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?

Well they have a sign up says anyone who needs passport signature it cost's £xx so maybe they apply the rules but still charge I don't know.

ell they have a sign up says anyone who needs passport signature it cost's £xx so maybe they apply the rules but still charge I don't know.

That's ridiculous. GP's are not allowed to sign. Unless you know them personally. That means you are friends with them. Nothing to do with the surgery. You would text them and ask them to sign it for you type thing.

They are not allowed to sign for patients (again unless you know them personally)

You saying hi to the GP in the shop isn't what qualifies as knowing them personally.

Also I find it very unlikely any GP would risk their jobs by signing passport forms they are not allowed to sign.

I was an EA, so basically the same as a PA, and have signed three passport applications,
including a first passport. Ask the PA.

but you still need to post it just because you fill the form online, which means you pay the higher fee though

No you don't as you have paid online already by debit card

It's because GPs used to be able to sign them but they were wasting so much NHS time that the passport office decided to specifically ban doctors from doing so for patients. There used to be a sign in my GP's surgery as well but I believe it now only refers to sickness notes and the like.

I can't remember now what the timing was WRT paying and printing off but I would have thought that until the application is final and submitted, you can change the details on it.

Even with first passports/child passports etc which require a printed part you can apply online, it just means you have to print and sent part of the application.

There have been several changes very recently, they like you to upload a photo online now for example, which might be why there is confusion about the process.

Just remember that list isn’t exhaustive. I don’t know anyone close on that list. I can really try and pull some favours from school mums I barely know because some works for the NHS or local government. But I do this instead

more people who work as computer programmers or in call centres etc)

I’m a software developer and I just get a colleague to sign it.

Sorry went off to dinner. But I can see why the OP is stuck. If you are a SAHP and the other parents aren’t very middle class, ie filled with professionals, and don’t have neighbours who are the same, I can see how easily you don’t know anyone on that list.

So you have my sympathy.

It's a damaged system. If I sign when I should not I love my career, my life virtually. If your average call centre worker signs when they shouldn't (they only knew the person 6 months not 2 years or don't know them from adam) the aren't on any official career register or certified and the same consequences would not flow. That makes it a broken system in my view.

So why not just change it so that anyone who has known you by sight for 2 years and knows your name and who you are and is not related to you can sign?

Well I have to agree it’s a broken system @Xenia I’m kiwi and for a NZ passport, you can be a witness if you know the person for 1 year and hold a NZ passport. You don’t need all this malarkey about professional jobs. So basically our govt agrees with your approach

See this list as proof
www.passports.govt.nz/what-you-need-to-renew-or-apply-for-a-passport/identity-referee-witness-and-consent-for-a-child/

They don't even make the rules clear. My sons are renewing passports this Autumn. If their looks have not changed much I don't think they need a third party to certify the renewal application but amazingly when I've looked the Gov website does not make that clear. This is your average teenager applying for a renewal of an existing passport (so not a first passport once you become an adult but also could be called first adult passport. They should define it as "first adult passport if you had a child passport" and contrast that with "first adult passport where you have never had a child passport" and clarify it all but that is obviously too much to ask....

You know you can phone them and ask for advice
It’s not that hard

xenia

It's very clear.

The thing about looks changing is for renewals. Not first adult passports, which is what your sons will be applying for.

They should define it as "first adult passport if you had a child passport" and contrast that with "first adult passport where you have never had a child passport" and clarify it all but that is obviously too much to ask....

They define it as 'first adult passport' because that's what it is and the application is the same whether you have had a child passport or not

Yes, but if you have a child passport and your photo has not changed you don't need the external verification; whereas if you have never had any kind of passport before then you do I believe so I am not sure it really is the same - massive difference if that is correct.

Yes, but if you have a child passport and your photo has not changed you don't need the external verification; whereas if you have never had any kind of passport before then you do I believe so I am not sure it really is the same - massive difference if that is correct.

That is not the case. A first adult passport is a first adult passport. There is no 'first adult passport if you have not changed'.

If the child has had a passport before and are applying for an adult one it is treated as a RENEWAL, not a first adult passport. First adult passport is for those who have never had a passport before

That is not the case. A first adult passport is a first adult passport. There is no 'first adult passport if you have not changed'

You are wrong. If it is a child passport changing to an adult passport then it is done as a renewal and only needs countersigning if appearance has changed significantly

Are you at n fb ?

I would put a message up . I found a friend of my Ds is a optician so could sign them. I was completely unaware as she wasn’t working

Yeah I actually have no idea what I am talking about!

From .gov site

Apply for a first adult passport if you’re aged 16 or over (or will be within 3 weeks) and never had a child passport

You are wrong

Yes I know

Thanks for the 3 posts to tell me

I'm about to go through all this. I've never had a passport so will be applying for my first one. (So I have to go for an interview, nearest office being almost 2 hours away, and I've read that you don't get to select a date and time which is really not great for me as I don't get to book days off work. Then I also need passports for my children. I'm going to struggle to find anyone from that list I think!

You're welcome . It was actually to give info to the poster who didn't know which to apply for, not to get at you

The point is I don't think the website makes it very clear and I haven't
even looked too hard yet and ended up having to see what The Studentroom said on what should be a really basic issue.

Also the term is misleading - first adult passport is indeed what every 18 year old is applying for yet. They should call it something else - "First adult passport for those who do not have an existing child passport". Anyway I will probably try it as a renewal and see how we go - I need to check how similar the photos are from before.