No one to sign DD’s passport renewal!!

[Pinkloveheartpjs]

Trying to renew DD’s passport and we have no one to sign. I could ask my manager but she hasn’t known me for 2 years and I wouldn’t want to put her in that position to lie for us.

I have 2 friends both SAHM, DH doesn’t have anyone he can ask the person he did ask doesn’t have a passport.

What on earth do we do?

I have so many people I could ask at work as I’m a HR professional but I haven’t know them two years.

I know of someone having it sent back as it wasn’t a profession on the list so whilst they may say it is only a suggestion they don’t necessarily apply that is reality

My son's school Head signed his new passport application six months ago, no problem.

Irish passport here, and in my experience they do call the person who countersigns. In my case, a friend of a DD, who is an RN, did me a huge favour, and she used her own mobile number instead of the general hospital switchboard number. Would this be an option for a teacher?

YY to this.

Would the head of the child's previous nursery fit the bill?

As a teacher we were universally barred from signing passports at our school following a case of a pupil being taken abroad for a forced marriage. Having a blanket ban on signing passports for pupils meant we were never in awkward positions with families- it was just no, and management took the ‘blame’/responsibility. I have signed loads for kids of people I know socially though.

Do you not know any more school parents who could do this for you?

I wish people would stop suggesting teachers - they do not count unless it is a friend who happens to be a teacher. You are not allowed to sign for someone you know in a professional capacity - teachers teach children in such a way so they cannot sign forms. For all those of you who are teachers, I hope this gives you an easy way to say no

it can be a “person of good standing” that’s very broad and I think would be anyone with a criminal record! Doesn’t have to be specific profession. So I’d just ask someone who has known you more than 2 years

This isn't the case for teachers. It was always a goodwill gesture at my school although some parents just expected it and didn't say thank you which was frustrating. I was generally happy to do it for families that I'd known well.

I didn't have to get my child's renewal signed 5 years ago. Is it definitely necessary?

Yes, my school policy was for staff members not to agree to sign.

As well as the personal information, it was taking up far too much time.

Did you live outside the UK at the time?

The rules are quite clear- if applying from the UK the countersignatory must live here and have a UK or Irish passport.

However if you are outside the UK they allow foreign nationals, presumably because someone may not be around other British people when they apply.

It is if the child is under 12

@TimeandMotion

It's possible the American lawyer held an Irish passport. This would have enabled him to live and work anywhere in the EU as well as in the UK.

This poster is correct. I also renewed my DS passport recently. Just filled in online form, sent old one back and they returned both old and new to me.

No 3rd party needed

Company Directors are allowed to sign - maybe your scaffolder friends have their own limited companies? Many people who work for themselves do, even if they only employ themselves or one or two others.

Yes, I also wondered if that was the explanation, though I would have thought the PP would have mentioned it. Perhaps he just filled in the form online and never told her.

If your child is age 12+ then you don't need a countersignature. If your child is under 12 then a countersignature is required as standard

Was he over 11? The rules are on the website and crystal clear.

No sig needed for kids over 11. Sig needed for kids 11 or under. (Cross post@dementedpixie !)

Our local pharmacist did ours.

They can do it for pupils if they wish and if they have known the parent for two years unless that particular school has forbidden it.

The school dinner mum sounds absolutely fine. It's just someone to witness the form who knows that you are who you say you are.
Otherwise the teacher or school principal would be happy to do it.

Unfortunately the school didn’t have a passport number I could use! 😐

Hi, yes, I live in Spain. I just looked it up and it says that in this case, the person could hold an EU, American, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport. Curious. Actually, where I am now, I don´t know any professional English people, but I do quite a few Americans. It was quite a few years ago, so couldn´t quite remember the precise details.

This was a few years back, it was paper forms, not online.

Headteacher doesn’t have a passport! So we are back to square one. Going to try my friends hubby. I’m going to end up paying someone at this point 🤣