# Application for bonafide certificate: samples by purpose

> Bonafide certificate application letters to the principal, for a scholarship, a bank account, a passport and more, with what the school checks before it signs.

_Source: https://scoolin.com/blog/application-for-bonafide-certificate_

_Published: 2026-11-09 · Updated: 2026-11-09 · By Scoolin_

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Bonafide certificate application letters to the principal, for a scholarship, a bank account, a passport and more, with what the school checks before it signs.

![](https://scoolin.com/static/site/brand/icons/android-192.png?v=296111fea6) By [Scoolin team](https://scoolin.com/about-us) SilverThink Technologies

Updated **9 Nov 2026** · 12 min read

An application for a bonafide certificate is a short letter to the principal, asking the school to certify that you study there. Address it to “The Principal”, give your name, class, section and admission number, say what the certificate is for, and sign it. Most schools issue one within a few working days.

Below are ready-to-copy letters for each common purpose: a scholarship, a bank account, a passport, an Aadhaar update, a bus pass and an exam form, plus one in Hindi and one for college students. Each comes with what that office actually asks for, because sometimes a bonafide letter is not the document it wants.

**In short**

- A bonafide certificate says you study at the school **now**, in a given class and session.
- Write to the principal and name the purpose in the subject line. It is printed on the certificate.
- For a passport’s date of birth, or an Aadhaar update, the office wants a different school document. Both are explained below.

## What is a bonafide certificate?

A bonafide certificate is a letter from the school, signed by the principal, saying that a student studies there in a given class and session. “Bonafide” means genuine: the school vouches that you are a real, current student.

## How to write an application for a bonafide certificate

Keep the letter to one page, typed or handwritten. The office will look you up in the admission register, so give the details it needs to find you, and say what the certificate is for.

- Your full name, as in the school records
- Class, section and the current session
- Admission number and roll number
- The purpose, such as a scholarship or a bank account
- The date you need it by, and a phone number

Here is a general letter you can use for any purpose:

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Application for bonafide certificate

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Aarav Sharma, a student of Class 8 B in your school. I need a bonafide certificate for [purpose]. My details, as in the school records, are:

Father’s name: [father’s name]
Mother’s name: [mother’s name]
Date of birth: [date of birth]
Session: [session]

Kindly issue me a bonafide certificate. I need to submit it by [last date].

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Aarav Sharma
Class: 8 B
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [parent’s phone number]
```

For a young child, the parent writes the letter. Sign it “Yours faithfully”, and put the child’s name, class and admission number under your own.

## Bonafide certificate for a scholarship

Many scholarships, from state portals, trusts and companies, ask for a bonafide certificate. Some also give their own format. If yours does, print it and attach it to your letter, so the school fills in that page instead of writing a new one.

The National Scholarship Portal works differently. Its student manual says the documents depend on the scheme, so check your scheme’s details on the portal.[1] For the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship, for example, the FAQ says no documents need to be uploaded. The school verifies the application online, then the district does, and the school asks for the parent’s income certificate and a caste certificate.[2] So for an NSP scheme, ask the school’s nodal officer what is needed before you ask for a bonafide letter.

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate for scholarship

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Ananya Iyer, a student of Class 10 A in your school. I am applying for the [name of scholarship], and the application asks for a bonafide certificate from the school. The last date to apply is [last date].

The scholarship’s certificate format is attached. Kindly fill it in, sign it and put the school seal on it.

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Ananya Iyer
Class: 10 A
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [parent’s phone number]
```

If the scholarship gives no format, remove the second paragraph.

## Bonafide certificate for a bank account

A bonafide certificate is not a KYC document. Under RBI’s rules, the officially valid documents for KYC are the passport, driving licence, proof of Aadhaar, voter ID, NREGA job card and a letter from the National Population Register.[3] Some branches still ask for a bonafide certificate, for example for a student account, so ask the branch what it needs before you write to the school.

A parent or guardian can open a savings account for a child of any age. Banks may also let children above 10 open and run one themselves, within limits each bank sets.[4]

A parent usually writes this one:

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate to open a bank account

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Suresh Patil, father of Sneha Patil of Class 4 C. I want to open a savings account in her name at [bank name], [branch], and the bank has asked for a bonafide certificate from her school.

