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?

My dentist would do it for people for a fee.

do you and the kids have a dentist?

Can't you pay the post office to sign

Yes I could do that but they need to know you for 2 years

The parents at your kids’ schools have known your kids for 2 years. Go and ask them!

Why is it that you don’t want to? Are you afraid of them? Are you afraid to get your kids to ask their mates or to approach them yourself?

But you’ve been pondering on this “for years”. You could have had passports long ago if you’d taken the most basic of actions.

This person might have moved to a new place recently.

OP, the passport office will sort you out on Monday. Don’t worry.

I had middle-aged former pupils coming in with passport forms when I was still working. (I was a a secondary school teacher for 40 years.)

Why have you posted then??

Can you apply for a childs passport online? If so I dont think they need a signature

They haven’t because the kids have been at the school for at least two years (deduced from the comment about the headteacher being new)

Go easy on the OP folks. It’s possible that she may be in a refuge, can’t give too many details and needs help.
If you are OP, talk to the staff and get some real life advice.

Yep that’s what I’m thinking. I think the passport office will suss it out when she calls. OP is just avoiding questions about work / landlords etc, but you can’t just stay mute when you’re on the phone to someone. They won’t believe that a child/children in a UK school won’t have a teacher, TA, other parent, coach, dentist or optician to do it.

You may have to play the long game. Join a church (vicar, minister can sign after 2 years) join a social/hobby activity (e.g pottery class the teacher can sign it. Kids join an activity like brownies (leaders can sign it) you may make some friends in the process.

Yes they do if they are under age 12. The countersignature is done online by the person confirming who the child is

OP - please can you tell us what, if any, out of school activities they do? then maybe we could try and help you.

They do. You give the email address of the person signing, they get sent a link to a photo of the child and have to enter their details and confirm the child is who they say they are. It needs signed but it’s very very easy.

OP; just ask any bloody parent at the school. They know your kid. It isn’t hard.

Yes there is, you're just being obtuse. Your kids have friends, which means they are either old enough to ask their mates if their parents would countersign for them or they're young enough that you could ask the teacher to see if they'd be willing to ask the parent of a child your child plays with.

Plenty of people on Mumsnet will have been in this position but eventually I can guarantee all, if not nearly all, will have ended up finding someone. Those that genuinely can't just don't end up getting passports.

You have options you'd just rather say you don't. But you don't want suggestions eh..

A pp answered your question a few pages back ago.

Maybe go back and pm them.

I think this might be a wind up. Clearly the OP doesn’t work, doesn’t know anyone at the school, has no friends, no parents of her children’s friends, no hairdressers, no neighbours.

To think about going to the PO, queuing and hoping someone will just let her apply for a passport without a countersign is barmy, OP - what do you think going to the PO will achieve? You could be there all day and someone will correct me I am sure. Dont you need to make an appointment or is there a front desk who I guarantee will tell you the same as PP.

You could be gone all day.

The school has closed down! Just pointing out that it’s entirely possible given it was 20 years ago since pp has claimed I’m lying about that..

Your/child's dentist
A baby group leader of a play group your child attended
Your local shopkeeper
Your/family members neighbour (if they/you have some kind of relationship with them)
Child's nursery/preschool leader
Local vicar or other religious leader of the religion you practice, if any
Local pharmacist

I am sorry you are in this position OP. I hope you find someone.

The staff in a refuge would be ideal signatories.

My pharmacist signed for ds2 recently. Do you know someone like that? Or an optician?

Never said I was going to the post office? Someone said the passport office may allow you to do it in person and I said I would happily do that if it’s possible. Not just going to turn up I said repeatedly I will call them on Monday.

I'm not sure there is an alternative, otherwise no one would bother with the usual list, surely.
Do your kids do any classes/courses/training out of school?
Or anyone you or the kids see for health things – optician? audiologist? dentist?
Can you ask at the school gates? A fellow parent might well be 'of good standing' e.g. a lawyer, police officer, JoP.