An analytical solution is presented for a micropolar plane-strain thermoelastic problem in a confocal hollow elliptical cylinder subjected to symmetric heating with respect to the x and y axes on the outer elliptical boundary. The problem is formulated in elliptical coordinates based on micropolar theory for an elastic solid initiated by Eringen and Suhubi, and on the extension to a thermoelastic solid with stress functions by Nowacki. The formulation includes an assurance of the single-valuedness of the rotation component in the confocal hollow elliptical cylinder of a micropolar elastic solid by Michell's condition expressed in elliptical coordinates. In order to demonstrate the effect of couple stress upon the relaxation of thermal-stress concentration in the vicinity of an elliptical hole in the cylinder, numerical illustration of the proposed theory is given for three cases of aspect ratios of the elliptical hole and various values of the new material constants of Eringen's micropolar elastic solid.