Applying for my sons first adult passport.
Countersigner has to be a professional with a passport, not family member, has known him for more than two years.

Now I can produce lots of people who fit this bill but thinking about it, none of them fit the ‘professional’ requirement.

Does it *have* to be a professional?
We know plenty of people with jobs, I just wouldn’t class them as a professional in the way the pamphlet does.

Ta.

I did this about two months ago, had my friend who is a physio do it. That turned out fine.

business owner has signed mine in the past (my manager at the bike shop i worked in)

“engineer” – guy that sits opposite me signed my last one.

teacher – my mrs gets asked to sign em for friends regularly.

If they’re a member of a chartered body or a teacher/ doctor/ similar then they can sign.

You know not anyone from this list?

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

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/travelandtransport/passports/applicationinformation/dg_174151

Yep, I know loads from that list, none of them know my son though.

There is his doctor and dentist but they both charge and to be fair, I can’t remember the last time he went to the doctor.
He’s at college so none of his tutors can sign.

He’s at college so none of his tutors can sign.

Why not?
It’s a professional relationship, isn’t it?
Secondly I’d say that anyone you know on the list is likely to know who your son is and that he’s a good egg.
Thirdly, it states that even with the countersignature there is no guarantee of success.
I wouldn’t worry too much.

He’s at college so none of his tutors can sign.

Is the point that none of them have known him for two years?

Estate agent?
They shouldn’t be allowed to use crayons, let alone sign legal documents.

…and as a member of a profession that has its title protected by statute I feel quite affronted that its not on the list.

They NEVER check. I count as a bank official, and have signed quite a few of these (all legit I might add). At no point have I ever been questioned on any of them I have signed. What about a former teacher from his last school, or any professional friends that met him at least a couple of years ago but that you know now?

Surely you must know a nurse.

Wot about us geologists? Do they think we’d use crayons? That’s what geographers do.
Don’t you have a near-neighbour on that list, sam?

I’ll sign it, I’ve seen your name on here for ages.

He’s at college so none of his tutors can sign.

If he’s not a PITA and he asked nicely, I am sure someone would. 😉

Could he pop back into his old school and see if his ex-form tutor would sign it? That’s what I suggest to my students who ask me – we’re a sixth form college so I rarely know a student for more than 22 months.

I get out of signing them for friends by having lost my passport, and it expires this year anyway.

They NEVER check.

They do. Or they did, anyway. When I applied aged 16-or-so they rang up the neighbour who’d signed mine.

I once signed to say I’d known Mark R***** for 8 years. The passport people wrote back to him pointing out that his name is actually Mark D*******, so I signed again to say I’d known Mark D******* for 8 years.

He sent a letter in with that application saying he’d always gone by Mark R*****. They told him he could have a passport in that name if he got sent in a letter from an older relative verifying this, so I signed another photo/form verifying Mark R***** and he sent in a note from his mum.

Yeah, he’s only been at college a year so the two year thing doesn’t work.

I need this application to go through spot on, they say it’ll take six weeks to process and guess when we’re going on holiday… My own fault.

So I reckon I’ll just take the hit with the doctor. Otherwise I’ll get meehaja to sign it.

Thanks chaps.

So I reckon I’ll just take the hit with the doctor

The docs just take the £12 [or whatever] and sign it regardless, as long as he’s registered there they won’t care about whether not they’ve actually seen him

You know not anyone from this list?

…….
bank/building society official
barrister
chairman/director of limited company
chiropodist
………

Does a barista count? 🙂

I can do it

as a member of a profession that has its title protected by statute I feel quite affronted that its not on the list.

Chiropractor?

I’ve done it for quite a few friends and never been questioned. I also met your son a couple of times more than 2 years ago. Way more I guess! But it’s probably quicker not to post it to me and wait for it back. Hey, I have a son now too. He smiled at me properly for the first time a couple of hours ago. Cool huh?

I just signed 5 at the weekend, i was thinking £25 per signature sounds about right.

Thanks gray, and congratulations! Very cool indeed. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow,. Obviously he’s not a real doctor like you but he’s still allowed to sign his passport. Standards are dropping I guess.

I’m a bar licencee so I can do it, only really helps if you’re in Manchester I guess.