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Original poster

First passport

12 replies

purpleme12 · 05/02/2018 01:09

I'll be applying for my child's first passport and been looking at countersignature. Who did you get to be yours? I don't know I can get really... Would a vet count as a professional??

OP posts:
Linnet · 05/02/2018 01:17

I would think so as it’s a profession, I used to get my friend who is a librarian to sign my children’s forms. The counter signature for a child is actually signing to say that they have known you for two years, not the child, but must be able to do identify the child from the photo.

Original poster
purpleme12 · 05/02/2018 01:23

Yes I can't think of anyone else in a profession who's known me for that long to be honest. This is really hard. Going to ring the vets tomorrow then I guess and hope they can do it.

OP posts:
Original poster
purpleme12 · 05/02/2018 02:11

Or to even say they know me at all

OP posts:
Shmithecat · 05/02/2018 02:45

No Linnet, they don't have to recognise the child, only the adult applying for the child's passport.

Taken from the gov.uk website - "Your countersignatory must:

have known the person applying (or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16) for at least 2 years".

My friends father (an Army Officer) countersigned my ds's passport photos when ds was 4 days old. He's not even met DS at that point and certainly wouldn't have recognised him.

Shmithecat · 05/02/2018 02:47

@purpleme12 there's a long and not exhaustive list of occupations for a countersignstory here.

Linnet · 05/02/2018 08:22

Shmithecat I picked up a passport form for my dd on Saturday and that is what it says on the form. purpleme12 It also says that the counter signature has to be a British passport holder, which is why I couldn’t get my boss to sign it as she didn’t have a passport. So that might be something to bear in mind too.

dementedpixie · 09/02/2018 19:41

They do have to recognise the child from the photo as they have to certify on the back that it is a true likeness. My neighbour did it for me as she is a nurse. Another neighbour has done it in the past as she is in the police force

Shmithecat · 10/02/2018 00:18

They don't - read the guidelines!

dementedpixie · 10/02/2018 07:07

How can they certify it is a true likeness if they have never seen them ?

Shmithecat · 10/02/2018 16:15

They don't have to!!!!! That's the point! As per gov.uk guidelines that I've already posted above -

Your countersignatory must:

have known the person applying ( or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16 ) for at least 2 years

If they had to know the child personally then no child under 2y would be able to get a bloody passport, would they?!!

Good grief.

dementedpixie · 10/02/2018 18:18

I said they had to be able to identify them. I am aware they have to know the parent for 2 years, I did not dispute that.

dementedpixie · 10/02/2018 18:21

Your countersignatory must:

: have known the person applying (or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16) for at least 2 years

: be able to identify the person applying, eg they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows them professionally)

: be ‘a person of good standing in their community’ orwork in (or be retired from) a recognised profession

(Look i can highlight information too!)

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