, and are free of corrections. These documents are valid for 30 consecutive days from the end of the contract.
In the case of voluntary resignations, workers must present a letter that has been signed and notarized, as well as proof that the employer received the document, such as a delivery receipt or a signature of receipt.
Court Documents and Other Supporting Evidence
Judicial mechanisms also serve as proof of unemployment. Settlement agreements or court conciliation records are valid if they include the signatures of both the employee and the employer, along with a judge's ruling.
Other accepted documents include settlement agreements (transacción), which must be executed as a public deed or notarized, and notices of constructive dismissal (autodespido), provided there is proof that the company received them.
The Labor Directorate also offers tools such as electronic severance agreements, which do not require notarization or manual uploads to the platform, as well as sworn statements featuring electronic signatures from both the worker and the inspector.
For those with fixed-term contracts of less than 30 days, the original document signed by both parties is sufficient to prove the end of the employment relationship.
When processing claims through the AFC Virtual Branch, users must ensure that scanned files are complete, including both the front and back of the document. Supported formats include PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG, with a 12 MB file size limit. Additionally, filenames must not contain special characters, such as accents or the letter 'ñ'.