Bonafide Certificate: Uses & Application Process

Bonafide certificate is a legal document issued by universities and offices. This certificate verifies the continued association of its recipient with the certificate issuing body. The certificate is used in academic and official purposes. 

Bonafide certificate verifies you as a trustworthy person by justifying your association with the certificate issuing organisation. Bonafide certificates usually do not last long and remain valid only till you are in continuous association with the issuing body or even less than that. This means - after you graduate from a school or change your job, your issued previously bonafide certificate becomes ineffective. This document can be used for many purposes like - changing school/jobs, applying for education loans to study abroad or scholarships or for applying for any other financial document. Bonafide certificate can be used in place of other official documents such as your Aadhar card or PAN card or your enrolment/admission form for applying for loan from bank,  taking an online learning course, signing an accommodation contract or applying for scholarships abroad.

Types of Bonafide Certificates

A bonafide certificate may be categorised into two types on the basis of its validation period. The 2 types of bonafide certificates are explained below. 

• Temporary Bonafide Certificate- A temporary bonafide certificate is valid for a shorter period, usually from 6 months to a year and expires automatically after this duration ends. The validity period of the temporary bonafide certificate is mentioned on the certificate itself. This certificate allows the student to apply for short-term courses, part-time work abroad, temporary residencies or unpaid training programs abroad. 

• Permanent Bonafide Certificate- The permanent bonafide certificate is valid for a longer period. This certificate proves that the concerned person/student has met the prescribed requirements and is authorised to apply for the desired purpose. With the help of a permanent bonafide certificate, a student can apply for a working visa, accommodation or even a student exchange program abroad.  

Bonafide Certificate Uses

The key purposes of a bonafide certificate are-

1. Applying for Student Visa to Study Abroad- When students plan to study abroad, immigration authorities often require a bonafide certificate as evidence of enrollment in an educational institution. For this reason, many countries including the United Kingdom, require international students to submit a bonafide certificate as part of their visa application. This is a key document to support student visa applications for studying abroad and serves as proof that the student has been admitted to a recognised educational institution.

2. Obtaining Educational Loans or Other Financial Aid- Banks or other financial institutions may request for a bonafide certificate to verify your student or employment status when you apply for loans or other financial products.

3. Renting Accommodation- In some cases when international students need to rent accommodation abroad, a bonafide certificate may be requested by the property lender to confirm their status as student. 

4. Transferring to another school or university- A bonafide certificate from your current institution may be required when you’re applying for transfer into another school or university. This certificate may be used to obtain the transfer certificate.

5. Apply for Scholarships or Grants- Some scholarship or grant programs may require a bonafide certificate as part of the application process.

6. Verifying employment- Employers may request a bonafide certificate to verify your employment status and details.

7. Participation in Events- Students might also need bonafide certificate while attending conferences, seminars and workshops to prove their status and/or association with an organisation.

8. To Join Library- Bonafide Certificate may also be required to confirm your student status for joining a public library. 

9. Industrial Visits- Students joining industry projects for training and internship purposes amy also need to provide bonafide certificates to prove their student status to the organisation. 

10. Visa Extensions- a bonafide certificate may also come handy when needing a visa extension by providing the course that the student is enrolled with, its duration and university. 

11. Verifying present/past student status for travel discounts or benefits and validating academic authenticity.

12. May also help to verify the educational gap.

How to Apply for a Bonafide Certificate?

Below we have shared how students from schools, colleges and various employees can apply for a bonafide certificate. We have also covered the set of required documents as per the different applicants and a sample of bonafide certificate application letter which can also be used as a reference template in each case. 

Application Letter for Bonafide Certificate by School Students

Students willing to pursue a undergraduate degree abroad must obtain a bonafide certificate form their previous school. A bonafide certificate implies that the concerned student is a bonafide student of the school and is/was enrolled in the designated class of the current or recent year. Bonafide students can use this certificate as a proof of their association with their school at the time of applying to study abroad.

For obtaining a bonafide certificate from school, they must first fill out the application for bonafide certificate, gather important documents and finish the process by paying required fees. The bonafide application letter format is usually available on the school’s website. You may also ask for an application letter for a bonafide certificate from school authorities if they are unavailable online. 

You must clearly mention your reason for applying for a bonafide certificate in all instances. The principal or the higher authorities of your school may demand the following documents alog with your application.

1. Fee receipt of the current year or

2. Exam mark sheets.

Bonafide Certificate Application Sample for School Students- For the reference of students, a sample of bonafide certificate application to principal of the school is given below. Students can copy the content of this sample application for bonafide certificate given below to make an actual request at their school. 

Application Letter for Bonafide Certificate Letter by University Students

To request a bonafide certificate from their college/university, one must request the respective head of the institution (HOI) by submitting an application for bonafide certificate. It must be noted that you have to submit some supporting documents while submitting your bonafide certificate application. Hence, the student must check with their department heads or authoritative bodies about the document requirements before sending their application for the bonafide certificate. The list of documents that may be required for submission along with the bonafide application is given below. 

1. Fee Receipt of the current academic year (AY)  

2. Copy of the student ID card (College ID)

3. Previous semester mark sheets

Note-- The student is required to keep two copies of the required documents and submit 1 to the HOI and another one to the Alumni Relations Officer.

A student can also request a bonafide certificate from college even after graduating by submitting an application and mentioning their reason for applying for the same. A graduate student can request to obtain a bonafide certificate from college for applying for a job or higher studies. 

Bonafide Certificate Application Sample and Template For University Students- The sample template for a bonafide certificate request letter for college students is given below. Students can copy the application bonafide certificate given below to make an actual request at their departments. 

Note-- Students can directly the contents of the above two boxes on a blank white sheet and make changes according to their requirements.  

Bonafide Certificate Application by Employees

If an employee wants to obtain a bonafide certificate from their office, then, they should submit a bonafide certificate application letter to their team lead, manager or the department's head. However, as proof of their employment within the company, the applicant must also submit either their ID card or salary slip. 

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Bonafide Certificate Validity 

Validity of a bonafide certificate depends on following two points-

• the purpose for which it was issued and

• issuing institution's policies

Based on these, bonafide certificates are commonly categorised into two categories - temporary bonafide certificates and permanent bonafide certificates. The temporary bonafide certificates have a shorter validity period of up to 3 to 6 months. Permanent bonafide certificates remain valid for up to 1 year or till the association of the recipient lasts.

Validity of a bonafide certificate can be renewed/extended while the student/employee is still associated with the certificate issuing body.

Bonafide Certificate Vs. Other Academic Documents

The definition of a bonafide certificate and other similar academic documents like the transfer certificate (TC), academic transcript, and certificate of enrollment along with the comparison among their content (body of each certificate), validity period and uses are given below.  

• Transfer Certificate (TC)- Issued after leaving an institution, whereas a bonafide certificate is for actively enrolled students/employees.

• Transcript- Provides detailed academic performance records, while a bonafide certificate focuses on enrollment confirmation.

• Certificate of Enrollment- Similar to a bonafide certificate but might be more specific to a particular program or semester.

The differences between a bonafide certificate, transfer certificate (TC), academic transcript, and certificate of enrollment are given in the table below.

Related Read- Gap Certificate

This was all about the bonafide certificate meaning, types, uses, format and samples. You can get the template of a bonafide certificate downloaded by clicking on the Bonafide Certificate PDF link in the sections above. Candidates looking for assistance with the university application process can get in touch with our Shiksha Counselling Services on the same. Candidates can also write to us with their queries in the comments section, below.

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