Passport identity confirmation - twice

[Winniethewheeze]

I'm in the process of applying for passport renewals for my four kids.

Initially, they asked me to get someone to confirm the identity of Children 3 and 4.

Then, they asked me to get someone to confirm the identity of Children 1,2 and 3. The person I asked before wasn't available so I asked someone else.

Now, they have asked me to get someone to confirm the identity of Child 1.

I'm just confused by it all as they don't give reasons why it needs done and done again. I asked the same person as I asked the second time, but I'm wondering if I need a new person but I can't think of a new person and we are nearing the deadline for everything to be submitted or they will cancel the application.

This is the message I received a few days after my friend confirmed their identity:

Your passport application is on hold because we need to confirm your identity. We can’t print your new passport until your identity is confirmed.

What you need to do
You need to ask someone to confirm your identity. They will need to go online to do this. They don’t need to sign a printed photo.

Sign in to check who can do this and provide their details: www.passport.service.gov.uk/track/

Please don’t reply to this email – it’s an automatic message from an unmonitored account.

Also, does anyone know about the deadline to receive all the documents? If I've sent them everything and they are still sitting on it all, does it still get cancelled? I'm applying from abroad, so it's been difficult posting things because the international post is screwed up, then a big thing about their names. Just it's a lot of money to lose (around 300 pounds).

@Winniethewheeze Are your children aged 12-15 or are they younger? I am just wondering if they are stricter with younger children.

This has happened to both me and my fiance. We've filed complaints as we just do not know anybody else to confirm our identities. This isn't our first passport either, it's to replace our lost passports but still they weren't having it.

I'm digging my heels in personally, hopefully it goes well for you.

Thanks for the replies!

The day after Friend 2 re-confirmed Child 1's identity, I got another automated email asking me to get someone to confirm their identity. I asked a co-worker in the end, who hasn't met my son, but has known me for more than 2 years and a few minutes later I had an email from the passport office saying that his application had been accepted, so that is a huge relief!

Weirdly, I haven't heard any more about the other children's passports, but I sent the same information, so hopefully they will be approved soon and I won't lose my application.

It's been more than 3 months since I started the application. Thank goodness we weren't traveling this summer! My eldest kid is 14, but his last passport was when he was a baby, so I guess the photo doesn't really look like him any more. I definitely won't let them lapse again!

That's good to hear. We were toying with putting down the same person as before but if you say it didn't work for you it looks like it won't work for us.

Thankfully neither of us are planning to travel in the near future either but it would still be nice if they pulled their fingers out and followed their own guideline 😡

It's so strange because I got an email saying that Child 1's passport had been approved and was being printed. Yay!

Since then...

I got an email asking to get someone to confirm Child 2's identity (Again!). Also another email asking for more documents to prove his identity even though I sent the exact same documents as Child 1.

Also, an email asking for more supporting documents to prove Child 3's identity.

I have heard nothing at all about Child 4's passport in months.

At least they haven't cancelled the applications yet. It's really dragging on though. I need to find another person willing to confirm their identity. I'll have a think over the weekend.

I don't understand if the children's applications are bundled or not.

It doesn't make sense to approve some people and not others especially if they're siblings.

Let us know how you get on and good luck!

I lost my login details, so new account, but an update.

After getting someone else to confirm Child 2's identity again, they then decided that the photo wasn't good enough as there was a shadow. So, a new photo was submitted and fortunately we didn't have to go through the whole confirmation process again. His passport application has been approved and it's in the post!

Child 3, they want a letter from her dad agreeing to allow her middle name to be dropped and a copy of some kind of ID.

Child 4, crickets. It just says documents received on 4th August.