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?

Ireland is also a good shout as you won’t need a passport for the kids.

Really, how does that work? I would have though that would just be northern Ireland. Learn something new everyday

Hmm. We did. Although we all needed passports to fly there, we had to come back on the Ferry due to airline issues. They checked our DS passport and then asked them loads of questions to ensure we weren't smuggling them out of Ireland. My bi-racial child... The passport helped prove they were ours. And this was before Brexit. It is crazy because we'd been staying on the border and crossing over quite a bit.

You can fly from mainland England to both Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland with just photo ID for the adults. This is definitely still the case, as I did this just today as my DH’s passport had expired so he used his driving license.

If you travel by ferry, IDs are not checked at all. I once had to do this when I lost my ID whilst in Ireland to get back into England.

Screenshot from the government website attached.

trying again

Are you a journalist I wonder 🤣
Are you checking to see if people lie or something?
I.e Maybe people ask someone they only knew for a year and not 2?
Probably OP
Probably 😏

But flying with Ryan air they insist on a passport or identity card, which we don’t have in the UK. So people need to be very careful, who they book with.

So either there's a solution and you're refusing to share it to help others who may encounter the issue, or there's no solution and you just have to wait until you've known someone suitable for the necessary amount of time but are again refusing to share that to help others who may encounter the issue...

Either way, it sounds like you and your children have a concerningly isolated lifestyle and it would probably be in their best interests for you to start making more connections with people around you, like neighbours, colleagues (if you work), parents of your children's friends, etc. There will likely be many times in the future where having a network of contacts can be helpful. If that's something you find difficult, I'm sure MN can come up with some ideas for you, for how to get started making connections.

So there's no secret way of getting around asking someone you know to sign.

Thanks for the update. I'm sure it will be useful to someone else who's hoping they can get passports without having to speak to someone in real life. It can be difficult and generally people don't like asking for favours, but it works both ways - who's to say the person you ask hasn't been trying to build up the courage to ask you to do something for them?

This is a pretty strange thread
OP has an issue but doesnt want advice (gets loads - not all accurate - anyway)
Phones passport office and comes back to update that they wont be updating what they said....

So what was the point in posting the thread in the first place? People have offered you advice and you've rejected it. I find it difficult to believe you don't know anyone, but if you're this difficult in real life then I suppose it's possible 🙄

I’m amazed this is still going on tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️ I said ages ago mumsnet can delete it. I don’t need anymore “advice”

it's going on coz you have to be the most awkward person on mumsnet,there is no possible way you don't know anyone that can do it,you either never leave your house and neither do your kids which is wrong or your just been so awkward,don't ask questions if you don't want answers

I suppose this highlights how important it is within society, to have friends, neighbours you interact with, colleagues you stay friends with.

The passport office has run this way for many many years, it obviously works and people have got passports for many years this way.

It only causes an issue for the very few.

@BlueBurys what did they say when you called them?

Some posters would have been interested for an update on what the passport office advised you - was there another way?
Some posters are trying to find solutions and offer empathy as it seems life may feel unfair for you at the moment.
Starting now you can make a 2 year plan to reach your goal.
If you make some deliberate people contacts, you can also save up for an amazing holiday abroad and enjoy researching it while you wait.

No, you don’t but these threads come up frequently. There are a lot of people in your situation and if you have found out anything useful when you called the passport office would be helpful to let others know.

Geez leave the OP alone! For all we know she may have had to flee from domestic abuse and abandon her previous life.

If it’s any help OP you can go to the passport office in London for a face-to-face interview.

Very old agreement, originally from 1923. It also includes the Isle of Mann and the channel islands.

It's called the common travel area.

OP

You keep saying you have no one to sign and what you can do. Well the answer is they find someone.

I can't believe you don't know anybody. Someone at the Dr's surgery. Health visitor from when your children were young. A dentist. Corner shop owner.

Nah, she’s just being beyond difficult and despite others spending time giving good suggestions she’s being pretty shitty in not updating so others in her unique position of knowing absolutely nobody anywhere will be able to read and get advice from the thread.

Sounds uncannily like another poster on here who constantly posts for advice, ignores or fights back against it and fucks off to create her next thread. Weird.

For the 1000th time doctors don’t sign passports!

Thank you. Ive been called some very nasty things on this thread, a bad mum and neglectful, luckily I don’t get upset easily as if I would bother to give them an update.

And this thread will go on to 1000 comments and then it will thankfully be turned off!

So you've got time to respond to say "la la not listening you're all mean and don't deserve a response" but not to respond to any of the perfectly reasonable and sensible questions that would clarify your position and potentially help others.

Helpful.

Maybe she has flown domestic abuse .
Maybe she has a new identity .

Not everyone puts themselves out there. . Could be a new area and can’t ask anyone in the old area.
Maybe it’s your ignorance to just way one of living . Because it doesn’t or hasn’t happened to you it can’t be real or have any empathy.