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A bank, a scholarship portal, a railway counter or an internship office wants proof that you really study where you say you do. Usually what they want is a bonafide certificate, and getting one takes a short letter, the right attachments and a few days' notice.
What is a bonafide certificate?
A bonafide certificate is a letter on your college's letterhead, signed by the principal, head of department or another authorised officer and stamped with the college seal, saying that you are a current student. "Bona fide" is Latin for "in good faith" (Wiktionary). It normally gives your name, enrolment or roll number, course, year and the academic session, and many offices also state the purpose it was issued for.
It is different from a character certificate, which is about your conduct, and from a transfer or migration certificate, which you take with you when you leave. A bonafide only confirms that you are enrolled now.
When do you need a bonafide certificate?
Bank accounts. Some banks accept it in place of a student ID. Kranti Co-operative Urban Bank's student account page asks for a "Student ID Card with photo and validity or Bonafide Certificate signed and issued by the Principal / Head of institution" (Kranti Bank). Our guide to opening a bank account as a college student covers the rest of the paperwork.
Railway concession. The instructions on IISER Berhampur's rail concession form say the certificate must be signed by the head of the institution, or by someone authorised to sign on their behalf, and is valid for 14 days from issue for the outward journey and three months for the return (IISER Berhampur form). See our guide to the student railway concession pass.
Internships. ISRO's Space Applications Centre asks internship applicants for an "NOC & Bona fide" letter giving the enrolment or college ID number, course, internship dates and a valid-up-to date, signed by the placement officer, HOD or officer in charge with a seal and phone number (SAC application form).
Scholarships. It depends on the scheme. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs' post-matric guidelines tell students to check the State or NSP portal for the documents to upload, and to follow up with their institute for verification before the deadline (MoTA guidelines). Our scholarship documents checklist lists the usual papers.
The VSSUT notice and its hosteller format are on the university website.
How to get a bonafide certificate from college, step by step
Find the exact format. If the bank, portal or company has its own format, download it and take that.
Write a short request to the principal or registrar (sample below), with the purpose written clearly.
Attach copies of your college ID card and latest fee receipt, plus anything the office asks for.
Submit it at the right desk. This is usually the admin or registrar office, or your department for internship letters. Ask for the date you can collect it.
Check it before you leave the counter. Look at the spelling of your name, roll number, course, year, signature, seal and date.
Give the office time. For the bonafide that foreign students need for visa extensions or FRRO registration, Delhi University's Foreign Students Registry tells applicants to collect the certificate after seven working days from submission (DU FSR form). Ask at least a week before your deadline, and earlier at the start of term.
Sample request letter for a bonafide certificate
Change the parts in brackets. Keep it to one page.
To: The Principal, [College name, city]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Subject: Request for a bonafide certificate for [purpose]
Respected Sir/Madam,
I am [full name], a student of [course, e.g. B.Sc. Physics], [year/semester], roll number [number], in the [department]. I need a bonafide certificate to [purpose, e.g. open a student savings account at (bank, branch) / apply for the (scheme name) scholarship / apply for an internship at (organisation) from (date) to (date)].
[If there is a format:] The format required is attached; I request that the certificate be issued in it.
I have attached a copy of my college ID card and my latest fee receipt. I need the certificate by [date]. Kindly issue it at the earliest.
Thanking you. Yours faithfully,
[Signature], [Full name], [Phone number, college email]
What to do if it is delayed or wrong
If the date passes, go back politely with your copy of the request and ask who is handling it. If a detail is wrong, ask for a fresh certificate rather than correcting it by hand, since the receiving office checks it against your other documents. If you are applying to several places at once, ask for one signed copy for each.
If the certificate is for a science internship, you can use the waiting days to revise. The Fermi Concept Library has every concept in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computing, each with its own lesson.
