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I'm finding it hard to find a passport counter signature. I'm at my wits end!

OP

Well I emailed my lecturers again from all three colleges I've been to and still heard nothing so I've given up on using an old lecturer for my reference. My bf phoned up our old academy and the receptionist said they would phone us up with an appointment with our old guidance teacher but still heard nothing yet. My papa is giving me the passport money next week and I was hoping to send them both off by next week but yet again this reference thing is holding us up! I'm half tempted to just say **** it and not go away for my 21st. My bf also tried his two old probation officers but not heard anything back either.

Reply 21

Jodielol

6

Original post by Yasmin25

Well I emailed my lecturers again from all three colleges I've been to and still heard nothing so I've given up on using an old lecturer for my reference. My bf phoned up our old academy and the receptionist said they would phone us up with an appointment with our old guidance teacher but still heard nothing yet. My papa is giving me the passport money next week and I was hoping to send them both off by next week but yet again this reference thing is holding us up! I'm half tempted to just say **** it and not go away for my 21st. My bf also tried his two old probation officers but not heard anything back either.

Hi i work for the passport service, have you sent off your application yet?

Reply 22

Izzyeviel

19

Do you work? I got a work colleague to do mine.

Reply 23

Rum Ham

OP

20

No haven't sent off my application yet and no, I don't work.

Reply 24

Madam, I'm Adam

7

How about a neighbour?

Reply 25

Ndella

18

That happened to me last year, I just got my head teacher to sign the letter since she had known me for at least three years, or if you go to university you could ask your lecturer/ teacher

Reply 26

Cll_ws

19

I got a neighbor to sign mine a few years ago. They didn't really know me, but they knew that I'd lived next to them for a few years, which is close enough

Reply 27

Rum Ham

OP

20

I've asked every lecturer at the three colleges I have been to and most of them either haven't got back to me or the ones that have said they can't do it because they don't have a passport themselves.

My mum knows a social worker who is a family friend so she is gonna call her up tomorrow to see if its possible for her to be my countersignature as she has gave me references for college before so I'm sure she would be cool to do it, as long as she has a passport herself.

Also my bf is calling up our old academy tomorrow to see why no one has got back to us when we have called and emailed. I would go over and see them personally but I am in college 4 days a week and live a bit away from the school as I moved in with my bf 2 yrs ago. I've never spoke to any of the neighbours where we stay now as we stay in a block of flats and everyone just keeps themselves to themselves.

If we can't find anyone to be our references by the end of the month, I'm probably just gonna go spend the money that my family was giving me for my 21st for my holiday, on a laptop. That would be cool but I have my heart set on going to Reykjavik :frown:

Thanks guys :smile:

Reply 28

Jodielol

6

Original post by Yasmin25

I've asked every lecturer at the three colleges I have been to and most of them either haven't got back to me or the ones that have said they can't do it because they don't have a passport themselves.

My mum knows a social worker who is a family friend so she is gonna call her up tomorrow to see if its possible for her to be my countersignature as she has gave me references for college before so I'm sure she would be cool to do it, as long as she has a passport herself.

Also my bf is calling up our old academy tomorrow to see why no one has got back to us when we have called and emailed. I would go over and see them personally but I am in college 4 days a week and live a bit away from the school as I moved in with my bf 2 yrs ago. I've never spoke to any of the neighbours where we stay now as we stay in a block of flats and everyone just keeps themselves to themselves.

If we can't find anyone to be our references by the end of the month, I'm probably just gonna go spend the money that my family was giving me for my 21st for my holiday, on a laptop. That would be cool but I have my heart set on going to Reykjavik :frown:

Thanks guys :smile:

Hey so a lot of people are in the same boat as yourself, I get a lot of similar calls at work! Basically if you have tried everything and you really can't find someone to countersign for you what you can do is you find someone who best fits what we ask for get them to do it for you, include a letter explaining that you asked a lot of people and you tried your hardest but said person is the best fit for what we have asked for.
Use the check and send service, and the receipt that they give you be sure to keep that safe! now a week after you send that to us give us a call on 0300 222 0000 and ask if the office have received your application and you want to check if your countersignature has been accepted.
Plus if you know anyone who owns a business, even a newsagent. a post office official, pharmacist, anyone whos a manager etc.
If you need any help send me a message :smile:

Reply 29

marcusfox

16

Original post by Yasmin25

Hi everyone. I'm new here!

I am 20 yrs old and I am planning on sending way my application at the end of the month because I wanna book my holiday for June asap. I have the money, the documents and pics for my application but I am stuck on who could be my countersignature. I first asked my GP and they said no doctor in the surgery does them any more so I asked all my old lecturers and most never got back to me and the few that did were all for doing it until they found out they need to have a valid passport, which they don't have.

I have no professional friends and my friend's that have professional parents don't have passports or have refused. I have never worked. I done voluntary when I was 16 at a hospital radio but the manager has since died.

I am at my witts end trying to find someone. My boyfriend of 3 yrs is in the exact same situation. I was going to ask his dad since he owns his own company but yet again, he doesn't have a valid passport.

On the UK application form it says professionals or someone with a good stance in the community, what could that be for the community part?

I have seen the list of professionals that can be used but know no lawyers, policemen etc. I emailed my old academy and called but no one ever got back to me.

