Passport countersign problem!

124

Comments

  • Widelats
    Widelats Posts: 3,773 Forumite
    susancs wrote: »
    Widelats, In regard to getting an Irish passport you firstly need to be an Irish Citizen which with Brexit can take up to a year if you are entitled (through having a grandparent born in Ireland) to register as a foreign birth.

    You have automatic citizenship if you were born in Ireland or have a parent who was born in Ireland (you need your docs and your parents if they were born in Ireland to accompany your passport application). Your passport photos and section 8 can be witnessed by a Police officer, member of clergy. Medical Dr, nurse, pharmacist, dentist, vet, lawyer, bank officials, MP or local county Councillor, social worker, teacher, lecturer or accountant.
    https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/great-britain/passports/

    For Irish citizenship if you have an Irish grandparent then you register as a foreign birth. (online for 278 euros and send off all the required docs). The list of those who can countersign is limited to Member of the Clergy, Medical Doctor, School Principle, Bank Manager,Solicitor/Lawyer
    Police Officer,Magistrate/Judge.
    https://www.dfa.ie/passports-citizenship/citizenship/born-abroad/registering-a-foreign-birth/

    I am automatically Irish as my parents are Irish - but, the big problem is that i can find nobody at all to countersign the passport application, which is what led me to this thread.
    I am not kidding when i say i don't know anybody who can sign it, none of those professions i know in any degree - the people i know are unemployed, or have jobs that are not in high standing in the community - i do have a British passport though so i guess if i do go to Europe on EU laws i could say that i am automatically Irish and not show my British passport, and if they look they can see my parents are Irish, just a thought i had.

    If someone can sign this passport for me please message me i will send you the form, pay you for your trouble and i will then apply for it, then i can keep going to Europe, where there is a huge reason for me to do so, very very important that i am allowed to go there for some weeks at a time. I feel trapped here with this Brexit coming up, i know most people would not care if they did not have reasons to go to Europe and need to be able to stay there like i do, so its a big deal to me and i feel the Government is not bothered, neither is anyone else or they would sign my application for me.
    Owed out = lots. :cool:
  • Widelats
    Widelats Posts: 3,773 Forumite
    takman wrote: »
    As the post above said where were you flying from? You also state you don't have a passport so what identification did you show?. It seems strange that you would mention how someone in front of you got onto the plane without a passport but not how you did?.


    Also i don't really think it's difficult to find someone to countersign a passport. I've actually done one for someone a couple of years ago and looking at the list there are alot of professions on there.

    I said nothing about me not having a passport, so i believe your "not listening" ....and whether you think it easy or not to get an Irish countersigner is irrelevant - fact is its impossible for me.
    Owed out = lots. :cool:
  • takman
    takman Posts: 3,876 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Widelats wrote: »
    I said nothing about me not having a passport, so i believe your "not listening" ....and whether you think it easy or not to get an Irish countersigner is irrelevant - fact is its impossible for me.

    Well it's logical to assume that you didn't have a passport considering all the fuss you are making about getting an Irish one.
    So you really think that once we leave the EU that all European countries will stop people with British passports going there?. I know people who go to the USA and Canada for months at a time each year and they don't have any problems. Last year one of the people I know went to Canada for over 7 months for leisure. So why would it be any different for visiting European countries when we arnt in the EU.

    Also I'm surprised you don't know anyone who can sign your passport. Don't you even have a dentist or optician?.
  • PeacefulWaters
    PeacefulWaters Posts: 8,495 Forumite
    i do have a British passport though so i guess if i do go to Europe on EU laws i could say that i am automatically Irish and not show my British passport, and if they look they can see my parents are Irish, just a thought i had

    1) They are going to ask to see a passport.
    2) They are not going to give a toss who your parents are. You'll be popular with those queuing behind you!
    3) I've travelled to USA, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Tunisia on a British passport. None of those countries are in the EU. I'm also heading to Montenegro soon, again, not in the EU.

