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Original poster

Passport office nightmare for DD 10

123 replies

TheColourofspring · 14/02/2023 08:33

Trying to renew my DD10’s passport. We sent her last passport and obviously she looks different- the first 3 pics we sent were rejected. We got it countersigned by someone who has known her since she was born. Then they asked for her birth certificate which we have sent by registered post.

Now they are saying that’s not enough either? Aibu to think what the hell else are we meant to send? They want more ID but we don’t have anything else as shes 10 and they her birth certificate 🤷🏻‍♀️

What do people send?!

OP posts:
Em3978 · 14/02/2023 16:05

Whatthebarnacles · 14/02/2023 09:02

This is slightly different but I just applied for my sons 1st passport. He's 14. They wanted birth certificates: his, mine, his dad's, both my parents and both dad's parents (although we didnt have his fathers). Plus marriage certificate of me and dad! Wildly OTT in my opinion! Everyone I spoke to thought that was very unusual.

Applied for my son's in October, first passport at 14, neither me nor DH have passports.
They were happy with phone-photo, his long birth cert and my husbands long birth cert.
Passport back in 2 or 3 weeks.

Weird how it varies so much!

TransportedCarla · 14/02/2023 16:12

My DD had hers renewed recently online when she was 16, her previous passport was quite old, she was 6 in the picture. Of course she looks very different now. We had her teacher countersign the photo and the passport office did phone and speak to her teacher to confirm identity. This delayed things by a few weeks as the teacher went abroad for 4 weeks. We were not asked for additional id. My DS had his renewed online the same day but he hadn’t changed so much in the photo so his was approved within 10 days.

Fleabigg · 14/02/2023 16:19

katmarie · 14/02/2023 15:55

Just to add, we have registered two kids in the last 5 years, and were never given or even offered short form birth certificates, only the full length ones. So not everyone even gets them these days.

Same, I don’t have a short one for 5 year old DD. I’m not convinced they still issue them.

TheClitterati · 15/02/2023 09:20

TheColourofspring · 14/02/2023 09:03

@TheClitterati we’ve done it all as it was a renewal. It’s not a problem with the form- it’s the proof of ID that’s the issue

If you do it via the PO you don't need any proof of ID if you have the old passport. It's all "approved" at the PO before they send it off.

dementedpixie · 15/02/2023 09:24

TheClitterati · 15/02/2023 09:20

If you do it via the PO you don't need any proof of ID if you have the old passport. It's all "approved" at the PO before they send it off.

Show quote history

I dont understand what you mean. All the PO does is check you've filled it in correctly. You may still need a countersignature if the child is under 12 or its a new passport or the appearance has drastically changed

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 15/02/2023 09:29

With all the hysteria about immigration, presumably this is the government "taking control of our borders". It was never this difficult before!

Quartz2208 · 15/02/2023 09:45

some varying I think has depended awhile on the age of parents - the British Nationality Act 1983 changed how citizenship works so if parents born after that date need to send more info than those born before

dementedpixie · 15/02/2023 09:50

The parents only need to send extra info if they themselves don't have a valid passport. If they have a passport then they have already shown they are entitled to British citizenship. If they don't have a passport then they need to prove they are a British Citizen in order to pass it to their children and need to send various birth certificates.

Barbie222 · 15/02/2023 09:53

The picture gets rejected if it doesn't meet passport quality eg eyes open, no smile, centred. You get told this as soon as you upload the pic. It is unlikely to be because it doesn't look like your DD - that's what the countersigning does.

The countersigning gets rejected if the person isn't a member of one of the professions on the list, and they do check. Just knowing your DD isn't enough.

Did you apply online, following all instructions? If so it would have told you these things at the time?

dementedpixie · 15/02/2023 10:01

Barbie222 · 15/02/2023 09:53

The picture gets rejected if it doesn't meet passport quality eg eyes open, no smile, centred. You get told this as soon as you upload the pic. It is unlikely to be because it doesn't look like your DD - that's what the countersigning does.

