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Bonafide Certificate — format & editable download
A bonafide certificate is the school's written confirmation that a student is (or was) genuinely enrolled — the word means 'in good faith'. Parents ask for one constantly: bank accounts, passport applications, scholarship forms, bus-pass concessions, visa paperwork. This page gives you a clean, editable format, explains every field, and covers the variants offices are actually asked for.
Download editable format (.rtf — opens in Word)When schools need this document
- Opening a minor's bank account (the bank wants proof of enrolment and often the date of birth on school records).
- Passport / visa applications for the student or accompanying family.
- Scholarship and education-loan applications (NSP and state portals routinely ask for one).
- Transport concessions — bus/rail passes for students.
- Address or identity support where school records corroborate the family's documents.
The format
[SCHOOL NAME]
[School address line 1] · [Line 2] · [Phone] · [Email]
[Affiliation/Recognition No.: ____________]
Certificate No.: ________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that [STUDENT'S FULL NAME], son/daughter of
[FATHER'S / MOTHER'S / GUARDIAN'S NAME], is a bonafide student of
this school, studying in Class [CLASS & SECTION] during the academic
year [YYYY–YY].
His/Her date of birth as per school records is [DD/MM/YYYY], and
his/her admission number is [ADMISSION NO.].
This certificate is issued at the request of the parent/guardian
for the purpose of [PURPOSE].
Place: ____________
____________________
Principal
(School seal)
Every field, explained
Certificate number & date
Give every certificate a serial number and issue date — banks and consulates reject undated letters, and the serial lets your office trace any certificate later.
Student's full name (as per school records)
Must match the admission register exactly — a spelling drift between certificate and Aadhaar/passport causes rejections.
Father's / mother's / guardian's name
Most receiving institutions cross-check the guardian's name against their own application.
Class & section, academic year
States the enrolment fact the certificate exists to prove. Use the year format your board uses (e.g. 2026–27).
Admission / enrolment number
Ties the certificate to your register — the field that makes it verifiable.
Date of birth (as per records)
Include it only when the purpose needs it (banks usually do). 'As per school records' protects the school if documents disagree.
Purpose line (optional but recommended)
'This certificate is issued for the purpose of ___' prevents a certificate issued for a bus pass being reused for something the school never intended.
Principal's signature & school seal
No seal, no validity — every receiving institution looks for it.
How to use it well
- Replace every [BRACKETED] field; delete the date-of-birth line if the purpose doesn't need it.
- Print on school letterhead — if the letterhead already carries the address, remove the address lines.
- Log the certificate number in your office register (or issue it from your ERP so the log keeps itself).
Board & state note
No board prescribes a single bonafide format — this general format is accepted by banks, passport offices and scholarship portals across CBSE, ICSE and State-board schools. For visa use, some consulates want the certificate on original letterhead with a phone number they can call.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bonafide certificate for a school student?
It is a certificate issued by the school confirming that a student is genuinely ('bona fide') enrolled — typically stating the student's name, class, academic year and admission number, signed by the principal with the school seal. Banks, passport offices, scholarship portals and transport authorities ask for it as proof of enrolment.
Who signs a bonafide certificate?
The principal (or head of the institution), with the school's official seal. Some offices also add the class teacher's verification internally, but the outward-facing signature is the principal's.
Is there an official government format for bonafide certificates?
No — unlike transfer certificates (where boards like CBSE prescribe a format), bonafide certificates follow the school's own format. What matters is letterhead, a serial number, an issue date, accurate register details, the principal's signature and the seal.
How recent must a bonafide certificate be for a bank or passport office?
There is no statutory validity period, but most receiving institutions expect one issued within the last 3–6 months. Issuing fresh and dating clearly avoids rejections.
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