Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 ··· 6 7 8 9 10 11

Original poster

passport hell

262 replies

tattyrose567 · 04/11/2017 00:13

Really really desperate and fusturated I have wanted to get a passport for so long my mum did every single other sibliing but mine grrrr and now i really need one but have literally no one to counter sign!! the doctors no longer do it and I've literally exhausted every option what can I do ?? Guessing I will just never ever be able to get one feel like I'm being denied something and will never be able to go abroad I'm 23 with a nearly 2 year old :////

OP posts:

HidingBehindTheWallpaper · 04/11/2017 14:05

But I must say if you can afford a holiday surely you can afford to pay someone to sign a passport??

Who though? The GP won't do it. Who else is there? The OP has said that she doesn't have a dentist.

EmilyChambers79 · 04/11/2017 14:06

It is also very intrusive to be asked and I don't think I would even do it for £100 actually given the disruption of having a caller, breaking off from busy work or family life etc

So you wouldn't sign someone's passport for the above reasons?!

My friend done mine, it literally took her 4 minutes. How busy are you that you can't spare that for someone?!

HamSandWitches · 04/11/2017 14:07

Do you know anyone who works at the council, a housing officer signed mine

daisypond · 04/11/2017 14:08

OP has said she'll pay someone to sign - but she can't find anyone.

Cheeseontoastie · 04/11/2017 14:08

Sorry that comment was in regards to the story that pp told of a parent she signed a passport form for. Who couldn't ask the drs or dentist cause they charge.

milkchocolatx5 · 04/11/2017 14:09

I have a friend who is a childminder who countersigned ours. is this an option?

Florene · 04/11/2017 14:09

Do you have a social worker?

Orangebird69 · 04/11/2017 14:15

Some of you are really fucking horrid. And then some of you would appear to live in some Truman-esque world. Some of the responses on this thread really do uphold the 'nest of vipers' reputation MN holds.

Appuskidu · 04/11/2017 14:32

What do you do with your days, OP-give us an outline and maybe we can suggest something. Do you take your toddler to regular classes, swimming, library? Do you have many friends?

SandyDenny · 04/11/2017 15:14

The wigglysquid - have you actually read the OP's posts?

I'm pretty sure she doesn't live a life that involves middle class antenatal groups stuffed full of professionals or do you really think that if she did it won't have occurred to her that that might be an option.

There's a shocking lack of awareness by some of the lives of others. It's pretty obvious that none of the usual options are open to the OP.

disahsterdahling · 04/11/2017 15:27

If you use the post office check and send service, can they countersign it?

Otherwise I am guessing the only way is to go to a passport office.

It is really difficult but there are people who can do it who you might not think of. I didn't know childminders could do it for example until my son's childminder countersigned his last passport application.

One of the issues can be that you do know people, but they don't have a valid British passport. I'd known someone (teacher) since ds was small but she'd not been overseas for years so her passport had expired.

disahsterdahling · 04/11/2017 15:35

I have already rung the passport office that they said there is no way round it no counter sign no passport

I don't believe this. Phone them again.

Ceto · 04/11/2017 15:38

But I must say if you can afford a holiday surely you can afford to pay someone to sign a passport??

It's not a matter of paying anyone willing - that person has to know you.

bottlesandcans · 04/11/2017 15:38

Shall we get the violins out op? What a drip feed.
Sort it out yourself. Geez.

disahsterdahling · 04/11/2017 15:40

One other idea. Does your old school have a Facebook page for old pupils. is it worth posting there to ask if someone could do it for you? If you're 23 they've known you for a lot longer than 2 years.

I had a problem once because I'd recently moved jobs but it so happened that someone I'd known at college was at my new job. So although we'd not seen each other for about 15 years, she was able to sign on that occasion.

ilikefastcars · 04/11/2017 16:34

The list isn't as restrictive as it used to be, a manager or responsible person can do it.
Any parents at school that might?
Or neighbour?
Friend of your parents?
Local vicar?
Shopkeeper?
Youth group leader? Brownies? Cubs? Etc

Freshme · 04/11/2017 18:05

dahling

I think the OP said she didn't go to school...

Cheeseontoastie · 04/11/2017 18:08

But I must say if you can afford a holiday surely you can afford to pay someone to sign a passport??

It's not a matter of paying anyone willing - that person has to know you.

^^ I already said I was referring to a pp who said one of the parents she signed for use that reason!! That she couldn't pay for her dentist or dr to sign it.

Annieshop · 04/11/2017 18:32

I have already rung the passport office that they said there is no way round it no counter sign no passport

I don't believe this. Phone them again

C8H10N4O2 · 04/11/2017 19:27

I don't believe this. Phone them again.

So they can magic up someone who has known the OP for 2 yrs? Check and send is not a signing service - the staff can't sign for the OP unless they have personally known her for two years.

Yes the list of people who can sign has grown, but they do predominantly come from one class or from groups whom the OP won't have come into contact with yet - child's teachers, guiders etc.

This insistence that everyone "must" know a professional person, or trader who is director of their own company and who can testify to knowing them for two years is a remarkably Daily Fail attitude.

GU24Mum · 04/11/2017 19:52

Orangefoam - the countersignatory only has to know the adult, not the child but needs to have seen the child else they can't (shouldn't.........) certify that the photo is a true likeness!

berliozwooler · 05/11/2017 05:07

We had to pay to get my GP to sign when I was 15 - now not permitted, of course. I didn't know any of my teachers well enough to ask and we certainly didn't know any other types of people on the (more limited) list then.

ZivaDiva · 05/11/2017 05:21

I can counter sign as a paramedic. Think nurses can sign. Do you have any nurse friends?

pringlecat · 05/11/2017 05:32

OP, who have you known for at least 2 years who might be willing to sign for you? Might be easier starting with people you know and then trying to fit them into a category. "A person of good standing in their community’" seems to be an easy catch-all.

RosyWelshcakes · 05/11/2017 05:41

Tatty do you know your local Councillor? They can do it.

Flip

1 2 ··· 6 7 8 9 10 11