Counter signee for a passport, can it be anyone with a valid passport??

UOcUK Poopscoop

UOcUK Poopscoop

UOcUK Poopscoop

Soldato
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Need to apply for one for my mum.... trouble is at 82 she doesnt see "respected" civic types often enough for them to be able to say its her on the picture etc.

The only option left was her doctor who has known her for over 2 years and recognises her etc.

However after popping into the docs today the receptionist said that the doctors no longer help people with applications due to their already big workload. Fair enough.

The receptionist did say that "anyone" with a current passport could be the countersignee as long as they weren't family and were willing to provide their passport number in the application.

Is that right? It doesn't sound correct to me as I thought it had to be a doctor, dentist, vicar, police officer etc. etc..... not just any Joe Bloggs with a passport!

Any info appreciated, and i'll have to call the passport helpline to get some more info when I have the time.

Thanks for the help guys. :)
 
The passport application comes with a very long list of who can do it for you, unless they have changed it within the last 2 months it still needs to be a professional of some sort.
 
Get one of your friends to do it? My friends dad did mine, he's just a manager for an insurance company. The list is massive, and I've never heard of anyone being rejected.
 
Yep, the list is extensive, and I think managers of companies can do it too.... trouble is there is no-one I can think of other than our GP that full fills the criteria. At 82 she simply doesn't have contact with "professional" types apart from him.

Never thought it would be this difficult!
 
Forgive the copy and paste, but:

Who can countersign your application?
Your countersignatory should:

have known you for at least two years
live in the UK

Your countersignatory should not:

be related to you by birth or marriage
be in a personal relationship with you
live at the same address as you
work for the Identity and Passport Service

Your countersignatory should be a professional person or a person of good standing in the community. The list that follows gives examples of the type of person that would be suitable. If you are not sure who to ask you can call the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000.

accountant
airline pilot
articled clerk of a limited company
assurance agent of recognised company
bank/building society official
barrister
chairman/director of limited company
chiropodist
commissioner of oaths
councillor (local or county)
civil servant (permanent), but not someone who works for IPS
dentist
director/manager of a VAT-registered charity
director/manager/personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
engineer (with professional qualifications)
financial services intermediary (eg a stockbroker or insurance broker)
fire service official
funeral director
insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
journalist
Justice of the Peace
legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)
licensee of public house
local government officer
manager/personnel officer (of a limited company)
member, associate or fellow of a professional body
Member of Parliament
Merchant Navy officer
minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)
nurse (RGN and RMN)
officer of the armed services (active or retired)
optician
paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)
person with honours (an OBE or MBE, for example)
pharmacist
photographer (professional)
police officer
Post Office official
president/secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
social worker
solicitor
surveyor
teacher, lecturer
trade union officer
travel agent (qualified)
valuer or auctioneer (fellows and associate members of the incorporated society)
Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers
Click to expand...
 
get her to go the local church the priest probably will sign it ^_^ for a small donation

some jobs on there make no sense they should just widen it to almost anyone whos willing to take the risks that go along with it , in some countries even your own family members can countersign.

if your gp wont what about dentist? usually they will do it
 
Genuinely been down that list and other than a doctor the only person that would qualify is my mums son in law... and that would cancel him out I would think.

Trouble is, I take care of all my mothers affairs as she is disabled, hence the people she would otherwise see regularly see me instead. Really not sure what to do.

Might have to resort to writing a letter to her GP pleading with him to help us out.
 
From the list meghatronic posted - does your mum have any prescriptions to pick up from a pharmacist? They might be able to help although I'm fairly sure that I've had a bank official sign a photograph for me (not for a passport as such) to certify it was a likeness of me and I'd never met the person before, I don't have that personal a relationship with my bank.
 
I've signed a few, was called about 1 only because I put I had known the person for longer than they had been alive :p

they don't seem that fussy tbh
 
Pharmasist would have been cool... but I pick up her prescriptions.

Will have to put some serious though into this.

The real bind is that the person has to have known her for 2 years plus. Getting someone to sign saying its a pic of her would be easy otherwise.....
 
Have you just considered ignoring the doctor's receptionist. We all know they can be a bit obstructive and self-important at times (most of the time). Your mum is 82, there's bound to be something she needs to talk to the doctor about, just make an appointment and on the way out say "oh btw would you mind signing this photo of me"?
 
Surely you have a friend in a profession that can do the deed? They won't check up, and if they do phone him he can just say "aye, I'm a family friend. Known her for years."
 
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