Nobody to countersign passport?

[DenimDuck]

I really need a passport. Mainly for jobs but also travel

I've been applying for jobs for a while and 99% want a passport before offering anything
I don't have one

What do I do?

I ask my doctor and they can't sign for it. same as my dentist.

I don't know anyone that can sign for me

What am I supposed to do?

Never have another job or passport?
I've looked into every option and I can't get a passport. Feeling totally helpless

Just give up? Life on benefits? Nobody seems to have options

@Turmerictolly doesn’t a notary certify a document, not counter sign it. Different things

I've signed a passport for my friend, my job isn't exactly on the list but I have a professional job at a well known company and have a professional qualification so it's ok.
Any of your friends/neighbours fit this? Retired teachers/police officers etc are allowed, or anyone who's ever been in the armed forces?

Hopefully, even if the OP doesn’t respond it might help other people

This really. Sorry to sound harsh, but the whole point of having a counter signatory is to prove you are part of the community, even if only in a tiny way - not to know a single person who can sign for you sort of implies you are not. Somebody who does not know anyone in the community at all and no one can verify their identity is not actually entitled to a passport

Do you work op? If so ask your manager. I’ve signed loads for my team and never had any issues.

I'm pretty isolated and I don't know many people. My dad's boss did mine. I think people can sometimes get hung up on the (used to be stricter) jobs list and the definition of 'know'. They don't need to be close to you or know you well. They're just saying they first met you over two years ago and know that you are who you say you are.

Can’t one of your friends sign for her?

@aerkfjherf

That's nonsense! The point of the counter-signatory is to confirm that you are who you say you are - absolutely nothing to do with being 'part of the community'!

Your counter-signatory could be someone you know on the list of professions who lives hundreds of miles away from you, nothing to do with your 'community'

You could be a complete anti-social recluse, but you'd still be entitled to a passport, LOL

You must have been to school once, can an old teacher sign?

@Kendodd people need to have known you in the last 2 years

Yes but even if she left school years ago, assuming all her old teachers haven't left, they'll still know who she is. You don't have to be friends with the person or see them regularly, you just need to have known them for at least two years.

a professional engineer would be someone with accredited status at a professional body eg a mechanical engineer, a civil engineer etc. a plumber isnt an engineer but you might argue they're of good standing in the community!

OP doesn't want to pay, wants it for free I suspect

The local, longstanding publican signed my friend's!
Admittedly, she was a friend of his daughter since primary school.

@Kendodd they have to sign the photo saying it is a true likeness. Much as I would like to say I haven’t aged I know I look very different to when I went to school many years ago

This...ex police officer, even post office clerk if they know you, anything like this

A friend did mine and she's a manager of a restaurant

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think it just has to be 'a person of standing' ie someone who is recognised in the community, could be found?

But your old teachers would still recognise you, even if they hadn't seen you for ten years. You would show up, they'd see it was you, see the picture looked like you. They might not be willing to sign it, because it means putting their own passport and contact details on the form, but they would be qualified to sign it.

@Kendodd it’s many more years than 10 😂 And most of them won’t be at the school now. I guess if you had recently left it would be fine.

Honestly i find these threads a bit weird. basically you can get anyone to sign it if they've known you for two years, have a passport and are self-employed (VAT registered), public sector worker, belong to a professions board (e.g. builders, accountants) etc. unless you're a complete recluse i find it hard to believe that you don't know a single person that fits one of those categories. Even yours parents friends or kids friends can sign it.

I think people think you need to be a professional but anyone can sign if they're a 'person of good standing in their community'. So basically anyone who isn't a criminal, convict etc. Unless you're only hanging out with these types you must know someone!

Also I sign all my friends passports (I'm a lawyer and they're all a bit dodgy 😅 ) and I've never been checked - I reckon you could get pretty much anyone to do it

You don't even have to live near the person and sign the back of the actual picture. A colleague asked me to sign for her husband (I see them outside of work and have known him 10+ years) but the application was online and I just had to verify the pic was a true likeness.

I asked my old History teacher.

These threads are always odd, everyone must know someone who works for the local council, NHS, civil service or emergency services even if they don’t know a professional