Passport

ouchy2012

Just wondering if anyone knows if a retained firefighter can countersign passports?

mum2one

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

(offical gov website)

Countersignatories must work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession or be ‘a person of good standing in their community’, eg:

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 Her Majesty’s Passport Office
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
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
Your countersignatory’s occupation won’t on its own mean your application will be successful. But you should always try to get a countersignatory who has ‘good standing’ in your community.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office may contact your countersignatory for more information. If they aren’t available (eg they’re on holiday), your application may be delayed.

People who work for Her Majesty’s Passport Office can’t be countersignatories.

If you’re not sure who to ask
Call the Passport Adviceline.

Passport Adviceline
Telephone: 0300 222 0000
Textphone: 0300 222 0222
Text Relay: 18001 0300 222 0000
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 9am to 5:30pm
Find out about call charges

- I've just got that info from the link - in my thoughts I would air on the side of caution and say no (due to him being a retained fireman) - but its a free phone number so give them a ring xx

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Interesting list, mum2one. I see chiropodist, dentist, nurse (RGN and RMN), optician and pharmacist but no sign of doctor. At my GP's surgery there's a big sign where they state that countersigning a passport application will cost a whopping £50 so I guess the web site list is incomplete.

My thought is that a retained firefighter would be fine. Just no need to tempt fate and put the word retained on the form.

Or, as you said, call the number.

mum2one

Fruit and nut case - I thought it was weird there was no doctor listed - unless it could be the costs that are incurred to the individual, when I renewed my daughters passport her ballet teacher did it for her. x

jhe

your local shop owner can also sign as long as they are vat registered.

zagfles

I think doctors were removed because everyone was going to their GP and it was taking up too much of their time.

benjus

The list above is just a list of examples. The phrase "a recognised profession" would clearly apply to doctors. As zagfiles said, they probably removed it from the list of examples to encourage people not to pester their GP.

InsideInsurance

Fruit_and_Nut_Case wrote: »

Interesting list, mum2one. I see chiropodist, dentist, nurse (RGN and RMN), optician and pharmacist but no sign of doctor. At my GP's surgery there's a big sign where they state that countersigning a passport application will cost a whopping £50 so I guess the web site list is incomplete.

The list is supposed to be examples not a definitive list.

If you read some of the immigration/ UKBA type forums there is an urban myth there that the BMA or other representation group for doctors explicitly asked to be removed from the list of professions. No idea if its true or not but may as well perpetuate the myth and it does sound reasonable given they quietly disappeared from it a few years ago.

benjus

Some interesting details here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118585/countersignatories.pdf

Not sure why this is publically accessible, as it looks like it's guidance for IPS staff.

zagfles

benjus wrote: »

Some interesting details here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/118585/countersignatories.pdf

Not sure why this is publically accessible, as it looks like it's guidance for IPS staff.

Freedom of information. Guidance for HMRC staff is also publically accessible, though there are exceptions where it says text has been withheld from public view - eg where it may give fraudsters help.

peachyprice

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The list is supposed to be examples not a definitive list.

If you read some of the immigration/ UKBA type forums there is an urban myth there that the BMA or other representation group for doctors explicitly asked to be removed from the list of professions. No idea if its true or not but may as well perpetuate the myth and it does sound reasonable given they quietly disappeared from it a few years ago.

I can understand why TBH. GP's have hundreds of patients, when the UKPA phone them to verify that the signed the form and they have known you for x number of years etc., check your address etc., you can't expect GP's to have that info to hand.