Countersignatory on passport renewal.

[phoenix1973]

I've posted here as it's busier.

I'm renewing my child's passport (U.K.).

I don't know who to ask to countersign her application.

Doctor and dentist don't have uk passports. So they can't sign. I'm a temp so I don't know anyone who can sign.

Do you have any suggestions on who I can ask?

Mean? Is it not also mean for GPs to refuse to do it then?

As I said before, teachers have enough to do. And if the Head is asked to do it instead, who is also extremely busy, you have to bear in mind that some schools (ours for example), have 450+ kids in. That adds up.

Anyone with a VAT registered business can sign IIRC.

I think it's mean to stop teachers doing it,it takes all of 2 mins to fill in the form.

Your child's teacher is not normally eligible to sign as it needs to be someone who knows you personally not just professionally.

The person needs to be a professional or a person of standing in the community, so post office owners, or the estate agent, or a company director, accountant, bookkeeper, vet, parish counciller, architect, pub licensee, there are all sorts of trades that can do it.

Like PP said, think outside the box, you must know somebody who could do it.

It doesn't take two minutes.
For a start you have to dig out he address and phone number of you county hall (who knows that offhand), as well as your passport.

pinkmagic i think you are right i had to get dds signed at 9 but not at 15 when i renewed it

*You don't usually need a signature to renew a child's passport.

THIS.

YY to company director - which will include an awful lot (maybe most) tradespeople. I get asked very often so I double checked and am a
definitely eligible because of this.

Also second pub licensee - or for example in a rural area who-ever holds the alcohol license for the local village/community hall.

It seems really hard, but once you think a bit so long as you've been in an area for a few years there's generally plenty of people. Don't know what on earth you do if you've recently moved though!

I thought you needed a counter signature for children under 11.

I am an accountant so quite popular with my friends when it comes to passports

They should also have known you personally for a couple of years shouldn't they?

I would check if it needs doing for a renewal, Op.

I'm in Germany & I'm sure that it said something like "best of all get another UK citizen to countersign"

Oh yes you're right actually ineed

www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications/when-to-sign-what-to-do

Re "bin men" if they are directly employed by a Local Counil, they are Local Govt officers, so can sign for each other.

Any one who is directly employed by a local council can sign it, whatever their level.

OP do you have any friends who work for one? They are very big employers.

I used to do a lot when I worked in the Civil Service. Once I was checked up on, I had to send a headed letter from where I worked to prove that I did actually work there. Do you know anyone who works in the civil service/council/local government ? Failing that, health visitor? Bear in mind that the person countersigning it must have a current valid passport to be a signatory.

Thanks for all your suggestions.
I don't know anyone who fits any of these descriptions who has known both myself and my child.
I only started working for the Council on 4 Jan 2017 (as a temp, through an agency). So I can't ask my boss.
We can't afford solicitor services (although we used one 10 years ago for Wills).
Our friends work in manual trades, hgv drivers, admin assistants for upvc companies etc. My dad is self employed but I don't reckon he's "official" as it were.
My brother is self employed in IT as a mcse, I will ask him.

If all else fails, I will try sending it all off with photos and suck it and see.

Really? No, I mean REALLY? Aren't they allowed to be friends with lawyers/doctors/teachers then?

Of course they are. But, as I said, my cleaner really struggled. And i don't have many friends who qualify. Certainly not locally. Unless I wanted to get into arguing what qualifies someone as being 'of good standing in the community'

accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of recognised company
bank/building society official
barrister
chairman/director of limited company
chiropodist
commissioner for oaths
councillor, eg local or county
civil servant (permanent)
dentist
director/manager/personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
engineer - with professional qualifications
financial services intermediary, eg a stockbroker or insurance broker
fire service official
funeral director
insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
journalist
Justice of the Peace
legal secretary - fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs
licensee of public house
local government officer
manager/personnel officer of a limited company
member, associate or fellow of a professional body
Member of Parliament
Merchant Navy officer
minister of a recognised religion - including Christian Science
nurse - RGN or RMN
officer of the armed services
optician
paralegal - certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals
person with honours, eg an OBE or MBE
pharmacist
photographer - professional
police officer
Post Office official
president/secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher, lecturer
trade union officer
travel agent - qualified
valuer or auctioneer - fellows and associate members of the incorporated society
Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers

You can't use a family member.

Do you know anyone who works for local government?

I can sign them as I work for the LA.

Do you know anyone who works for the council on a professional level?

School receptionist?

What about wider family friends your parents or brother cant sign. There has to be somebody

Also religious leaders - priests, vicars, rabbis, imams. Retired people can still sign passport applications - so elderly neighbours who used to work in banks etc etc etc.

My daughter and I need our passports signed and the Gp doesn't do it.

We literally know nobody who can sign for us, the list is discriminatory. Its an old fashioned system and should be scrapped.

Nursery teacher did dd1s years ago.

Don't send it off with the photos unsigned if it tells you countersigning us required. You will get a time frame to get them the info they need, or your application will be cancelled, and you won't get your money back.

Look wider to find someone who can sign, if it's needed -maybe check that bit out first. Your Dad and Brother can't do it.

That list isn't exhaustive. It gives you an idea.

I'm in the US - I had an American friend who works as an Admin Assistant counter-sign mine using her US passport.

What about the hairdresser? She did all of ours.