Kindly issue a bonafide certificate with her name, class, date of birth and admission number as in the school records.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
Suresh Patil (father of Sneha Patil)
Class: 4 C
Admission No.: [admission number]
Phone: [phone number]
```

## Bonafide certificate for a passport

Most passport applicants don’t need one. A bonafide certificate is not proof of date of birth. From a school, the passport rules accept a transfer, school leaving or matriculation certificate; for a child born on or after 1 October 2023, only a birth certificate is accepted.[5]

Passport Seva asks for a bonafide letter in one case: students who live away from their parents, for example in a hostel. For them, its instruction booklet lists a student ID card and a “Bonafide Letter from authorized signatory of college”, on the college letterhead, along with the usual documents. It lists the same two for minor students living away from their parents.[6] The wording names a college, so a boarding-school student should check with the passport office that the school’s letter will do.

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate for passport application

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Kabir Malhotra, a student of Class 11 (Science) in your school, and I live in the school hostel. I am applying for a passport, and Passport Seva asks students who live away from their parents for a bonafide letter from their institution.

Kindly issue me a bonafide certificate on the school letterhead, stating that I am a regular student of Class 11 in this session and live in the school hostel. My appointment is on [date].

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Kabir Malhotra
Class: 11 (Science)
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [phone number]
```

## School certificate for an Aadhaar update

UIDAI accepts a certificate from the school, but not the school’s own bonafide letter. The head of a recognised school can certify its own students on UIDAI’s standard certificate format, which is used as proof of address for an update.[7] The format’s rules:

- Print it on plain A4 paper; it doesn’t need the school letterhead.
- Fill it in capital letters, with no overwriting.
- Paste a recent colour photo; the principal signs and stamps across it.
- Submit it within three months of the date of issue.

The principal is certifying your address, so make sure the school’s records have your current one. A date of birth change has its own rules: for a child under 18 whose date of birth is recorded as declared or approximate, UIDAI asks for the birth certificate. A child can also update the address through a parent’s Aadhaar, as head of family.[7]

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request to sign the UIDAI certificate for Aadhaar address update

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Mohammed Faizan, a student of Class 9 B in your school. My family has moved, and I need to update the address in my Aadhaar. Our new address is [new address].

I have filled in my details on the attached UIDAI certificate and pasted my photo. Kindly check them against the school records, then sign and stamp the certificate and across the photo.

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Mohammed Faizan
Class: 9 B
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [parent’s phone number]
```

## More sample letters

### For a bus or rail pass

Student passes are run by state transport, city buses and the railways, each with its own rules. Many have their own form for the school to sign, so get the form first and attach it.

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate for student bus pass

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Harpreet Kaur, a student of Class 7 A in your school. I travel to school by bus from [place], and I want to apply for a student concession pass. The transport office needs a certificate from the school, signed by the principal.

The pass form is attached. Kindly fill in and sign the school’s part of it.

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Harpreet Kaur
Class: 7 A
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [parent’s phone number]
```

### For an exam or Olympiad form

Some exam and Olympiad forms want a certificate from the head of the school, either on the form or as a separate letter.

```
To
The Principal
[School name]
[School address]

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate for [name of exam] form

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Rohan Das, a student of Class 6 D in your school. I am applying for the [name of exam or Olympiad], and the form asks for a certificate from the head of the school. The last date for the form is [last date].

Kindly issue me a bonafide certificate, or sign the certificate page of the form, which is attached.

Thanking you,

Yours obediently,
Rohan Das
Class: 6 D
Admission No.: [admission number]
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [parent’s phone number]
```

### In Hindi

The same request in Hindi, for a scholarship. For a boy, write “छात्र” and “आपका आज्ञाकारी शिष्य”. Our guide to the [bonafide certificate in Hindi](https://scoolin.com/blog/bonafide-certificate-in-hindi) has the Hindi format and more letters.

```
सेवा में,
प्रधानाचार्य महोदय/महोदया,
[विद्यालय का नाम]
[विद्यालय का पता]

दिनांक: [दिनांक]

विषय: छात्रवृत्ति के लिए बोनाफाइड प्रमाण पत्र हेतु प्रार्थना पत्र

महोदय/महोदया,

सविनय निवेदन है कि मैं आपके विद्यालय की कक्षा 7 ‘ब’ की छात्रा हूँ। मुझे [छात्रवृत्ति का नाम] के आवेदन के लिए बोनाफाइड प्रमाण पत्र की आवश्यकता है। आवेदन की अंतिम तिथि [अंतिम तिथि] है।

अतः आपसे निवेदन है कि मुझे बोनाफाइड प्रमाण पत्र जारी करने की कृपा करें।

धन्यवाद।

आपकी आज्ञाकारी शिष्या,
रिया गुप्ता
कक्षा: 7 ‘ब’
प्रवेश संख्या: [प्रवेश संख्या]
अनुक्रमांक: [अनुक्रमांक]
फ़ोन: [फ़ोन नंबर]
```

### For college students

In college, the letter usually goes to the principal through the head of your department. Some colleges take these requests on the student portal instead; if yours does, use it.

```
To
The Principal
[College name]
[College address]

Through: The Head of Department, Computer Science and Engineering

Date: [date]

Subject: Request for bonafide certificate for internship

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am Kavya Reddy, a third-year B.Tech student of Computer Science and Engineering. I have been selected for an internship at [company name] from [start date] to [end date], and the company has asked for a bonafide certificate from the college.

Kindly issue me a bonafide certificate stating my course, year and the duration of the course.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
Kavya Reddy
B.Tech CSE, third year
Roll No.: [roll number]
Phone: [phone number]
Email: [college email]
```

## What the school checks before signing

A bank or a scholarship office reads every word, so the office checks your request against its records before the principal signs.

