A character certificate says that an institution knew a person for a stated period and found their conduct good. Schools and colleges issue one when a student leaves; employers issue one when asked. It is the quiet prerequisite of Nepali paperwork — admissions forms, Lok Sewa applications and scholarship files all assume it exists, and the person who threw theirs away discovers years later how much harder it is to get a second one.
The two versions, and who asks for which
The school or college version is issued by the institution the person studied at, usually alongside the transcript and leaving certificate. Universities want it at admission, and government and semi-government application forms — Lok Sewa among them — list it with the academic documents.
The employer version covers a period of service instead of study, and turns up in files where an experience certificate also lives — some verifiers want conduct attested separately from employment facts.
What neither version is: a police clearance. A character certificate is an institution vouching for the time it knew you; a police report is the state saying it holds no record against you. Foreign embassies usually want the police document, local admissions usually want this one, and some files want both.
What it must contain — every line, and why
The institution's letterhead, a reference number and the date of issue — the same verifiability spine as every certificate.
The person's full name exactly as on their citizenship, and for the school version the parent's name — admissions offices match these against other documents character-for-character, and a spelling drift between documents is a real, common source of trouble.
The period attended or served, with years: "from 2075 to 2080 B.S.". A certificate with no period reads as written from no records.
For students, the programme and level completed — the class or degree — because the certificate travels with the transcript and should agree with it.
The conduct line: "bears a good moral character" is the conventional English wording, with a no-disciplinary-action sentence where the institution can honestly add one.
The head of the institution signs — principal, campus chief, or for the employer version whoever answers verification calls — with printed name, designation and the stamp.
The mistakes that cause trouble
Submitting a photocopy where an original is required. Lok Sewa and university admissions routinely want the original or a certified copy. Keep the original safe and submit attested copies wherever they are accepted.
Name spelling that disagrees with the citizenship. The certificate is checked against the citizenship, the transcript and the form itself. Fix a mismatch at the issuing institution before submitting, not after an objection.
Leaving it to the last week. A certificate from an institution left years ago means finding the school, a current signatory, and the old records. Institutions do issue them late — but on their schedule, not the application deadline's.
Asking the wrong issuer. A ward office attests residence and relations; the police attest records; only the institution that knew the person can attest character. A file with the right paper from the wrong issuer still bounces.
The standard wording, in full — नमुना
[Institution letterhead — name, address, phone] Ref. No.: ______ Date: ______ TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN This is to certify that Mr./Ms. [full name], son/daughter of [parent's name], was a student of this institution from [year] to [year] B.S., during which he/she completed [programme / level]. During his/her stay at this institution, he/she bore a good moral character, and no disciplinary action of any kind was taken against him/her. We wish him/her success in future endeavours. _______________________ [Principal / Campus Chief] [Institution stamp]
The tool fills this in from a form, keeps your letterhead and signature for every certificate you issue, and prints a whole list of names at once.
Common questions
Is a character certificate the same as a police clearance?
No. This is an institution attesting conduct for the period it knew you; a police clearance is the state attesting it holds no criminal record. Embassies usually want the police document; local admissions and Lok Sewa files usually want this one; some processes want both.
Does it expire?
The certificate itself carries no expiry, and the school version is normally issued once, when you leave. Some offices ask that an employer version be recent — read the checklist you are submitting against rather than assuming.
I lost the original from my school. What now?
Go back to the institution with your details and roughly the years attended; they can issue a duplicate from their records, usually marked as such. Start early — the search through old registers is what takes time, and no other office can issue it for them.
Should it be in Nepali or English?
For domestic files either is generally accepted; for foreign admissions, English saves a translation step. This tool produces both, and the wording above is the standard English form.
Who signs the employer version?
Whoever the organisation is willing to have answer a verification call — HR, the administrative head, or the proprietor — with their name and designation printed under the signature and the stamp beside it. A colleague's informal note is not a certificate.
Other certificate kinds
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