Passport signing advice?

[toadette]

Does anyone know if local Church leaders (District Officer for eg Brownies) can countersign a passport for a child they have known for several years. Someone asked my advice if she could do this and the website seems a bit unclear as there's a list of appropriate persons, then a 'or similar standing' in the community.

Thanks.

Can you ring them? or email the passport people?

Anyone can sign your passport now as long as they have known you or child for several years, they must submit the relevant information asked for on the form, i.e. occupation address etc, I am a care assistant for the NHS and have signed several people's passports.

I'd think that the people in your list would be fine to sign a child's PP form.
I'm a teacher and i'm starting to think i should charge people soon - I'd make a fortune
Joking. (I think)

I think you can have it signed by anybody who is trackable by the passport agency - a government 'company' or a limited company for example.

gigglewitch, DH's job allows him to sign too. Amazing how popular he is this time of year (no one wants to speak to him Sept - Feb!!!)

there is a passport enquiry phone line. you could call and ask

if the passport is for a child they are signing to say they have known the person making the application , usually the mother, NOT the child

if its the father, he will need the marriage certificate

My daughter has just applied for my 6 week old Grand daughter's passport, "undervalued" is correct as long as the person is trackable and have a passport they can sign it for you.Also KristinaM is correct its the mother your siging as knowing not the child.

Sorry forgot to mention, it cannot be a FAMILY memeber that signs the passport

Thanks for your replies. I've advised them they may be suitable but to check with the local passport agency

Is it really true that anyone who is 'trackable' or who has known the person for 2 years can sign? It still doesn't say that on the website, still has a list of suitable people.

I know less than one year ago they still wouldn't accept just anyone, even the manager/leader of our pre-school wasn't deemed suitable. This was even more bizarre in that the manager's daughter is a reception teacher, teaching exactly the same curriculum as the pre-school manager, and yet the teacher was suitable and not her mother.

They were very definite about that on the helpline.

If you are a cicil servant or 'professional' you can sign, so a doctor/lawyer/teacher etc, but I'm a journalist and I've done them for a few people lately.

That's why I was a bit confused, ecoworrier. I had always thought that it had to be eg a police officer or a professional person. The website list of suitable persons is more extensive than I realised but it also has a phrase 'or of similar standing in the community'. So it may be that a recognised Church district officer of a well-established organisation could be deemed to be of similar standing to some on the list? She certainly would be trackable through the Church or the organisation itself. I still wasn't sure so told them to check with the Passport agency. They had asked me for advice as I am one of the recognised professionals on the list but I couldn't sign the child's form instead as I hadn't known her or the family for long enough.

gigglewitch - our school has imposed a (voluntary) contribution to the school funds for getting a teacher to sign passport applications (£5 single or £10 per family). Still a bargain when GPs around here charge about £15-20 each

Last year that fund made more than the summer fete!

Missblythe, journalists are on the approved list here