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.

You're not at square one, lots of us have said the scaffolder or the dinner lady will be fine.

@pinkstripeycat

*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*

Dear passport office

I know you told me I need someone to verify the photo but a random person on the internet told me I don't.

on what basis did you think that? you seemed to have started a thread without even a minutes research!

and why’s that? why would you imagine a headteacher would be unhelpful and refuse to?

Just ask anybody who has a job to do it as long as they have a passport and has known you for two years.

Ask a class teacher or I'm going to report this thread

The dinner lady will be fine (if she has a passprt)

Wrong thread.

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications/accepted-occupations-for-countersignatories

where does it say that?

**Professions that are not acceptedYour countersignatory cannot:

• work for HM Passport Office
• be a doctor, unless they state that they know you well (for example they’re a good friend) and that they recognise you easily from your photo

no mention of teacher at all

teacher is listed on the link i sent saying fine to sign

you just realised you were wrong!

You know everyone can see any edits 😏

Accepted occupations for countersignatoriesYour countersignatory must either:

• work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession
• be ‘a person of good standing in their community’

Recognised professionsExamples of recognised professions include:

• accountant
• airline pilot
• articled clerk of a limited company
• assurance agent of recognised company
• bank or building society official
• barrister
• chairman or director of a limited company
• chiropodist
• commissioner for oaths
• councillor, for example local or county
• civil servant (permanent)
• dentist
• director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
• engineer with professional qualifications
• financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker
• fire service official
• funeral director
• insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
• journalist
• Justice of the Peace
• legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)
• licensee of a public house
• local government officer
• manager or personnel officer of a limited company
• member, associate or fellow of a professional body
• Member of Parliament
• Merchant Navy officer
• minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)
• nurse (RGN or RMN)
• officer of the armed services
• optician
• paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)
• person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE
• pharmacist
• photographer (professional)
• police officer
• Post Office official
• president or secretary of a recognised organisation
• Salvation Army officer
• social worker
• solicitor
• surveyor
• teacher or lecturer
• trade union officer
• travel agent (qualified)
• valuer or auctioneer (fellow or associate members of the incorporated society)
• Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers

Professions that are not acceptedYour countersignatory cannot:

• work for HM Passport Office
• be a doctor, unless they state that they know you well (for example they’re a good friend) and that they recognise you easily from your photo

@FunnyFinch

Who can sign your form and photoYour countersignatory must:

• have known you (or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16) 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

A teacher who only teaches a pupil knows that ‘child professionally’ so I thought that would exclude teachers signing for children.

However, I then saw the Passport Office had apparently told the OP that teachers could - so I am confused…

I tried to delete my thread, but it wouldn’t let me as I don’t want to get in any arguments.

I hope the OP gets something sorted 🤞

Teachers are allowed to sign. I work in a school and teachers sign passport applications if they have known the child for two years.

OP @Pinkloveheartpjs A PP suggested asking on the class WhatsApp if you have one. This is a good suggestion as there may be another parent who would be willing to do it for you. I would and could, as I'm actually a company director. It's not something you would be likely to be aware of as I wouldn't usually mention it, no reason why I would unless you asked. There's likely to be another parent in a similar position who'll help you out if you ask.

Hope you find somebody soon!

When did that change? A a teacher I did several a year until recently - retired now.

it’s nonsense talk

see earlier post clarifying only a doctor that can’t unless friends

be able to identify you

the op knows the child only professionally.

as per you were told by the passport office AND the OP was told by the passport office…. it’s absolutely fine

Unlikely a 5 year olds teacher has known them for 2 years.

I’m surprised some people have renewed passports but not needed them counter-signing! I did my son’s a few weeks ago, renewed his child passport for another child passport, and it needed counter-signing!
There is such a long list of professions who can do it - I was a SAHM for years but could still do them for friends as I am a teacher. Any friends or friends’ husbands have an engineering degree or anything like that? Even if loosely linked it seems to be ok!

Also it needs to be the parents who know the counter signatory , well, which most teachers don't unless they have had a lot of involvement on the pta or lots of older kids pass through the school

It depends on the age of the child.

Are there any parents of DDs friends from school you could ask? I asked a friend's husband that I knew through the children being friends, just popped round after school one day and did it, took 5 mins!

this must have known for 2 years is NONSENSE

**Accepted occupations for countersignatoriesYour countersignatory must either:

• work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession
• be ‘a person of good standing in their community’

and then goes on to list the professions

wrong! apologies