Can I countersign for a passport if I work for my local council?

[user242526]

Hi,

I'm a bit confused as to whether or not I can sign for a passport (countersign) if I work for the local council?

Thanks

Why do you need to raise it at work? The easiest way to test it would be to countersign a passport for someone and see if you get accepted

I was interested so I asked them 🤷‍♂️

Plus, no-one's asked me to sign one anyway. It was just a conversation we were having amongst staff.

I don't NEED to raise it?

I'm just interested in getting a definitive answer.

No-one's even asked me to sign a passport for them.

As someone upthread said, ultimately it's up to the Passport Office if they accept a countersignatory...and in my experience, that depends on who looks at the application so it's not entirely black and white.

I signed two passport applications for a friend and her husband recently. I'm a member of a professional body but it's slightly obscure so doesn't appear on the "official list" but I've countersigned several applications before without any issues. But this time they accepted the husband's application I'd signed but not my friend's because "the countersignatory is not on the accepted list of professions" 🙄

But they can’t forbid you from signing. They may have a view as to whether what you do falls within the list, but they have no more insight into the issue/ability to give a definitive answer than you do.

I'm just interested in getting a definitive answer.
Which you won't get from your employer as they aren't the arbiter of it. So it's really pointless asking their opinion.

Your employer can't give you a definitive answer as they don't work for the passport office and ultimately it's them that have the last say.

@cheezeplease I can confirm that I've worked for a local council for years in various roles and have signed loads of passports, always putting my job title down as local government officer. I think you put your work contact details down when being contacted by email to verify the photo, which would be more difficult for a cleaner or refuse collector but they could probably just add their personal details. My job title doesn't have "officer" in it. I'm still a local government officer just like you.

Anyway as others have said, your employer won't even know you've done it so it's certainly not up to them.

Which just proves even more that getting bogged down in this stupid list or in the exact meaning of " of good dtanding" is pointless. This whole thing drives me crazy. It's signing a passport form, not donating a kidney.

Honestly, these days, if you have your own passport, if you are a taxpayer, if you have a driving license (are not a criminal), etc etc, you are on all the governments systems, they are all linked, and can countersign a passport. That's pretty much everyone, regardless of job or profession.

I've signed for a few and it's been fine. (Also local government)