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?

You don't have to enter all that though. It's provided by the person applying for the passport and you click to verify the information.

I did it for a set of twins the other week. Took me about 8 minutes in total including logging in and out of the portal for each separate application. It's really not arduous.

Or if your son is now an adult, having left school, what about his friends/parents etc.

Do you go to the pub or have a friend who works in one? Pub Landlords (licencees) are on the list, as are company directors so anyone who has a limited company (eg. builders, mechanics, shop owners, gardeners).

I don't take any medication

Family friends? Friend/colleague of your partner? Your son's friend's parents?

Actually the post office might advise? They check passports for a small fee, in any case.

Any neighbours?

Op...you seen determined not to find a solution.

Does your mother or any other relatives have any friends?

Don't you need someone to sign the photos as a true likeness even if it's a renewal? We got a social worker friend to do them but as it happened when we took the forms to the passport office the photos weren't acceptable (we'd had them done at Max Spielman in Tesco so don't recommend them!), had to take some more at the passport office and the counter officer countersigned them.

hamjamwitch · Today 11:12
60sbird · Today 10:00

Passport 97 replies

hamjamwitch · Yesterday 16:41
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?

Have you used the same chemist for a couple of years, mine signed my son’s application a few years back
I don't take any medication

• 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

There is actually a list of 42 different occupations that can counter sign your photos, I find it hard to believe that you don’t know anyone in any of those professions on the list

Not forgetting you can also ask any 'person of good standing in their community', which is essentially anyone other than obvious exceptions.

Indeed. And yet this thread comes up fairly often and it always goes the same way. OP says they don't know anyone who can sign. They mention who they do know. Various posters assure them a number of those friends will be fine. OP ignores this and continues to say they don't know anyone on the list.

Thread peters put and OP never confirms if they have actually asked any of their friends and if it was successful.

How old is your son? Do you know any of his friends?

I mean, OP doesn't seem all that fussed about finding a solution, only saying no to everyone else's. Save your time people.

Exactly this. I’ve signed them and I’m not on that list in any capacity. I do work for a known and reputable company and have a valid passport, I guess the thinking is they just want to find someone who will act in good faith and not want to get in bother with the authorities. It’s really not that difficult, yet we see this time and time again.

That said, I think the ‘official’ list they send out just makes people worry. They really ought to update it.

I am only going by what I was told by my countersignature. They said there were quite a few questions even about their job. It could be that the passport office select a few to ask more questions about, I don’t really know, but they had absolutely no reason to lie. This was fairly recently, within the last year.
I was also surprised that they rejected my first choice of a counter signature saying that they weren’t suitable even though they had vocational qualifications 🤷🏼‍♀️.

This is correct, it can’t just be anyone. I think years ago they may have been more lax. My first choice of counter signatory had vocational qualifications and it was rejected. When I rang the passport office they referred me to the list again.

They ask for job title and name and address of employer. Which is technically a few questions.

Do you have a job? Ask your manager.

Yes your line manager will do.