DS signed passport in black Sharpie!

[Compotesandcakes]

Hi there,

The signature looks nice and neat and is at the right place, and it's not too thick for a Sharpie, but it's supposed to be with a ball-point pen. We travel on Sunday so no time to do anything about it but now I am panicking that we will be turned down at the airport and I was wondering if anyone ever travelled with a signature in the wrong ink/pen fully and still got through? Or not?

Thank you so much!

Anyone over 12 has to sign their passport now.

We have old burgundy passports that we had to sign at home. It's not a new thing

Yes, there is definitely a line for him to put his signature.

Get him to write his name on it then

I totally fucked up my signature. No one cares. I’ve just got off a flight.

Missing the point of the thread but why do new passports need signing?

I might go and check mine now. Its a blue one but I dont remember signing it.

@Buffypaws that makes me feel so much better. The more I think about it the more I think they're really not going to care. They look at the photo, and make sure that the name matches the boarding card surely?

Usually they say ballpoint pen because the ink is permanent, as some fountain pen ink is erasable?

It clearly says signature. Not ‘write your name here’.

I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem. My ds signed his below the line (instead of on it) and then again in the correct place. No one has ever questioned it.

@Blueuggboots ah yes that's probably why! You can't get any more permanent than a Sharpie right?

Same thing surely

@Compotesandcakes I've just gone and checked my passport because of this thread!
Our whole family travelled to France earlier this year and all with brand new blue passports. I had no idea they're meant to be signed! So we all got there and back with no issues at all and none of ours are signed at all.
Please don't worry, it's the photo that's the important bit really. Enjoy your holiday ☀️

Well as he doesn’t have a signature, that’s what we will do. There is a difference in meaning though. Distinctive is the word used in the dictionary.

@BlueRabbitWasNaughty really weird that now they don't say anything about not going over the line. At least DS didn't do that so he meets some of the criteria.

I've been abroad twice this year and it wasn't until the final flight home that an official mentioned I needed to sign it.

but I shan’t worry too much based on lots of replies stating that it wasn’t an issue for them.

I really doubt the customs people will care that much. They will mainly be checking that he looks like the person in the photo. I've never heard of anyone being refused entry to a country because their passport was signed with a Sharpie.

Thanks all for your input. I think it will probably be ok. 🙏

I have travelled 6 times with my new passport. It was only when I got to Norway that immigration suggested I might get round to signing it. Still let me in

You sign debit cards and DS had one at 11

Does anyone have a signature at first? It's just writing your name, and stays that way for some people, or it changes slowly to look like a scribble.

@Tulipvase my 'signature' is my name printed...because I always print my name...I don't join my handwriting at all when I write (apart from, weirdly, a t to an h to make a th 🤷‍♀️) Legacy of 30 years teaching in KS1 where I've had to perfect my printed handwriting 🤣🤦‍♀️

What on earth is a sharpie.

I renewed my passport online on the weekend. It literally comes up on the website saying to sign the passport when it arrives. I don't know how so many people have missed that.