Do I need to get my photo countersigned?

hieveryone

I'm looking to renew my passport (10 year, expired April 2011).

On the passport website it states that I will only need to get it re-countersigned if I look very different from my old photograph.

It then goes on to state that significant changes to facial appearances include:

undergone significant facial surgery or trauma
had numerous/large facial piercings or tattoos


In my old passport photo I am 16 with longish blonde hair. I am now 26 with shoulder length dark hair, although facially I would say I'm the same - not even any more wrinkles :rotfl:

Do I need to get this countersigned or not?

Thanks

dawyldthing

i'd pop to the post office as they should be able to tell you for sure

arietta

Hi. I've just gotten a new passport and didn't need to get my countersigned.
I was 17 with long blonde hair with a fringe when i got my old one, i'm now 27, with shoulder length red hair and no fringe!
As long as you can tell it's you in the picture, hair colour and style really doesn't matter!

Janeyjaz

just get a friend to look at your old ppt photo and see if they can recognise you - if they can just send it off without countersignature - it's basically a problem if it's a small child or a lot of years since your passport was issued

greyteam1959

I would get it countersigned anyway......might just save a load of hassle later.

McAzrael

Are border officials struggling to match you now to your passport photo from ten years ago? If not, then there's no reason why the Passport Agency people should struggle.

Are you travelling soon? The worst that will happen is that they'll send it back to you to get it countersigned if they're not happy that the two photos are the same person. On a separate note, if you're not travelling any time soon then you don't need to renew as soon as your old one expires.

I renewed mine at the back end of last year. My old passport had 23-year-old me with blond hair, and photos of 34-year-old me with brown hair didn't present any problems.