The countersigning gets rejected if the person isn't a member of one of the professions on the list, and they do check. Just knowing your DD isn't enough.

Did you apply online, following all instructions? If so it would have told you these things at the time?

It doesn't have to be a person on the list as it can also be someone of 'good standing in the community'. If it had been a problem with the countersignature they would have asked for a new one. Ditto with a problem with the photo.

They shouldn't even need a birth certificate for a renewal as the birth certificate was provided for the original application.

TheClitterati · 15/02/2023 11:15

@dementedpixie the PO has a service where you don't have to fill anything in. They fill in the form digitally for you, they take your photo & make sure its approved while you are there, they send off your old passport or documents.

The whole application is all approved while you are there in the PO.

You put in the email address of your "approver" into the digital form and that person gets contacted directly by GOV and they approve online - mine had done this before I was home from the PO.

it costs £16

dementedpixie · 15/02/2023 11:22

TheClitterati · 15/02/2023 11:15

@dementedpixie the PO has a service where you don't have to fill anything in. They fill in the form digitally for you, they take your photo & make sure its approved while you are there, they send off your old passport or documents.

The whole application is all approved while you are there in the PO.

You put in the email address of your "approver" into the digital form and that person gets contacted directly by GOV and they approve online - mine had done this before I was home from the PO.

it costs £16

The passport office can still turn round and ask for other documents as it has in OPs case. You wouldn't normally need a birth certificate for a simple renewal.

lpbarton · 15/02/2023 12:53

TheColourofspring · 14/02/2023 08:45

@Cosyblankets yes- saying send more ID - unless they have lost her birth cert but we sent it signed for & tracked & it’s been signed for!!

Did you send the full birth certificate or the abbreviated one? I remember on one of us we had to send the full one. I'd call them - 0300 222 0000

TheGlitterFairy · 15/02/2023 12:56

Would a letter from the GP practice and/ or school to confirm name/ address / registration help? I had to provide this for DS recently for an Irish passport.

MeridaBrave · 15/02/2023 13:08

Unless the picture was rejected from some other reason? Or the countersign person didn’t answer a call?

1HappyTraveller · 15/02/2023 16:55

Whatthebarnacles · 14/02/2023 09:02

This is slightly different but I just applied for my sons 1st passport. He's 14. They wanted birth certificates: his, mine, his dad's, both my parents and both dad's parents (although we didnt have his fathers). Plus marriage certificate of me and dad! Wildly OTT in my opinion! Everyone I spoke to thought that was very unusual.

that’s bloody ridiculous! Getting copies of all of that probably costs more than the actual passport!

Whatthebarnacles · 15/02/2023 16:59

@1HappyTraveller on the plus side, I took the photo myself on my phone in the back room and it was accepted. So I saved money on passport pics, ha!

FAMum · 15/02/2023 20:53

How about using her COVID Pass?

1HappyTraveller · 16/02/2023 10:08

@Whatthebarnacles every cloud…

LittleBearPad · 16/02/2023 10:30

TheClitterati · 15/02/2023 11:15

@dementedpixie the PO has a service where you don't have to fill anything in. They fill in the form digitally for you, they take your photo & make sure its approved while you are there, they send off your old passport or documents.

The whole application is all approved while you are there in the PO.

You put in the email address of your "approver" into the digital form and that person gets contacted directly by GOV and they approve online - mine had done this before I was home from the PO.

it costs £16

Yes and you can do all of this yourself without spending £16

Catspyjamas17 · 16/02/2023 10:57

Online it tells you instantly if your photo is approved, IIRC. Took me a few goes with taking them on my phone.

Winter41 · 18/02/2023 09:11

Have you tried doing it online? The website tells you if the picture is acceptable. I just did my ten year old daughters this way. She looks very different and we had no issues. Did not have to send a birth certificate or anything else.

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