Self-Declarations

[elliexmai]

Hi everyone

I am trying to get a first-time passport in the UK but my mothers maiden name is spelt wrong on my birth certificate. On my birth certificate it is "SMITH" which is wrong, on my mothers it states "SMYTH" which is correct.

The passport office has now asked me to get a Statutory Declaration that needs to be signed by a notary, justice of the peace or a solicitor - or something along those lines.

Am I able to just walk into solicitors in my area and ask for this?

You need to phone them in advance, and ask. Solicitors often specialise, and they might want to refer you to a different one.

Any solicitor or notary public could do this, but they may charge a fee. If you've used a solicitor for something else like a house purchase they may do it for free. Just phone around and ask