My wife needs to have a certified copy made of her passport details to prove her identity to open a savings account with NSI (she's about to go away so doesn't want to send in her actual passport). I don't know how to go about this - who would do certified copies? Solicitors perhaps? Gtfl advice. Tks.
Make a copy of passport ID details on your printer or PO/bank printer, ask staff to witness the rear of copy with their name/occupation/address/date & post to NSI.
You pop into a solicitor's firm and ask at reception if anyone is available to do a certified copy. They should only charge you £5. They have to make the copy themselves (don't take a photocopy with you). They have a rubber stamp saying 'Certified Copy' and the firm's name and the solicitor is supposed to sign it with his/her name and date it. Only a solicitor has the power to certify that a document is a true copy of the original. This means it can be admitted in court (if ever needed) as if it were the original. This is the only exclusive power that a solicitor has but there is widespread confusion nowadays with the belief that other professionals can do this. They cannot.
Won't a PO branch sort this out? Either ask a PO to copy it and sign it as a true copy or take a copy in together with the original and ask them to sign it /stamp it as a true copy. That's the way it works with banks, anyway.
If they are doing it 'officially' POs charge these days too
and as to 'only a solicitor can do it' - total rubbish. Anyone acceptable to the person who wants the copy can do it. Some may specify solicitor only, others have a wider list.
Agree with dzug. The organisation requesting the certification should provide a list of acceptable people(stops you wasting your time and money). I am going through this myself and got such a list of 'approved' people to use.
Hi dzug2-i suggested the Post office because I thought they were involved in the NSI product, so I wouldn't expect them to charge in this case if they want the business.
I agree with scotman- NSI should provide guidance
The link above says "We may also ask you to send us documents to confirm your identity and address. If so, we will write to you with a list of the documents needed."
Did their letter give more details of what was needed?