- You are on the school’s rolls this session.
- Your name is spelt as in the admission register.
- Your class, section, date of birth and parents’ names match the register.
- The purpose is clear, and any format the office sent is attached.
- The certificate has a number, the date, the principal’s signature and the school seal.

**The school certifies only what is in its records.** If your name or date of birth there is wrong, correct the record first. A certificate that doesn’t match your other documents can be rejected.

For school offices, our free [bonafide certificate maker](https://scoolin.com/tools/bonafide-certificate-maker) fills in the usual format with the purpose and prints it on A4, and there is a blank PDF to fill in by hand.

## How long does it take, and how long is it valid?

In most schools it takes a day to a week. The letter is one paragraph, but the office has to check the register and the principal has to sign. Apply a week before your deadline; at the start of the session, when many scholarship forms are due together, offices are busiest.

We found no rule that sets how long a bonafide certificate is valid. It speaks for one session, so it is no use once that session ends. Some offices want one issued in the last few months and set their own limit, so ask the office for its limit. UIDAI’s certificate, for example, must be submitted within three months of the date of issue.[7]

**Ask for a copy for each purpose.** The certificate names the purpose, so a letter for a bank account may not be accepted for a scholarship.

## Bonafide or character certificate?

A bonafide certificate says you study at the school now. A character certificate says how you conducted yourself while you studied there, and is usually given when you leave, with the TC. Use the bonafide certificate while you are studying, for banks, scholarships and passes; the next school or college asks for the character certificate.

---

## Common questions

Who should write the application, the student or the parent?

Either. Older students usually write it themselves and sign “Yours obediently”. For a young child, the parent writes it, signs “Yours faithfully”, and adds the child’s class and admission number.

Can I get a bonafide certificate after leaving the school?

Usually not, because it certifies that you study there now. Once you have left, ask for your transfer certificate or a character certificate instead.

Is a bonafide certificate accepted as proof of date of birth for a passport?

No. The school documents accepted for date of birth are a transfer, school leaving or matriculation certificate. For a child born on or after 1 October 2023, only a birth certificate is accepted.

Is a bonafide certificate the same as a study certificate?

Often the two names mean the same letter. But some admission forms use “study certificate” for a record of every year you studied at the school. Read what the form asks for and show it to the office.

Can the school refuse to give a bonafide certificate?

A school can only certify what is in its records. If you are not on the rolls this session, or the details you want on it don’t match the register, the office will ask you to correct the record first.

#### Notes

1. National Scholarship Portal, [user manual for students](https://scholarships.gov.in/public/FAQ/NSP_User_Manual_v1.0.pdf), section 1.1. Back to the text
2. National Scholarship Portal, [FAQ for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme](https://scholarships.gov.in/public/schemeGuidelines/NMMSS_FAQ.pdf), questions 3, 4 and 18. Back to the text
3. Reserve Bank of India, [Commercial Banks – Know Your Customer Directions, 2025](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_ViewMasDirections.aspx?id=13141), paragraph 5(1)(xiv). Back to the text
4. Reserve Bank of India, [opening of and operation in deposit accounts of minors](https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=12835&Mode=0), circular of 21 April 2025. Back to the text
5. Ministry of External Affairs, [Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2025](https://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/Gazette_Notification_DoB.pdf), G.S.R. 156(E), on proof of date of birth. Back to the text
6. Passport Seva, [instruction booklet for the passport application form](https://www.passportindia.gov.in/AppOnlineProject/pdf/ApplicationformInstructionBooklet-V3.0.pdf), fresh passport cases A19 and B17, documents 17 and 18. Back to the text
7. UIDAI, [list of acceptable documents for enrolment and update](https://uidai.gov.in/images/commdoc/List_of_Supporting_Document_for_Aadhaar_Enrolment_and_Update.pdf), List IV and the certificate format for Aadhaar enrolment or update. Back to the text

How we wrote this

Every letter in this guide was written for it. The rules on scholarships, bank accounts, passports and Aadhaar come from the National Scholarship Portal, RBI, Passport Seva and UIDAI documents linked in the notes, read in November 2026. Offices change their lists, so the office you apply to has the final word. [Spotted a mistake? Tell us.](https://scoolin.com/contact-us)

Found it useful? Send it to another school.

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[Next guide **Bonafide certificate in Hindi: meaning, format, application**](https://scoolin.com/blog/bonafide-certificate-in-hindi)

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