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Original poster

DS signed passport in black Sharpie!

121 replies

Compotesandcakes · 21/07/2023 21:24

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!

OP posts:
miraveille · 22/07/2023 05:22

Did you know in the US the advice is NOT to use a ball point pen?!
OP if they refuse your son boarding due to the use of a felt tip rather than ball point I will eat my hat. Please keep us posted

miraveille · 22/07/2023 05:23

A sharpie is a pretty fine tip. It's not like a whiteboard marker

WiddlinDiddlin · 22/07/2023 05:25

Depends on the sharpie, i have fine liner sharpies and big fat tipped sharpies - its going to boil down to whether the signature is clear and within the specified area and whether it looks like it is covering something up or not. And to some extent the mood and inclination and amount of time the person checking it has on the day.

Im99912 · 22/07/2023 05:25

I did a emergency 1 day renewal and I had to sign in from of the guy giving me the passport

that was a new style passport last year

liveforsummer · 22/07/2023 05:56

Tulipvase · 21/07/2023 22:28

It’s true, signatures probably don’t matter as much now. Gone are the days when the bank clerk would go and check your signature against the one held out the back.

But it does state signature and I think most people (if they weren’t arguing for the sake of it) would accept that a signature is wildly understood to be a version of your name that is meant to be unique, or distinctive even….

But equally, mine is a load of crap and doesn’t say anything so…….

Of course we will just get him to write something. Probably.

My signature is just my initial and surname written.It's now up to anyone else how you choose to write it. It will still be unique to you and handwriting styles vary

Original poster
Compotesandcakes · 22/07/2023 08:10

WiddlinDiddlin · 22/07/2023 05:25

Depends on the sharpie, i have fine liner sharpies and big fat tipped sharpies - its going to boil down to whether the signature is clear and within the specified area and whether it looks like it is covering something up or not. And to some extent the mood and inclination and amount of time the person checking it has on the day.

It's not one of those very fine tips unfortunately, I wouldn't have worried at all if it was. Equally though, it's not a hugely thick one and he signed it quite lightly luckily and it's nice and neat, and it's only one day old and he's a 16 year old teenage boy so I'm hoping that they will cut him a bit of slack... 🤞 I will certainly keep you posted when I get to France 😉

OP posts:
AgnesX · 22/07/2023 08:15

Technology should have moved on but OCR used to ask for black pens so the signature could be scanned properly. If it's still the case a Sharpie will be fine, as the signature is clear.

KateyCuckoo · 22/07/2023 08:18

RichardMarxisinnocent · 22/07/2023 00:05

I have a passport issued in 2019 and I needed to add my signature to the actual passport. My previous one to that had a scammed signature.

Show quote history

But giving advice when you don't know is pointless and confusing, surely you can see that?

Original poster
Compotesandcakes · 22/07/2023 08:21

I obviously won't attach a picture of his actual signature/passport but this is what it looks like in terms of thickness with the Sharpie.

DS signed passport in black Sharpie!
OP posts:
RichardMarxisinnocent · 22/07/2023 08:52

KateyCuckoo · 22/07/2023 08:18

But giving advice when you don't know is pointless and confusing, surely you can see that?

Show quote history

Yes I can see that, but I wasn't commenting on the giving of advice, I was just pointing out that not everyone who got a new passport in 2019 would have been confused by the mention of a signature

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 22/07/2023 13:10

@RichardMarxisinnocent perhaps it depends on which passport office you got it from or how you applied.

Tiredmum100 · 22/07/2023 13:32

raquelwelsh · 21/07/2023 22:29

In my case we applied for our passports at the post office. They completed everything for us, we literally just had to turn up with our ID documents and the lovely woman at the post office did everything for us including taking our pictures and completing our forms.
So for anyone else who used the service that we did, that'll be how we missed it! Hope that clears up the confusion for you Smile

Show quote history

It's ok, I wasn't really that bothered or confused, to be honest. It just seems like a lot of people apply for things/sign things without paying much attention, which I think could be quite dangerous. I always read everything before I sign it. Apparently, another poster said it also comes with a piece of paper telling you to sign the passport when it arrives 🤷‍♀️.

Gillbil · 22/07/2023 14:07

Good luck for tomorrow!

Original poster
Compotesandcakes · 22/07/2023 14:55

Gillbil · 22/07/2023 14:07

Good luck for tomorrow!

Thanks @Gillbil I let you guys know if I make it to France

OP posts:
iklboo · 22/07/2023 15:18

@BertieBotts - why nerve wracking?

BertieBotts · 22/07/2023 18:38

In case you slip and go outside the line or the pen doesn't work properly or the signature just looks weird or something. Because you can't just reprint the form and do it again.

WiddlinDiddlin · 22/07/2023 22:16

Fingers x OP - that doesn't look nearly as bad as I was imagining, I thought it might be one of those big jobs - one of those plus a signature thats messy could easily look like trying to cover up a previous signature.

Original poster
Compotesandcakes · 23/07/2023 15:23

UPDATE: safely landed in France. No questions at all about the signature!!!

OP posts:
Amdone123 · 23/07/2023 15:35

@Compotesandcakes , brilliant !
Now, relax and enjoy 🍷

Inkypot · 23/07/2023 17:01

Compotesandcakes · 23/07/2023 15:23

UPDATE: safely landed in France. No questions at all about the signature!!!

I'm so happy for you!! Enjoy your holiday with your family ☀️

WiddlinDiddlin · 23/07/2023 17:16

Woooooooooooooo so so glad I was wrong there :D :D Have a lovely holiday!

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