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Original poster

Passport countersignatory - WWYD?

81 replies

karlmarxthespot · 14/09/2011 19:33

Ok, I agreed to be a countersignatory for my NCT friend's baby's passport. Her DP (who i also know) had filled in the form, and I filled out the section on the form and stated that I had known her DP for 1 year. I signed the form and the baby's photo, and thought nothing more of it.

Fast forward to today, and I've received a letter from the passport office asking me to confirm that I have known the person named on the form for the period stated, and that when I signed the form had the person fully filled it in and signed it. They enclosed a copy of the form that I had signed. I'm sure this is a perfectly normal check.

However - I've looked at the photocopy of the form - and it isn't the form I signed! My friend has obviously rewritten the form as I didn't realise you had to have known the person for 2 years. So the form now reads that i have known her, not her DP, for 2 years, and she has forged my signature on the form and on the photo.

I'm not sure if I have a problem with this. I'm wondering whether the passport office are doing a normal check, or whether they can tell that the two signatures are similar?

Would you contact her and let her know that I've seen a copy of the form and know what she did?
Would you tell the passport office?
Would you just go along with it? I don't know what the penalty is for this. I will have to sign the reply letter (or rather get her to sign it so the signatures match!)

Please help!

OP posts:

clam · 14/09/2011 21:47

Oops, just re-read OP and see that it's because it's 2 years that, presumably, they changed it.

clam · 14/09/2011 21:50

If she calls you, I hope she won't put you under pressure to go along with it. If it makes it difficult for them to obtain a passport for their baby in future and means they can't jet off somewhere.... that's their fault, not yours. And it is not fair to put you at risk due to their stupidity.

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 14/09/2011 21:55

So since the application that was submitted (that I have been sent a copy of) is not the one that I actually signed, then presumably all I need to say to the PO is that I didn't sign this application?

OP posts:

An0therName · 14/09/2011 21:55

its very strange that they didn't just start over with someone else - don't go along with it -and have to say does not show a good approach to things and put you in a very difficult position

caughtinanet · 14/09/2011 21:58

Yes, karl, if what you've been sent isn't what you signed I would let them know that and see what happens next. The tricky part will be discussing in with your friend.

Lougle · 14/09/2011 21:59

Can I clarify the facts?

So you have known her DP 1 year, and stated so?

How long have you known her?

If she wanted you to sign that you'd known her, why wasn't it her name on the form in the first place?

ronx · 14/09/2011 22:00

The passport office contacted the person who countersigned my 9-month-old DD's passport application. It was a bit touch and go whether my DD's passport would arrive on time for our holiday but after a lot of pleading and begging on my part the PO printed her passport overnight.

clam · 14/09/2011 22:02

Yeah, ronx but to ask her what? This questionning is very specific, particularly in light of the fact that her signature has been forged.

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 14/09/2011 22:05

To clarify: I met her and her DP at NCT classes one year ago. When she asked me to fill in the form I noted that her DP had filled it out (as I had to spell his name). I didn't think anything of him doing the form and her asking me as they are a family unit IYSWIM?

The form I have been sent has her name, states I have known her 2 years and is not my writing nor my signature (on the form or the photo).

OP posts:

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 14/09/2011 22:08

The letter says:

"please confirm in writing whether you signed this application and certified this photograph as a true likeness...."
"Also confirm (as far as you can remember) that when you signed this form the person named above had fully filled it in and signed it."

OP posts:

clam · 14/09/2011 22:09

Yup. They're onto it!

clam · 14/09/2011 22:09

Don't forget that they will already have a copy of your signature and be able to compare the two.

NonnoMum · 14/09/2011 22:09

If you don't want to contact your friend - can you just say to the Passport Office - sorry made a mistake, it is only one year I've known friend, not two so I can't stand by this application any more?

(BTW - the passport office phoned my friend who had signed for my baby whilst I was sitting in her living room drinking tea - how weird is that?)

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 14/09/2011 22:12

Grrrr I'm really quite angry now! I'd never do a thing like this to anyone

Don't worry, I'll write to them ASAP and see what she has to say in her defence when she calls me.

OP posts:

Lougle · 14/09/2011 22:13

You need to say

"I filled in a form for the DP, stating that I had known him 1 year. I have never seen the form you have sent me. It is neither my writing nor my signature."

Because that is the truth, and I sincerely think they know. This is the only way you will not be seen as complicit.

These people are not your friends. Nobody would forge someone's writing/signature if they were their friend.

This is a matter of National Security. Our passport system protects us.

stealthsquiggle · 14/09/2011 22:13

Definitely say you didn't sign it - don't FGS go along with it.

If you feel so inclined you could add that you did sign a form for the child in question, but not the form they have?

If you feel the need to talk to her about it, do so after you have sent the reply back to the passport office - so that there is no way she can try and persuade you to do anything other than what you clearly have to do.

KristinaM · 14/09/2011 22:15

I thought that if a couple were not married, the mother had to fill in the passport form. My Dh applied for one of our childrens passport and was asked for a marriage certificate. We couldmt find it so i had to fill on a new form and get new counter signatories , as one of his collleagues has signed it originannly and he doesnt really know me

This might not be relevant but it does seem a bit suspicious

caughtinanet · 14/09/2011 22:17

I think Noonomum that it would be much better to tell the PO the truth - OP didn't sign the form she's been sent a copy of and she must tell them that. Pretending it's a mistake about the length of time will just lead to more trouble for her.

clam - are you saying that the PO will check signatures against the signature you give when applying for your own passport ?

stealthsquiggle · 14/09/2011 22:17

I think I can maybe see how she ended up in this situation - I had DD's form signed, sorted and done and it was rejected because my signature was not in black enough ink (it was black, just not black enough, apparently ). Because the countersignatory was DD's teacher, and term had ended, and I was running out of time, I was really stuck - I had to scrabble to find someone else to sign a new form and was getting quite panicky.

That said, what she did was exceptionally stupid and I do not condone it in any way.

LemonDifficult · 14/09/2011 22:23

Agree with Lougle. If it was me I wouldn't contact your 'friend' at all. I'd get back to the passport office as soon as I could to let them know the form I signed wasn't that one, and provide them with all the details.

OP, I know you'll want to go through it all with you friend but, seriously, you need to steer clear of her and clear this up with the law. You must respond to the letter, though, as soon as you can. You don't want this coming up on information searches about you.

clam · 14/09/2011 22:24

caughtinanet I would think so - at least, if there's any suspicion about it. After all, they ask for your passport number on the countersignatory part of the application form. Obviously, that's to prove you're a UK citizen, but it's there in black and white if they want to have a look and compare.

clam · 14/09/2011 22:27

GPs will sign them, stealth although they charge an arm and a leg. I've lost count of the number of people who've come to me as a teacher to sign them as "the GP charges." Sometimes I wish I could!

caughtinanet · 14/09/2011 22:30

Thanks clam, does that mean you can only countersign if you have a passport yourself? My passport has expired and I wasn't planning on renewing it until I need to as its so expensive.

clam · 14/09/2011 22:36

Yes you must. I was asked to do a neighbour's recently, but was in the process of renewing my own so he had to wait until I received it, or the numbers wouldn't have tallied.
Expensive? I should say so. We just renewed all four of ours at the same time - £280!!! (including photos/registered post etc..)

IShallWearMidnight · 14/09/2011 22:52

DH countersigned a neighbours passport application recently using his expired passport number, and that went through ok. Possibly it's different if you've already started the renewal process though.

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