Also my last dentist has since closed and I am yet to register with a new one so I cant use them.

Thanks in advance fellow students :smile:

When I last had mine done, I used someone with no other qualifications other than he was my manager at work and had his own passport.

Reply 30

Rum Ham

OP

20

Original post by Jodielol

Hey so a lot of people are in the same boat as yourself, I get a lot of similar calls at work! Basically if you have tried everything and you really can't find someone to countersign for you what you can do is you find someone who best fits what we ask for get them to do it for you, include a letter explaining that you asked a lot of people and you tried your hardest but said person is the best fit for what we have asked for.

Use the check and send service, and the receipt that they give you be sure to keep that safe! now a week after you send that to us give us a call on 0300 222 0000 and ask if the office have received your application and you want to check if your countersignature has been accepted.
Plus if you know anyone who owns a business, even a newsagent. a post office official, pharmacist, anyone whos a manager etc.
If you need any help send me a message :smile:

thanks for your reply :smile:

if I use someone who doesn't have a passport but has known for me for 2 yrs or more and is a professional, would they be likely to be accepted?

Or would it be more likely that they would want someone who has a passport and who has known me for two yrs but doesn't have to be a professional?

Reply 31

Jodielol

6

Original post by Yasmin25

thanks for your reply :smile:

if I use someone who doesn't have a passport but has known for me for 2 yrs or more and is a professional, would they be likely to be accepted?

Or would it be more likely that they would want someone who has a passport and who has known me for two yrs but doesn't have to be a professional?

Well basically the person MUST have a valid UK passport, it could be a professional who hasn't known you for 2 years. What you may be best doing is calling the advice line and explain to them, ask if you can be put through to the actual passport office and ask if you can speak to them :smile:

Reply 32

Rum Ham

OP

20

I emailed my closest passport office (Glasgow) and they said no, it's gotta be someone who has known me for a minimum of 2 yrs and has to be a professional with a passport and not what you said - a professional that has a passport but has known me for less than 2 yrs.

I think its a load of bull what they said because what you said I have heard from other people too, saying thats what they had to do and I've read up about it online. They said the countersignature could get charged if they sign in and haven't known me for 2 yrs, even if I mention that in section 8 of my application (think it was section 8). Maybe I was talking to a cow who had a really bad day and started talking a lot of crap but I dunno :/

Urgh, more stress!

Reply 33

iJess

18

A lot of people who can do it unfortunately charge for it now. I got my first ever adult passport last year. I asked my head of house at school to do it for me, Ive left school now though. Do you have to go through the whole interview process? I got mine about september. Took them about a month to arrange interview but my passport arrived the day after my interview. Hope you find someone, I agree it is a bit annoying but its just so people cant fraud details and get passports illegally

Reply 34

iJess

18

Original post by Yasmin25

I emailed my closest passport office (Glasgow) and they said no, it's gotta be someone who has known me for a minimum of 2 yrs and has to be a professional with a passport and not what you said - a professional that has a passport but has known me for less than 2 yrs.

I think its a load of bull what they said because what you said I have heard from other people too, saying thats what they had to do and I've read up about it online. They said the countersignature could get charged if they sign in and haven't known me for 2 yrs, even if I mention that in section 8 of my application (think it was section 8). Maybe I was talking to a cow who had a really bad day and started talking a lot of crap but I dunno :/

Urgh, more stress!

On the phone when arranging for mine they said 3 years. I think your best bet is probably your opticians.

Reply 35

Rum Ham

OP

20

Hi everyone. My mum got in contact with my gran's ex sister in law, so like my great aunt, well legally she isn't any more since her and my great uncle got divorced over 10 yrs ago. She is a social worker and she offered to be my countersignature as she has known me all my life and she said it would be fine since they are divorced and have been for many years. Should that be ok?

Thanks guys :smile:

Reply 36

o.ali

Can a uncle who owns a shop sign it

Reply 37

TorpidPhil

19

Original post by o.ali

Can a uncle who owns a shop sign it

Two years later mate.

Reply 38

maryj59

I'm having a similar problem, I really don't know what to do. I'm a mature student, they wouldn't accept my passport as evidence of identity because I had previously sponsored my Son when he went to Uni and it was flagging up the number and creating a duplicate account. I've sent tax credit forms, council tax demands and my divorce papers. Now they want my birth certificate with the countersignature form. I can't find anyone to sign it. I don't go to pubs or church and I don't have a union rep or a local shop, my solicitor is retired, my dentist is on maternity leave, the surgery nurse has moved area, the Doctor's don't do it, the hospital Doctors don't either, in the chemist there is a different assistant every time I go. I haven't had a teacher for almost 40 years, everyone else that I know who is a professional person is related to me in some way or another. I've asked three civil servants and three retired managers, a friend who is a teaching assistant, another who runs a play school, a friend who is a photographer and the people in the post office, all have refused, some because they don't have passports and some because they don't want to give their passport number out. I've sat here looking at the list and racking my brains for week's now but there really is absolutely no-one at all that I can ask. It's really looking like I'm just not going to be going to Uni after all.

Reply 39

Jahen

I need
Help. Can I ask my friends mum who is a teacher
To counter sign mine or can I ask my college sociology teacher
To sign mine?

I'm finding it hard to find a passport counter signature. I'm at my wits end!

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