Can't find a countersignature for a lost British passport - What to do?

[Cybercubed]

Hi all,

I have booked a fast track appointment for a lost passport next Saturday. I am able to gather all documents, complete the paper application, paid the £147 fee, the problem is that I don't have anyone I know who can countersign my passport.

I rang the passport advice line and she told me to look a list of professions which are suitable, but I've already seen it and told her I still don't know anyone. I asked my factory manager, he refused saying I hadn't known him for 2 years (which is true). I'm not close to any of my neighbours and feel uncomfortable cold approaching them.

The advice line told me to present this information at the appointment, but she didn't sound sure herself what would be the outcome, since the £147 is not refundable. I think I can sign a declaration saying I don't know anyone, but that the application would take longer. Is this true? I just hope my £147 hasn't gone to waste.

The store manager sounds a good bet. He probably doesnt get asked to do it that often, so might be flattered to be asked.

Only if you have the right visa.

DH went abroad taking only his non-UK passport, which was new and had to be validated when he arrived in the other country. When he got back, immigration asked where his visa was. Fortunately he still had his old one with him, and they agreed to transfer "admitted indefinitely" from that to his new one, otherwise I would have had to take his UK one to the airport to get him back in.

I've signed numerous as a teacher and no-one has ever checked up, just saying!

The co-op neighbour sounds like your beat option OP, with the dentist as back-up. After that, time to track down old teachers, friends of your parents etc.

I wouldn’t think you can just declare you don’t know anyone. The whole point is that somebody can verify who you are, if nobody can do that it’s going to be much harder / take longer for you to verify your identity. Make every effort to get the counter signature.

It sounds like you have a couple of other options but also don't forget previous colleagues - they don't have to be current ones, just people who can say they've known you for 2 years.

Same here. I counter-signed an Irish one years ago and they did phone me. But I've never been called for a British one.

(not sure if you have to be an Irish citizen/passport holder to sign an Irish one now, but you didn't then).

My children are 16 and 14 so my ds actually got an adult passport. They had both been under 9 in the first passports and looked babyfaced and very different to their current look. However, the reality is, features don't really change and while my son is now a hairy teenager, he still has the same shaped nose. I read the rules and over 12 you don't need a counter signature if they are recognisable. I took a risk as I was in a hurry - if I had had more time I would have just got them countersigned to be sure. I believe if you do it online you don't actually get asked. I wouldn't be surprised if they used facial recognition software but I am not sure if I am expecting too much.

I am simultaneously surprised and not surprised. Australia seem to take this very seriously and told me that if I arrived in Australia without my Australian passport then a very realistic outcome is getting returned at your last stop before Australia

I thought that airlines vetted for that kind of thing because they get fined for transporting people without the correct paperwork.

Useful to know though

Yes, there is definitely a declaration that you can sign but, as it says on the website, it may take longer to process.

@SnoozyLucy7 Can you link to that as I've never seen an option of a declaration before

OneTC, Australia has had this rule in place for a long time. I don't know how they actually know, if you have a relatively common name and use a British passport. Canada changed it recently - I went in on my British passport in early 2016 and the passport guy clocked my birthplace and asked if I was Canadian and pointed out next time I'd need to use my Canadian passport. Which had expired at that point so I was lucky he mentioned it as I had no idea the law was changing.

If it helps you feel more at ease with turnaround for passports, I just renewed DD's (including countersignatures) and it took two weeks

My simple renewal back in May took 12 weeks and had to be escalated but I don't think those issues are affecting new applications

consumeradvisory.co.uk/what-if-i-dont-know-anyone-to-countersign-my-passport/

Passports seem to be super quick at the moment. DH sent his on 30 August and got it back on 8 September and there was a postal strike during that time. It was a renewal but now it's not school holidays it seems there is less demand.

Is there a link on the .gov site where you make the passport application? That's a 3rd party site.

If you can find a counter signature, then you might get passport returned quicker than the regular renewal times.

Do you know any civil servants by the way?

DD lost her passport while on a year abroad with uni. She applied in May when the waiting list was 11 weeks, took five weeks for it to arrive at her accommodation abroad. This is despite a query with counter signatory (they had to check why she wanted passport sent abroad rather than her registered UK home address).

"I wouldn’t think you can just declare you don’t know anyone."

As said, yes you can. I don't know anyone, those who I knew as acquaintances wasn't willing to, so I signed the declaration. Thought it would be a hassle because my Father isn't from a EU country, but it wasn't. I got a new passport back within a month.

when I was thinking about this I thought I had seen on the gov website but it was in fact it was on this site. So to be sure maybe just call the passport office to clarify if this is in fact the true.

The landlady of my local signed mine last time. Until she offered, I had no idea licensees were an acceptable countersignatories.

I've signed quite a few for friends and mums at school I know (one of the few professional parents at the school) and I've now had 4 of them checked
It's quite random, had two in a row then none for ages

Your countersignatory must:

• have known you for at least 2 years
• be able to identify you, for example they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)
• be ‘a person of good standing in their community’ or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession

Your countersignatory must:

• live in the UK
• have a current British or Irish passport

Too many people think they need someone from a recognised profession and think they can't use someone who knows you professionally - They miss the words "or" and "just" in the relevant criteria. Virtually everyone is "a person of good standing in their community" if they haven't got a police record. Publicans and Taxi Drivers are definitely of good standing or they wouldn't get their licences.

I'm having the same problem, but last night I found this online.

Nonsense, your GP can if you've been signed up at their surgery for at least two years. They don't have to know you other than that.

That's garbage, your GP can if you've been a patient for two years.

@Jackbbbb a GP can only countersign if they know you personally as a friend/colleague and not just for being your GP