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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:

ronx · 14/09/2011 22:54

Clam -- my friend, who countersigned, had to send a fax on headed paper to say that she did have professional qualifications and to confirm how long she had known me.

clam · 14/09/2011 23:03

midnight I was midway through the process, and if I'd used the old number, by the time they checked it out, their records would have allocated a different one and they would therefore not have tallied.
Yeah, maybe if you have just "lapsed" it still counts?

catsareevil · 14/09/2011 23:10

It sounds like they know what has happened. I think you are right to tell the passport office the truth.

IShallWearMidnight · 14/09/2011 23:21

clam certainly in July the same-day passport service (neighbour checked all the family's passport expiration dates bar one ) accepted a lapsed passport countersignatory. Might be helpful for anyone else reading this.
OP, you really really need to be truthful to the passport office about this, you "friend" is irrelevant to the trouble you could be in by trying to cover for her.

FairyArmadillo · 14/09/2011 23:29

Haven't read the whole thread yet. I've just had to find someone to countersign my passport form. One of the people I asked who had a suitable profession was advised by the home office not to sign any more passport forms as two previous applicants who had asked him to do so did dodgy things. One person got deported! Because of his, if he had signed my form the home office would have been suspicious of me.

EdithWeston · 14/09/2011 23:50

So you made a mistake about the length of time you needed to have known them, but the version you signed contained the correct information.

As you haven't known them for long enough, then ignore my previous post. I think you need to come clean to the Passport Office (yes, they can check signatures against your own passport application form) - you need to say this is not the form you signed.

scaryteacher · 15/09/2011 10:22

This person has forged your signature on a passport form, and presumably has your address. What else has she been forging your signature for?

You need to cover your own arse; explain as you have here precisely what happened. You don't want to run the risk of perhaps losing your own passport, or being complicit in her getting ID that she could then use for further fraud, because this is what this is. Do you want to be investigated for fraud as well?

stealthsquiggle · 15/09/2011 10:39

clam - thanks - in the end DD's ex-nursery manager did it for me. Ironically, almost everyone in my family could sign passports but not, of course, DD's because they are related!

OP - have you sent it back yet?

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 15/09/2011 10:52

I'm on maternity leave so I've got to go into work today to get some headed paper to reply on. Hassle

I've spoken to her this morning. She said that she had to change it as her DP couldn't make the appointment (fast track?) and it had to be her name on the application. I said well it clearly isn't my writing or signature and I haven't known you two years. She admitted what she had done (whilst she was in the passport office!) and I told her that I will be telling the PO that that wasn't the form I filled in and signed.

She said she's going to ring them this morning. I said I am still going to write to them.

Thanks for all your help.

OP posts:

DamselInDisarray · 15/09/2011 10:55

The same day passport service accepted a countersingnatory with a lapsed passport and an open application for renewal when we renewed DS1's passport. My friend didn't read the form right and only texted me on the way to the passport office to say there might be a problem. There wasn't.

The 2 year going is really bloody annoying for those of us who've moved (across the country) 4 times in the last 6 years. My friend was literally the only person we know locally who could sign and has known me for long enough. It's a long drive to find someone else eligible who fits the criteria.

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 15/09/2011 11:01

She just called again, she has told the PO what she has done. Obviously I'm still going to write to them (after I've trekked all the way into work on the tube with heavy DS in the sling).

OP posts:

stealthsquiggle · 15/09/2011 11:05

can't you get someone at work to send you headed paper (or email you a printable version)?

AMumInScotland · 15/09/2011 11:09

Glad you've spoken to her about it and she's coming clean with the PO. Deffo still write in, but at least you know she's already 'fessed up to them.

PorkChopSter · 15/09/2011 11:10

Why do you need work note paper - you signed as an individual, yes?

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 15/09/2011 11:18

The letter I've been sent specifically asks for a reply on business headed paper, I guess because I signed (although obviously not this application ha ha) on the basis of my profession. They wrote to me at work; work forwarded me the letter.

Do you think if I get work to send me the paper (to arrive I suppose tomorrow or Saturday) and I do the reply as soon as I get it, that would be be ok? They would have my reply by tues/weds next week.

OP posts:

mummytime · 15/09/2011 11:23

You don't have to be in a desperate hurry to reply. You just have to respond in a timely manner and explain. The passport office know that people are not able to reply instantly for a whole host of reasons (including beng out of the country).

oldraver · 15/09/2011 16:13

My friend was countersignatory for my DS's passport and they sent him a form to confirm his status, he told me about this at the time and confirmed he had sent this off. However the form wasn't received back at the Passport office and I only found out when I contacted them to ask where the Passport was.

I was told countersignatorys are only given two weeks to respond then the application is void and another application has to be filled in with a different countersignaory.. So you could tell the Passport Office what has happened or just 'forget' to reply

oldraver · 15/09/2011 16:18

Need to add that when I realised my DS's Passport had been delayed (there was also an issue with the photo background as the rules had been changed while my application was going through), the Passport office said they would try and process it overnight. They did PHONE my new countersignatory to confirm she knew me. She was surprised she was contacted as it had never happened before.

CauldronsTrulyReign · 16/09/2011 23:23

Blimey.

I'm a bit late to this party.

But am open mouthed.

Did she apologise?

Original poster

karlmarxthespot · 17/09/2011 10:05

Well Cauldrons (:o isn't it a bit early for that name?!) she was very apologetic. Not sure if that's the same as apologising.

It's out of my hands now - the PO rang me yesterday and a letter is winging its way to them as we speak.

OP posts:

mazthemum · 14/10/2011 13:18

Hi - did your friend get into trouble? we are in a similar position, my husband has just recieved a letter at work asking if he countersigned my friend's son's photo which he did but not the one they have on the application.

I have known my friend for 25 years and she lost the original photo and didn't see the harm in signing a replacement. We don't want her to get into trouble as he would have and always does do any countersigning that she needs.

iskra · 18/10/2011 21:54

Any update, OP?

Peasbody · 24/07/2012 22:58

Well I know this is a year on but yes it does appear to be normal for them to check with the countersignatory. It may have been because they need to check your professional status. My countersignatory marked their occupation as retired so the passport office had to send forms to find out about their employment which also asked the questions you mentioned such as who signed the form, did you see the photo etc.

Georgia1508 · 10/03/2014 14:44

Hi this has happened to me today asking me for more information as I countersigned passport forms for a friends daughter I really don't want be sending any more info back is this true after two weeks the passport application is void please help super stressed

Georgia1508 · 11/03/2014 14:40

Yes

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