Passport countersignature

mah_jong

ali82 wrote: »

I need to get my passport renewed, after finding out from the post office that I will have to get a countersignature I contacted my doctor to see if they can sign it for me, they said no, I have now found out my dentist can do it but he charges £40!!! £40 for a signature that's a lot of money is there anyway round this?

Thanks

Have you changed a lot? Are you unrecognisable from the last photograph?

Other people you may not have considered, school teachers, police, councillors, pharmacist, shop keepers? Anyone that has known you for at least 2 years and has a position in the community.

Toothsmith

ali82 wrote: »

I need to get my passport renewed, after finding out from the post office that I will have to get a countersignature I contacted my doctor to see if they can sign it for me, they said no, I have now found out my dentist can do it but he charges £40!!! £40 for a signature that's a lot of money is there anyway round this?

Thanks

It's not just a signature though.

You have to fill in the form for the countersignature part. You also need to fill in your own passport number.

You have to sign the back of one of the photographs.

It generally takes me a good 20 mins to fill in a passport contersignature section accurately - especially if I have to phone up Mrs T.S. to dig out my passport for he number.

It's a right pain in the bottom to do. It's even worse if the passport office decide to do a 'random check' to make sure you do know the person - which they do from time to time.

Personally, I don't charge, as I'm not asked very often. But if I was - then I would. Just to thin down the numbers.

cardiffforthefacup

By all accounts postmen/women are civil servants so technically you could ask the postie who delivers your mail.

NAR

Toothsmith wrote: »

It's not just a signature though.
You have to fill in the form for the countersignature part. You also need to fill in your own passport number.
You have to sign the back of one of the photographs.
It generally takes me a good 20 mins to fill in a passport contersignature section accurately - especially if I have to phone up Mrs T.S. to dig out my passport for he number.

20 minutes, what a load of tosh! It takes 5 minutes to complete. I do about one a month. As for charging, I reckon you charge your patients enough and should give a little back in kind when asked!

Janeyjaz

If you pay a doctor or dentist to countersign your passport application please be careful, they might not be accepted if they state that they know you as a patient ( as quite often you can be on a doctors list and not actually get to see that doctor and therefore they don't really know you.

Tojo_Ralph

....
Surely you know a teacher, chemist, social worker, engineer, Manager of a VAT registered Company (no matter how small), etc?

http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-countersign.asp

Toothsmith

NAR wrote: »

20 minutes, what a load of tosh! It takes 5 minutes to complete. I do about one a month. As for charging, I reckon you charge your patients enough and should give a little back in kind when asked!

I hope you read the forms better than you read posts!

I don't charge :cool:

NAR

Toothsmith wrote: »

I hope you read the forms better than you read posts!
I don't charge :cool:

This is what I was referring to:-

Personally, I don't charge, as I'm not asked very often. But if I was - then I would. Just to thin down the numbers.

I do read posts carefully, maybe you should do the same! I referred to "your patients" in my post, which covers all of them.

Voyager2002

NAR wrote: »

20 minutes, what a load of tosh! It takes 5 minutes to complete. I do about one a month. As for charging, I reckon you charge your patients enough and should give a little back in kind when asked!

It takes me more like 20 minutes. The need to complete sections of the form in block capitals is annoying, and makes it take longer than one would expect. Not to mention the requirement to quote my own passport number and other details that I need to look up.

NAR

The documents are scanned, which is why block capitals are insisted on as they scan the clearest. I accept this is a little slower, but there is not that much to complete IMHO.
I would never request payment, though I have accepted a drink bought to me as thanks! :beer: Don't know how anyone has the neck to charge £40! :mad: