Background suPAR is a signaling protein of the Ly6/alpha-neurotoxin family. In the kidney, suPAR contributes to podocyte foot process effacement and glomerular barrier function disruption via activating αvβ3 integrin on the podocyte membrane. Its role in allograft function or transplant-specific outcomes needs clarification. Therefore, we prospectively investigated the prognostic relevance of suPAR in patients before and one year after kidney transplantation (KTx).Methods We included 100 patients who had received a kidney transplantation between 2013 and 2015. The plasma concentration of suPAR was measured using an uPAR ELISA assay.Results In patients who had received a living donation (LD), pre-transplant suPAR levels were significantly lower than those who had received a deceased donation (DD). After KTx, suPAR levels significantly declined in LD and DD recipients, without a detectable difference between LD and DD recipients. Higher suPAR levels in recipients one year after KTx were associated with a more severe eGFR loss in the following three years (n = 82, p = 0.021).Conclusions After KTx, suPAR levels drop significantly. Nevertheless, suPAR-levels above 6,212 pg/ml one year after KTx are independently associated with a nearly twice as fast loss of renal function > 30% (p < 0.001). Therefore, suPAR level at one year mark might be a risk indicator of increased eGFR loss.