    Something like 185 nations accept the British passport without need for a visa. I believe that's slightly more than Ireland and among the top three nations for easy access in the world.
  • Widelats
    Widelats Posts: 3,773 Forumite
    takman wrote: »
    Well it's logical to assume that you didn't have a passport considering all the fuss you are making about getting an Irish one.
    So you really think that once we leave the EU that all European countries will stop people with British passports going there?. I know people who go to the USA and Canada for months at a time each year and they don't have any problems. Last year one of the people I know went to Canada for over 7 months for leisure. So why would it be any different for visiting European countries when we arnt in the EU.

    Also I'm surprised you don't know anyone who can sign your passport. Don't you even have a dentist or optician?.

    I got dentist and doctor, etc, both told me they no longer sign passports as they do not have the time.

    I really do not know whats going on with brexit, neither does anyone else so i presume it will be much harder to stay in Europe freely for weeks at a time, and i think the visas will also apply.
    Owed out = lots. :cool:
  • Widelats
    Widelats Posts: 3,773 Forumite
    1) They are going to ask to see a passport.
    2) They are not going to give a toss who your parents are. You'll be popular with those queuing behind you!
    3) I've travelled to USA, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Tunisia on a British passport. None of those countries are in the EU. I'm also heading to Montenegro soon, again, not in the EU.

    Something like 185 nations accept the British passport without need for a visa. I believe that's slightly more than Ireland and among the top three nations for easy access in the world.

    Yes i am probably just worrying too much, also had a idea to live in Ireland in the future and i will need a passport there too i believe. Thanks.
    Owed out = lots. :cool:
  • Kynthia
    Kynthia Posts: 5,692 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Widelats wrote: »
    I got dentist and doctor, etc, both told me they no longer sign passports as they do not have the time.

    I really do not know whats going on with brexit, neither does anyone else so i presume it will be much harder to stay in Europe freely for weeks at a time, and i think the visas will also apply.

    What if you pay them for their time? I know GPs that charge for these kind of activities including letters for work.
    Don't listen to me, I'm no expert!
  • George_Michael
    George_Michael Posts: 4,251 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My favourite one is when it states "personally known to you". I can introduce myself to someone and from that point they know me personally.
    My local pub licensee countersigned my passport application and although I had known him for many years and he would easily have recognised me from a photograph, he had no idea of what my surname was.
    So he signed my application based solely on knowing me as a customer and simply trusting me that the name I had written down on the form was correct, something that makes a mockery of the whole process really.

    My GP used to sign forms (for £20 a time) but they stopped doing this a few years ago.
    It might be because they have so many patients on their books, some of whom they don't see for months/years at a time that they can't truthfully state that they would recognise you from a photo.
  • scumsthorne
    scumsthorne Posts: 57 Forumite
    edited 1 April 2017 at 5:55PM
    Widelats wrote: »
    I am automatically Irish as my parents are Irish - but, the big problem is that i can find nobody at all to countersign the passport application, which is what led me to this thread.
    I am not kidding when i say i don't know anybody who can sign it, none of those professions i know in any degree

    You do NOT need to be personally known by the person.

    "A member of one of the professions listed below can witness your passport application form as long as they are satisfied as to your identify and that your four photos are a true likeness of you. "

    Member of Clergy;
    Doctor, Nurse, Pharmacist, Dentist, Vet;
    Police;
    Lawyer, Solicitor and Legal Executives (registered with the law society or Institute of Legal Executives);
    Bank Official (this includes building societies, credit unions, postmasters and sub-postmasters);
    Elected Public Representative (this includes members of Parliament & County Councillors);
    Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths, Peace Commissioner;
    Social Worker;
    Teacher, Lecturer;
    Accountant.

    Any solicitor will do it, for a charge that can be (from my experience) £25 to £50

    Take a print of the webpage below, and your UK passport, as that verifies your identity.

    https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/great-britain/passports/top-passport-questions/how-to-get-your-passport-application-witnessed/
  • PEPE
    PEPE Posts: 1 Newbie
    Hi All,
    I asked my cousin husband to countersign my and my child first passport. They got married about half a year ago, and he is a bank manager as well. It is a far cousin - our grannies are sisters, our mothers are cousins so it make me and her far cousins.. I know that she can't sign it, even when we're not close related, but her husband is not related to me at all. Is he eligible to counter sign ?
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