Hello, a bit of help needed, please

I have to renew my passport, being in France it has to be done through the British Embassy in Paris. My application has to be counter-signed by someone in the civil service, government etc or a professionally qualified person etc, who knows me for at least 2 years, I don’t know anybody in these categories, I’m never ill and have never seen my doctor. I don’t have any children so don’t know any school teachers, etc etc. Although my other half has his diplomas, his profession (hotellerie) isn’t one of the recognized ones.

I will have to contact the embassy for more information tomorrow, but as I know the Singletrack crew are an educated lot, I thought I would kindly ask you if there is an alternative person I could ask to countersign. I do know a mountain guide but it’s not as if he knows me personnally.

I can’t remember how I went on 10years ago when I renewed my passport as I went to London to renew it and didn’t know anyone there.

Thanks in advance
Glenys

I’ve stuck the relevant bit from the passport office, but the critical thing is

a) have to live in the UK
b) can’t be in a personal relationship with you

Best bet is to get someone you know in the UK to sign for you and send the photos back.

Website says:

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

I find it amazing I’m on that list……

When I last renewed mine as all details were the same and I look much the same I did not need a countersignature. Dunno if that will apply to you tho

As tj said, just done the wifes renewal and didn’t require a counter sign!!

Many thanks for the info nickf, more than I found on the British Embassy site. As it’s for a passport renewal and although 10 years older, I don’t seem to have changed that much either and nothing changed in personal status, perhaps it might not be needed, will phone them in any case.

Made me smile that list, cos there’s a couple of professions I wouldn’t have classed as ‘suitable’.

Shame I don’t know you bruneep if you’re on the list.

Many thanks G

Renewed mine via the consulate in Dusseldorf. Think all i did was fill in form, wire the money (a handful of € more than the normal UK price), get the boss to certify the likeness on the 2 photos, and post it. Was about 8 days from posting to delivery.

I find it amazing I’m on that list……

You’re an MP?

I can’t remember what I paid 10 years ago, I think it was £75 or something around that mark. This time it will be 160Euros with 18Euros TNT.

It says it takes up to 4 weeks, perhaps you had German efficiency on your side, mine will be from France…

Thanks again for the replies

Just renewed my passport in Dusseldorf and checked with embassy in Cppenhagen that despite what it says the countersignatory does not HAVE to live in UK.

No IT Managers on that list. Guess that rules out a lot of people on here.

I did mine recently also through Dusseldorf (the forms changed at the end of last year), it’s quite different to doing it in the UK. You still need a countersign on the form it implies it has to be a British national, but this is not true. I got my Austrian bosss to sign it and that was fine, and got the new passport in less than a week.

Make sure the return address is one that someone will be there to answer it. I put down my home address, missed two attempted deliveries then it nearly got sent on to the British consulate in Vienna (I was lucky and got to the depot in time and the DHL guys went through the van for me!)

+1 for what Alpine Girl said about the delivery address. DHL tried to deliver to my home and didn’t leave a note. Eventually I got a phone message in machine-gun-speed Danish.

Yep, I have designated my workplace for delivery to be on the safe side. Still seems a bit silly to have the photo countersigned when it’s a renewal, cos they can see from the previous passport that it’s me. There seems to be a few of you going through Dusseldorf without any problems, let’s hope Paris is as efficient.

Thanks for the replies, I was beginning to feel a bit lost in all that, boy, I must lead a sheltered life if I don’t know anybody in the categories above. 🙂

Strangely, I qualify on 5 of those criteria….