To wonder how I'll get my DC's passport legally?!

[justwanttolookgood]

I don't know anyone who can counter sign!

And on top of that, I don't know anyone professionally who has known me for over 6/12 months really. GP included. The person needs to have known the parent for over 2 years.

What am I going to do?

We have had very similar struggles for our children's passports. We have plenty of family who could sign (not allowed) but no friends.

Child 1&2 - a friend who was store manager of a paint shop

Child 3 - retired army captain who was a neighbour and i had gone to school with his daughter 15 years previously

Child 4 - was only a couple of weeks old and we were very new to the area. I got the midwife who saw me from 24 weeks to sign and we put a note in explaining why she hasn't known us long enough

Your manager or an old manager, surely you've worked somewhere for a couple of years or more? Dentist?

Hope you find someone to counter sign for you OP agree FB might be a good way to find someone.

Civil servant is a massive category - odds are you know one

All children's passport applications need a
countersignature.

They really aren't going to check it against any list. What list? It's just an outdated thing they don't get have a modern alternative for. As long as you know someone who is vaguely employed and isn't a criminal it should be fine.

I wouldn't worry to much about the 2 years. It's to ensure you are genuine. A person that you have had regular contact with over the last year or so should be ok.

I'm a solicitor. I don't sign for people I haven't known for more than two years, that's what I'm countersigning to confirm. If (IF!) they ever checked up, I could lose not just my job but my profession.

I teach and have signed probably about ten applications in last reenty years. I have been called and checked three times.

If (IF!) they ever checked up, I could lose not just my job but my profession.

And that's the whole point of having a countersignatory - it must be someone who has something to lose should they be signing fraudulently.

I got the guy at the post office at the end of our road to sign my DCs. I can sign people's and I'm only vaguely on the list and I've never had any issues.

Get on facebook and ask your friends its not as strict a list as looks

The person needs to have known you for 2 years, not necessarily be in touch with you so anyone who taught you at school, your old head teacher or deputy head.

Have you claimed benefits? Job centre staff are civil servants, at a push.

Do you rent? your landlord, r previous landlord. If you are buying who provided your mortgage?

It's definitely not exhaustive. I've counter-signed several passports as a "Manager". I do have a PhD but I no longer work as a lecturer (work in related industry), and it's always been accepted.

My cousin works in the passport office, they don’t check the profession, they just check that the signature is within the box!

Yes the first list clearly says examples include. i work in publishing and DH is a project manager we have both signed and got people at work to sign

The not list is simply Doctor and Passport Service so anyone else is fine!

Anyone who has their own business can do it too. You must know a plumber / sparky / chippy etc?

I don't think it's very helpful to tell the OP she must know someone on the list. Not everyone does! My friends are all professionals, and I only know two on the list, and as one is my mum I don't think it counts!

I agree with others above - find out what your friends do, and if need be sex their jobs up a bit.

The list is not an exhaustive list though - its a list of examples - if every single job was included the list would be huge - someone mentioned call centre workers and computer scientist - of course they count.

The point to look at is the list of people who dont count which is a short list of two. Any other professional occupation must therefore count

•director/manager/personnel officer of a VAT-registered company Includes many self-employed. Your local corner shop owner, the plumber mentioned above,...

Sorry for the delayed response, I went back to bed!

DS is 8 months.

I don't have a HV. My GP has known me for around 6 months.

I don't know any teachers.

I'm really wracking my brains but I can't think of anyone.

People in my immediate set up are...

Business owner (My Dad)
Mum is a Cook
DH is a PM
But those people can't sign because they're family.

Does dh not know any other professionals?

Remember that the people on a child's countersignatory are saying they know the PARENT not the child. Friends of the OP's parents who she knew growing up - fine. Neighbours of her parents - fine. Father's business partner, mother's employer - anyone who can vouch for OP.

LIZ Nobody that knows me, or has ever vaguely even met me in passing.

Is dh not also the parent?

LIZ Yes, but I have applied for it so not sure that matters?

Further to this though, I still have my application to get signed