Passport

[hamjamwitch]

Really struggling to find someone to give me a reference for my passport application. My dentist left and has gone private. I don't know any other professionals. Wtf can I do?

I disagree, living next to a police officer or having a child who goes to scouts isn't being superior! People are trying to jog OPs memory about someone she may not have thought of, they aren't boasting!

Where do you work yourself? Your employer or colleague? Or do you do any volunteering?

There are very few police stations in the UK outside major cities. I'm in an urban area and the nearest is 12 miles away

GP, ordained church minister, officer in the Armed Forces.

Am not UK obvs, but I'm totally unknown to the cops. And far away. It's basically a rubber stamp exercise here.

Very good advice
Colleague had the police/home office on her door step at midnight having signed one for a child.

When the GP started charging the school was inundated and had to put a blanket ban on as it was taking too much time.

Actually, they don't care if you have a criminal record, as long as you have known them for 2 years!

Clerical person will probably do the job. Loads of random professions can sign them

Shop worker is not an accepted profession on the list that the passport office sent to me

I'm sure my manager at my job did mine years ago, she's a store manager in a retail store. Or maybe that was for my provisional?

Do you work? Have you ever worked somewhere for more than two years? You don't need to be close friends or acquaintances, they just need to be able to say they know you.

Here's the list of professions www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications/accepted-occupations-for-countersignatories

It's pretty wide. Nurses, bank clerks etc on the list too

I'd try parents of children's friends and your children's teachers if none of your friends can do it. Also what about your neighbours.

I'm a civil servant which is on the list & have countersigned for loads of my sons classmates passports (parents approached me) & my neighbours as well as friend.

How long have you lived in your current home?

You are allowed to ask neighbours as long as they have known you (as a neighbour) for two years or more.

Go and knock on some doors and just say that you are looking for a professional or retired professional person with a valid passport who would be willing to countersign your passport application. I just had to do this for DC as I don't know anyone either.

I feel your pain OP as I had this problem when my kids were small. I don't know a ton of professionals and the ones I do I'm not necessarily British passport holders.

Luckily one day, I was telling a childminder about this problem on the school run as the doctors no longer offered the service. You have to know the person personally, and the Child Minder kindly offered to do it for me.
For an adult renewal I would do it online because the likelihood is you don't need a counter signature. I haven't been asked for one in years I only need it now for my youngest child.

People I've asked in the past are my old work manager, my friend's husband who was a part time music teacher, a friend who is an office manager but lives miles away and the childminder who became my friend after.

Can you ask a manager/supervisor at work?

What about your landlord or boss?

Ask around the neighbours. Retired professionals can sign as well which is useful.

Anyone who has a limited company can sign, doesn't have to be anything more than a tiny one person business

In Britain, can you not just rock up to the desk in the police station? That's all we had to do. Ridiculous, as they didn't know us from Adam, but it was a two minute job.

No. Police etc have to know you personally and have known you two years. Like anyone who can sign.

Doctors are not allowed to sign anymore unless they are a friend who has known you two years, not as a patient.

Teachers can sign but again need to have known you personally for at least two years.

I'm betting there will be several neighbours you could ask, do you have a neighbourhood WhatsApp? Ask on there. That's your best bet and what I would do if I didn't have anyone else.

You've had this answered already.

I've signed at least 5 passport applications and never been refused. I am a team director but not in any of the professions listed in the forms. I've also only been British myself for a few years. They are not as strict as it seems

You couldn't ask your dentist anyway as they don't know you in a personal capacity, just professional. (Guess who we tried to do DS one first....)

Friend who's a qualified paramedic was happy to help

You can’t do that. They have to know you.

Not here. Absolutely not. And in real life they can't possibly know everyone anyone. The 'thing' is that they're an upstanding member of the community. And that's enough. As I say though, not UK.

I have signed a couple, as a manger within a ltd company (not the owner). They have passed without issue. Do you know anyone with manager or director on their job title?

I wasn't aware I could, however a friend rung the helpline and they said manager or director within an ltd company would be fine, as they are of good standing.