ID check for passport - why is this so difficult?

@Zanatdy GPs are prohibited from doing it unless they know you personally rather than just as your doctor

You’re just saying the person in the photo is the person you know. I’ve done loads, but person needs to be a certain profession. GP will do it for a charge

I don't think it's really true that pretty much everyone qualifies.

There is more to it these days than just writing on the back of a photo, you also have to give quite a lot of information about yourself, which is why I stopped doing them for school parents.

Actually thinking about it, I think we have to have a personal witness to sign your passport application in NZ too. The justice of the peace is for witnessing certified copies.

@VisionsOfSplendour I think@greenacrylicpaint means other countries do it differently. In NZ they are witnessed by justice of the peace. You take your other proof of identity to them and they sign that you have these documents with you. No reason this function can’t be done at a passport office at other countries. We don’t have randoms on a list of professions to say you look like the person on the photo.

I have learnt not to ask neighbours. I once popped round to ask them to witness a document for me. Bless them, it really stressed them out. I will not do that again.

But why not just ask one of your old uni friends? It's all done online now anyway. So you put their email address in and then get a form or something and do it that way.

I'm confused now, are you saying you can have your passport signed by the Post Office or that random other countries do different things?

I don't think this is a thing in the UK, unless the pp has some special insider info that isn't made public. The only way to get an appointment for a passport office in the UK is for a fasttrack passport service, but they're not available for a first adult passport. And if you don't need a first passport, just a renewal, then you shouldn't need a witness to your application anyway, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Yeah, I'm on the list as a pretty obvious profession (lawyer) but my H has countersigned loads based on having been a youth worker with an NVQ level 2 for a few years in his early 20s. Likewise my sister signs as a tattooist and my SIL as a hairdresser.

The list just says 'examples' of appropriate professions with the caveat that you can also just be a person of good standing in the community.

Basically unless you're an unemployed ex convict or something pretty much everyone qualifies!

I'm not on the list of recognised professions however I have countersigned passport applications and they went through fine. So your list of people who could do might be bigger than you think

it's done by many other countries where you have to make an appointment at the council office (or the embassy if anroad) to apply for passorts or other id documents.

Ive not heard of this, if that's a thing you can do why does no one know about it?

I've read many many many threads about counter signatories for passports and no one has ever posted this solution

I wonder why it's not publicised. How much does it cost?

the alternative to an id check by peers would be id checks at passport offices. that's costly & cumbersome as well.

Countersignature only required for a child age 11 and under, 1st ever passport for adult/child, lost/stolen passport and if your appearance has changed drastically.

I'm a teacher and so have done this for friends, neighbours and other teachers. It doesn't take long on line .

I renewed my DD3's expiring 5 year child's passport to her first adult 10 year one early last year. No verification was required at all. It was done as a straightforward renewal, which doesn't require a referee.

It's not about being in good standing or push in any way - they are jobs with a register of people, sort of official lists of people. It includes the army, fire brigade, registered traders

The signature doesn't confirm your identity or agree you are a good person though. It confirms that you are the person in the photograph. That's it.

If your neighbours aren't happy could a friend from Uni do it?

It’s dead easy online now - maybe the neighbour doesn’t realise, you just need an email address for them. They then put how they know you and confirm it’s you and a few details about you.
it can be people who know you professionally as well, I’ve done a few work collegaue ones as I’ve known them for over 2 years. My work colleague (known her 5 years) did mine, we work together but don’t socialise together

Yes. It's not introverts who have the biggest problems with it, but people who just don't have members of registered professions in their social circle.

That extra post about 'good standing in the community'. Who's to say who is of good standing? Are the rest of us of bad standing?

The online one is really fast. I do it for loads of random people (approved profession) and no one ever gives me chocolate!

This is a bit strange. These signatures are only for first passports, not renewals (thank God or we would all be having the same problem as OP every ten years!).

Perhaps only for the first adult passport it’s needed then. I had to input that information (dob and passport numbers of my referees) for my application last year.

They will need to provide their passport number at some point as you can only be a countersignatory if you own a passport yourself