Don’t have anyone to sign passport

[BlueBurys]

I really want to take my children abroad but don’t have anyone to do their passports. Has anyone been in this situation and what did you do? (Don’t need any suggestions of who can sign it I’m aware and have looked through the list but don’t have anyone that can do it) is there anything else that can be done if you’ve been in this situation?

I don’t get why you think it’s funny that you don’t have any friends or any kind of community.

I've been in this situation, as my passport was stolen and I needed someone available ASAP to countersign for a new one. I asked my family, my dad had an accountant friend that met me in passing when I was little, and my sister offered to help as she has a teacher friend from uni, that again I met in passing years ago. Could you ask your family if they know someone? Or friend of a friend?

Well, if that's the case, why didn't the OP just explain from the outset that she had unusual circumstances instead of being cryptic and very bloody annoying, quite frankly.

This is nuts though and feeds into the (wrong) belief that only middle class professionals can countersign when in fact almost everyone with a British passport of their own without a criminal record can.

Are you genuinely saying there are swathes of people who don’t know anyone who is a hairdresser, plumber, electrician, builder, volunteers for a charity or youth group, manages a shop, works in healthcare or a call centre as well as not knowing any doctors, MPs or members of the local Rotary club? Not that they are best friends with them but they don’t know them AT ALL? Because that isn’t very credible - and these are just a few of the almost infinite examples of the kind of people who are able to sign passports!

I know you said you're not looking for suggestions but rather than trying to think about who you know or who knows you, you're really looking for people who know your children. Do you take them to clubs, or to the library? If not, start taking them and get to know one of the librarians for example.

Why do you think this is the same OP? The tone seems very different to me

Well, if you can’t get them countersigned you can’t get passports and your children cannot leave the uk. That’s the crux of it.

So if you’ve been thinking about this for some years, you can make a plan to get to know a person with a passport and a job so in two years time they can sign and you can take the kids on holiday in 2027.

I can see why !

The website says it needs to be a landline, although the actual form your witness signs just specifies "work phone number".

Complete, sign and stamp Section 7, including a work landline telephone number - mobile telephone numbers are not acceptable

On the Reddit and Facebook forums people have had varied experiences. My guess is that while officially they still want a landline, in practice they may be accepting that it's not really practical anymore to absolutely insist on it.

In my country (not the UK but the procedure for getting passport seems very similar) if you have no one to sign you can go to a solicitor and make some type of sworn declaration instead. This costs money and can take longer.

How can a grown adult not know any other people?

The List is not exhaustive. I know of someone who got theirs signed by the local chip shop owner (as a person of good standing in the community).

And @BlueBurys you are basically really bloody rude. I’d stay home if I were you, I don’t think you’ll get on in the big world.

Perhaps it’s an option for the OP to apply to become a citizen of your country then? Seems extreme to me and she won’t be able to bring her kids with her if she needs to have a period of residence there as they can’t leave the UK, and their father isn’t on the scene. So possibly your suggestion isn’t the most helpful as UK solicitors can’t do this!

I think you need to accept your future holidays will be in the uk.

My father was a bank manager & next door was the Baptist Ministers house so he signed quite a lot of passport applications

Also, people are getting really carried away here. The OP has not said that her DC have been in the school (or the area) for over 2 years. If she has started over in a new area and is unwilling to contact anyone from her past for whatever reason, then none of these suggestions are going to help.

This thread is infuriating. @BlueBurys I’m so sorry your very clear and simple request has been repeatedly and wilfully ignored by these miserable miserable people. What is wrong with them?Absolute nutters!

I have signed passports myself as a teacher but some schools have a blanket ban because of entitled parents coming in insisting they have to do it instead of asking nicely. Also it has to be someone who had known you for 2 years so if the child has just started Nursery or Reception they won't have known you 2 years unless you have older children.

What’s the point of the thread then?

Don’t be ridiculous. The OP is being deliberately obtuse.

The person signing has to have known the parent for 2 years not necessarily the child.

I don't have the energy to read read the full thread but if you go to the Passport Office (not Post Office) in person AND have your photos taken there, you don't need a counter signatory to validate your photos.

It will cost more for the Post Office to sort your passports