Countersigning Passport Photos For Children

[newbie99]

What title should be used if the child is under 16?
Post office clerk says it is must be Master, but the Passport office says it should be just the name without any title.
Or should it be Mr?

[newbie99]

I have a friend that can sign with the correct profession but the passport has expired.

We did asked a ship owner to sign, thus was rejected....
Now the Passport office still got hold of the birth certificate that we sent on the previous application and now asking us to complete the form again. But we are stuck as we have no one able to sign.
It has taken us more than 3 months now and the child still haven't got a passport.

The dentist won't do it, because he is a contractor and doesn't employ long enough.

[tamborine]

your hair salon owner can sign, Ive signed for clients

[newbie99]

When the application was rejected because of the countersigned professional was a ship keeper. The Passport Office sent a letter explaining that shop keeps are not allowed to sign. The letter also stated that the words on the back if the photo should read 9n the line of " I certify Full Name....." with specifying the title.
It is a total mess we are in... God help to clarify this please... Will phone them up and ask if I could get through on Monday.

[ichkeria]

Above all, it should be someone who knows you as a friend or neighbour. And be someone of “good standing on the community”
The problem perhaps with asking a shop keeper is that they probably suspect that might just have popped into a shop and asked someone who doesn’t necessarily know you that well. Tho sounds a bit harsh. And to be honest, how many people know their doctors or child’s teachers that well? Think “friend or neighbour” primarily and go from there.

[calmck]

www.gov.uk/counter signature for passport
On page two there is a long list of who can sign

[ichkeria]

And that page explains why doctors can’t sign. Tho it basically applies to any profession. The person must know you first and foremost: it doesn’t matter if they’re the prime minister. If you have a neighbour with a valid passport and they fit the very vague “good standing in the community” description then it would I am sure do.

[newbie99]

Ichkeria, just to clarify..
My friend signed it and she is a shop keeper.. That was rejected.
It just means I will have to post or drive a few hundred miles to get another professional friend to sign. If the Passport office haven't kept the birth certificate, I would not have bothered.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah did this last week for a month old child
Jesus there is a pile of poo written on this thread

You will have a booklet with the passport form and
We Read it and then We Find Out
Page 11 or thereabouts ( of the booklet ! I must remind myself there are Abers trying to understand this ! ) - is about the sponsor - two columns of people who can do it

The guff about doctors is that it was omitted from the lists as everyone thought only doctors could sign
Some charge £25. I am retired but I use my preretirement registration no.,

The sponsor ( difficult bit coming up here !) certifies he knows the filler out of the form ( mum or dad or whomever) not the child ..... for 2 y at least
Hence I cd sign for a child of 6 months without certifying a porkie ( very bad when it comes to passports - really really bad)

The booklet gives the wording - I certify that this is a .... as entry 20 above.
no mizz, miss muhdarm, madam, sir , milor' etc
2 nd column and there is a cartoon of someone holding up a photie and the wording they want

you MUST get the wording right or it will bounce
One photo only - the other blank

The child and the photo must be in the room - so you can see them - as you write. Sign and date - check the form of the date ( DD-MM-YR or DD-MON-YR or YEAR or what they want). Enter your own passport number in the space provided

give forms back to parent - take passport - your own that is!

Leave room and go home ....

Plan for two forms for each application.

End note: anyone remember the spy Blake? 1967 he escaped from da scrubs with an irish man and fled across the channel. Retro is an ex cop but hasnt heard of Birmingham or Guidford bombs so probably he hasnt of those two again. But where did he get his passport?
Cecil Mulvena signed him up for one
Special Branch ( that is a segment of the Police, Retro !) tracked him down
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1968-city-shopping-agent-arrested-under-official-secrets-acts-a-southhand-89226185.html
and I think he did FIVE years in prison
judges not amused by false declarations

[ichkeria]

Like I said newbie it does not need to be a current serving professional. Don’t you have a neighbour or friend handy who has a passport?

[newbie99]

The wording in the cartoon photo of page 10 read"Mr John Smith".
Contradiction everywhere... Not sure who told believe now...

[ubasses]

It only has to be 'someone of good standing'. Concentrate on someone who has known the child personally for minimum 2 years and has/had a good job, holds a UK passport and is prepared to put the number on the application. Restrictions are put on professional people now by employers, I had to turn down many customers because I did not know them personally but have signed several since I retired. Look at some of your family friends who have retired.
If the child is very young they only need to have known a parent for the required period.

[newbie99]

Yes one of the friends that can sign but his passport has expired. So I need to find+ another friend who lives over 100 miles away.

[ubasses]

I can't think of any reason why you should not send it to him/her in the post with a stamped return envelope.

[Peter Pedant]

// Concentrate on someone who has known the child personally for minimum 2 years //

erm very very unusual for ubasses to slip up
the sponsor certifies he knows the FILLER out of the form for two years
somewhere near page 11
( this also gets around certifying for babies under 2)

[Peter Pedant]

// I can't think of any reason why you should not send it to him/her in the post with a stamped return envelope.//

o god I can
you have to certify that the photo resembles the passport holder to be ......as far as I am concerned the two of them have to be in the room, and not the photos in London and the person knocked up ( = in prison) in Turkey

[tamborine]

I sign as director with business address.

[JF85]

Does it matter what colour the passport is, or how curved it is?

[ubasses]

Admit I made an assumption that the person being asked to sign the picture actually knows what the child looks like, and would be happy to do so. If not, I don't see how they could proceed as the photo could be any child.

[Peter Pedant]

o tambo !
I thought you signed as ''Miss Teasy - Weasy" !

[ParsleyDumpling]

I have just sent off an application form for my son's first passport. He is 16 tomorrow, so I have applied for an adult one. The husband of my best friend signed the photo. He went to my son's christening (I did take son along when photo was signed), and I have known him for over 30 years. He just put my son's full name (no title) on back of the photo. He is a company director. Used check and send at Post Office and all was good.