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?

Every passport application/renewal needs new photos.

Yes, but I think they only need counter-signing if their appearance has changed radically and they are unrecognisable from their previous shot.

Children of age 11 or under always need countersigning though

And if you're a bin man how many professionals do you know who would vouch for you?

That's a discriminatory statement. My next door neighbour is a bin man but both myself and DH are on the list to countersign passports.

It is such a strange outdated system isn't it? We've moved around a lot and whilst we know a lot of people on that list, at times it's been very difficult due to not having anyone local who has known us long enough.

To the poster who asked about years old photos. It is one of the requirements that all passports have a new photo less than one month old! I remember as I was worried about them checking the date on the digital photo properties when I sent them to paspic.com for checking and printing (which I highly recommend to save the hassle of a booth and allow you to pick a decent photo!)

All these poor bin men cant get a foreign holiday because there is nobody to sign their passports

The government (well, public departments or whatever you'd say) already have so much info onus from birth onward that I find it hard to believe their isn't a more streamlined way to check a person is who they say they are

Er... how exactly does the government hold information about a child as to their appearance? Or even for an adult? The government doesn't hold that information in a form that guarantees the image is actually of the person whose name is shown.

Even if you have a driving licence, if the image submitted was not the actual person, what is the "so much info on us" that would allow that to be detected?

Oh good god why would you renew an 11yo's passport win a ocuctire of them when they were 6

As a teacher I've been asked lots and if I've known the family for a while I'm happy to do it, but it takes at least ten minutes, including the time taken to find your passport and ni number.
Also the pressure that if you do it wrong, they have to get a new form!

The new photo has to have been taken within the last month so a 5 year old photo wouldn't be suitable. Coutersignatory has to have known the parent for 2 years, not the child, and has to sign to say the photo is a good likeness of them

That's OK, MrsJayy. I will take your advice, thanks.

To everyone who thought my hoping to use a six year old's photo for an 11 year old was a daft idea, yes you are right. It was.

Very decent of you, Tricky!

(ex-clam. See you're not skiing this year!)

I had the similar issue while renewing passports. I wrote a letter to attach with the main form saying that teacher, nurse, gp, head etc were asked and they all denied sighting various reasons. I left the main form blank for countersignatory, just wrote 'please see attached letter' . Glad to report that new passport was issued in time.

No, ThatdearClam, I have hung up my skiboots at 72 and a half. Very pissed off because Les Arcs changed eligibility for free pass from 72 to 74.
After the mauling I got over those rooms, I try to be inoffensive.

I banked on the dcs not coming this year (as meant to be at uni) so we upgraded to a posh chalet (I intend to ski very little and spend time in the jacuzzi overlooking the mountains!). Vair expensive. Then the blasted dcs caught sight of the plan and are gate-crashing!!! No obnoxious partners, however.

Sorry for the de-rail, all!

Priest/rabbi/imam (bet the Daily Fail would hate that last but surely government would allow?)

parent governor of school?

Actually back when we were new in UK I remember we really couldn't find anyone and I was allowed to swear an affidavit (hold up your hand and promise it's your kid -- at that they were small but it was a renewal). It was a long time ago (back in the dark ages when father didn't even have to sign the application!!) so not sure that's relevant.

My first two were 5 years apart so what with recycling and all their first passports overlapped for about five months, and their first photos were in very similar babygros. And lord knows all infants look alike, even if they are totally different races (DD was adopted ). Even I couldn't tell their passports apart except by dates and the immigration people used to laugh.

I am a Head. We have stopped doing them, A number of my staff have had calls from the home office after signing and 1 got a full home office interview.

The GP charges for them but possibly from the medical history knows if the child they are presenting age 3 for a passport is the one that they gave birth to. We have no way of telling.

Its a silly system, should be got rid of. Where I live, to get a passport (for first one or for a child) you just have a quick ten minute appointment at the police station bringing some firm of photo id like driver's license or citizen card. For renewal you do the whole thing online using online banking codes to identify yourself. Simple.

I can sign as a I am a solicitor. Interestingly the only time I've been checked up on was when I counter-signed a friend's daughter's Irish passport application - I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that now as I know you now have to be a British citizen to countersign British applications. Nobody has ever called me about British passport applications.

I agree the system is outdated. We have the "check and send" system at post offices - maybe people should be able to do it there. Do you still need a counter-signatory if you go to the passport office in person?

Friend of mine was called into intweview she still had to have a counter signature because it was her first passport

I'm a teacher and the only people I know on the list are fellow teachers.

When I worked in retail I didn't know anyone who could do it. A friend of mine posted his daughter's form to me as I was the only person he knew. He works in the arts, and moves about a lot. It is very possible to not know anyone on the list.

If you look like your previous photo, you don't need a counter signiture for renewals. So I guess it's kids passports and first time passports (which I think get an interview now?) who need to have known someone for long enough.

I'm a civil servant and must have countersigned about 30 applications as I'm often the easiest person for friends to meet for the purpose. And a few applications for UK nationality. Only been phoned by the Home Office once. "Did you countersign a photo of X? How do you know X? Where do you work now? Lovely, just checking, sorry to bother you. Bye!"

I renewed two of my DCs passports last year. DS (7) needed a countersignature. DD1 (12) didn't as she could countersign her own. Second and third passports respectively.

I'm very lucky as I have friends who are teachers, nurses, health visitors, firemen, and a loss adjuster. Any of the above can sign along with a whole host of other people.

I think it's unfair. I remember my non-professional parents struggling with this. They did not know any 'professional' people at all. It's ironic that the people in society with the least money have to pay someone to sign their passport application. Meanwhile, those with the most money just ask their next door neighbour to do it for free.