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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it could be really tricky for some people to get a passport

117 replies

dogscatsandbabies · 23/02/2015 21:18

Excluding the cost of the thing. Just applied for DD's first passport and her photos have to be certified by a professional person... Doctor, lawyer, teacher, bank manager etc. It specifies that this must be someone who knows you as a neighbour, friend, colleague or similar and NOT someone who only knows you professionally I.e your own GP. This person must hold a British or Irish passport.

I had no bother accessing such a professional but it struck me that it might be a total nightmare for some people from lower socioeconomic areas whose neighbours / friends etc are unemployed or work in "unskilled" or more manual jobs which aren't counted as professional.

Anybody found this?

OP posts:
NeedsAsockamnesty · 23/02/2015 22:14

Yes, they definitely do spot checks

They also do spot checks on the person who conforms your identity.

My brother who owns a small shop signs shed loads of them as do I we have both been contacted by HMPO who wanted to check what what either our professional status or standing in the comunity was and they have never given a flying fuck that I write long term service user in the how do you know them bit

NeedsAsockamnesty · 23/02/2015 22:15

Obviously I meant confirms not conforms

TheLastThneed · 23/02/2015 22:15

Farfrom I thought the same as you

Highlandbird · 23/02/2015 22:17

I live rurally as well and struggled to think of anyone professional I knew, but if you look at the website there's a huge list of suitable people that can sign. Pub licence holder is one, and postal worker is another, that's who signed ours (we do know them personally though).

SaucyJack · 23/02/2015 22:19

We are proper poor. My best mate is a teacher, and DP's best mate is a fricking barrister (!)

No, I'm not taking this thread too seriously.

RebootYourEngine · 23/02/2015 22:19

I have had trouble with getting my dcs a passport. A teacher I have known since I was 6yrs old & had known my dc a year wouldn't sign it. Everyone else I know on the list are family.

Threesoundslikealot · 23/02/2015 22:19

I sign loads for friends' children. And I've done my hairdresser's passport. Of all the forms I've ever done, I'd only been called about one for years - someone who was closely related to the then Home Secretary I'd known since uni! But in the last two years, I've had to send follow up letters for all the ones I've done, so they seem to be getting tighter on it.

Because I am friends with lots of colleagues we luckily can sign each others'. Otherwise the number of years thing might be a pain as lots of my friends seem to have jobs that earn a fortune but don't seem to be considered respectable enough to sign passport forms!

thatstoast · 23/02/2015 22:24

For the record, I was joking. I kind of hoped that Mrstawdry was too? But maybe not. I live in a lower socio economic area but I know people who have a job on that list. In fact, I'm on that list. And I don't actually know a police officer. Yet.

WorraLiberty · 23/02/2015 22:25

NeedsAsockamnesty yes, sorry that's what I meant.

My Dad was spot checked with a phone call from the passport office and the Head Teacher of my son's old Primary school was written to, to confirm again that he did actually know him...apparently because most local authorities (including mine) advise teachers against signing so it threw up a red flag, but the reason he signed was because I know him socially, although the passport office computer wasn't to know that.

BrianButterfield · 23/02/2015 22:29

I wonder why teachers are refusing to do them? I've done one for a friend and the odd one for kids at school. Maybe in primary you get asked more often but it wouldn't occur to me to refuse.

BikeRunSki · 23/02/2015 22:33

There was a thread on this very subject last week, where the OP had had her (or her DC's I think it was) passport application rejected because of an unsuitable countersignatory.

clam · 23/02/2015 22:46

We've been categorically told by our HT at school not to sign passports for children/parents. We always used to do it though, although it was slightly galling to be told "I'm not asking the GP as they charge 20 quid, so will you do it for free."
I've done dozens and dozens over the years for friends though.

Actually, far harder than getting a passport signed was having to get a counter-signature for identity verification when we cashed in an Endowment policy recently. Would only accept a doctor, dentist, bank manager or solicitor. Couldn't see the GP being happy to give me a holy grail appointment and the bank refused to do it initially, as the policy wasn't with one of their subsidiaries, although when I got arsey firm and pointed out I'd been banking with them for over 35 years and if they wanted my continued custom they'd oblige, did they grudgingly agree to do it (for free). Then the endowment people decided they didn't like dh's signature Hmm so we had to do it all again. Fortunately, we were spending the weekend with my oldest friend, who happens to be a doctor, so we were sorted.

But I agree, it must be difficult for many people. Not to mention expensive. It cost us around £280 last time we renewed passports for the four of us.

WorraLiberty · 23/02/2015 22:49

BrianButterfield, originally I think it was the workload because teachers were being asked to fill out forms/sign for entire families.

Not sure if that's still the case though.

GoodArvo · 23/02/2015 22:55

YANBU. It can be difficult for people. I volunteer at an advice charity and we have people walk off the street and ask us to sign their passport applications. We can't because we don't know them. They also try the police station and get told "no" there as well. They have to have known the person for 2 years, which can be difficult for people who move around or are new to the country.

Itsgoingtoreindeer · 23/02/2015 22:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheGirlFromIpanema · 23/02/2015 23:03

What a weird post OP Hmm

Pub landlord, policeman, guy in the post office, teacher, pharamacist and local councillor - all happy to do so I reckon.

Probably could pay doctors too.

I think we dwellers of lower socio economic developments Wink have more of a community feel actually compared to more affluent areas.

Jackieharris · 23/02/2015 23:04

It is a problem for a lot if people. I had trouble getting one as a teenage student as my student advisor wasn't British.

I eventually got the teacher mum of a primary school friend.

I don't have a passport now and would struggle to think of someone to do it.

TheGirlFromIpanema · 23/02/2015 23:04

Oh and foster children have theirs signed by their sw's to whoever said that upthread.

TheGirlFromIpanema · 23/02/2015 23:07

Oh and another thing while I'm here, imo the cost is obviously the most prohibitive thing for more people.

If you're skint you don't apply for a passport for id, for instance.

MrsRhettButler · 23/02/2015 23:15

I know about passport applications due to my job and I can confirm that some number of people find it extremely difficult and at times impossible to find a suitable countersignatory

clam · 23/02/2015 23:21

Actually, the point about foster children was that it was sometimes hard to find details of their family heritage.

multicolouredmelons · 23/02/2015 23:40

It's not just the lower socioeconomic groups - we aren't poor, DH has a well-paid job but he had trouble thinking of someone to sign his passport. He's just not very sociable so almost all of his socialising is with family or colleagues (most of whom are also well-paid skilled office workers but not belonging to any professional body so don't meet the requirements). I think eventually he asked an old ex-flatmate, but he literally hadn't seen them for years!

Pipbin · 24/02/2015 00:29

I shall take not being told to fuck off by someone not understanding humour personally.

Glastokitty · 24/02/2015 00:55

Yes this can be an issue. My husband had a real problem getting his photo signed for a passport years ago, he had been living in the UK for years, had never visited a doctor etc etc. We nearly missed out on a holiday because of it, but eventually my mum's policeman neighbour signed it (he's met my husband once, so he shouldn't have). Ironically the policeman ultimately was of poor character, he was sacked for sexual abuse).

RandomNPC · 24/02/2015 01:12

Everyone knows a nurse though?