Child passport woes

Postik

I'm applying for a passport for my child.  As well as having to send off her birth certificate it is also requesting that I send off my birth certificate.  This is despite me having a valid passport and entering said passport details onto the application website. Why oh why do they need my birth certificate when I already have a passport of my own?  To make matters worse, they are requesting my "full birth certificate" which also shows my parents names.  Of course I don't have this, and haven't needed it in the last 40 years, so will have to make a separate application for a copy from the local council.

In addition to this, I now need someone to confirm my daughter's identity, and they provide a list of acceptable professions and say they must have known her for at least 2 years and also have their own valid passport.  That's all well and good, but I don't know any professional people that also know my daughter.  For example, I have an accountant but he's never met my daughter.  I know plenty of company directors, but again they don't know my daughter.

The only person I can think of is her karate instructor who she's known for around 6 years but I don't think that really counts as a professional person.

We moved house a year ago so none of her teachers have known her for more than 2 years.  Same with the GP, although it even goes as far as to say a GP can't do it unless you are also friends with them!

Is it usually this difficult?

mebu60

Nothing online seems to indicate that you need your birth certificate let alone the full one. Might it be worth retrying via the PO? 
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/first-child-passport

The confirmation of identity by an acceptable third party is mandatory. I'd have a friendly chat with the company director you know best. 

Postik

mebu60 said:

Nothing online seems to indicate that you need your birth certificate let alone the full one. Might it be worth retrying via the PO? 
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/first-child-passport

The confirmation of identity by an acceptable third party is mandatory. I'd have a friendly chat with the company director you know best. 

It's too late, I've already paid.  In the list of documents it definitely said they need a full birth certificate for the child, and a full birth certificate from one of the parents.  This was after entering my passport number into the application.  Makes no sense, I don't have a full birth certificate and haven't needed one in the last 40 years!  Not even when applying for my own passport.

Caz3121

Postik said:

In addition to this, I now need someone to confirm my daughter's identity, and they provide a list of acceptable professions and say they must have known her for at least 2 years and also have their own valid passport.  That's all well and good, but I don't know any professional people that also know my daughter.  For example, I have an accountant but he's never met my daughter.  I know plenty of company directors, but again they don't know my daughter.

If you are applying for someone under 16 then it is someone that has known YOU for 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application

You can only confirm someone’s identity if you:

• are 18 or over
• live in the UK
• have a current UK passport
• have known the person applying for at least 2 years (this is the adult making the application if the passport is for a child under 16)
• know the person applying as a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)

maman

I could be wrong /out of date but I thought someone who's known the child had to sign the photos. 🤔

Postik

Caz3121 said:

If you are applying for someone under 16 then it is someone that has known YOU for 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-online-for-passport-application

You can only confirm someone’s identity if you:

• are 18 or over
• live in the UK
• have a current UK passport
• have known the person applying for at least 2 years (this is the adult making the application if the passport is for a child under 16)
• know the person applying as a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows you professionally)

maman said:

I could be wrong /out of date but I thought someone who's known the child had to sign the photos. 🤔

It's a joke to be honest, because it's not clear.  From the GOV site Caz3121 posted it sounds like they need to confirm MY identity, not my child's.

But then when I put in the details of who I am going to ask, it says this:

"I’ve contacted this person. I understand that this person will be shown my photo and address (and parents’ details if the application is for a child)."

Well, it isn't going to show them my photo because I haven't uploaded my photo, I've uploaded my daughter's photo.  And what point is there in them seeing my daughter's photo if they don't know her but are confirming my identity?

It remains to be seen exactly what they are going to see and be asked.  I'll soon find out.

Then there is the nonsense of my birth certificate to deal with.  I didn't even need my birth certificate to apply for my own passport, I am unsure why I need it to apply for someone else's.

smudge56

Postik said:

I'm applying for a passport for my child.  As well as having to send off her birth certificate it is also requesting that I send off my birth certificate.  This is despite me having a valid passport and entering said passport details onto the application website. Why oh why do they need my birth certificate when I already have a passport of my own?  To make matters worse, they are requesting my "full birth certificate" which also shows my parents names.  Of course I don't have this, and haven't needed it in the last 40 years, so will have to make a separate application for a copy from the local council.
If you have a passport and have entered the passport number you don’t need to send in your birth certificate 

In addition to this, I now need someone to confirm my daughter's identity, and they provide a list of acceptable professions and say they must have known her for at least 2 years and also have their own valid passport.  That's all well and good, but I don't know any professional people that also know my daughter.  For example, I have an accountant but he's never met my daughter.  I know plenty of company directors, but again they don't know my daughter.
The digital referee has to have known YOU for two years not the child  A company director who knows you will be fine

The only person I can think of is her karate instructor who she's known for around 6 years but I don't think that really counts as a professional person.

We moved house a year ago so none of her teachers have known her for more than 2 years.  Same with the GP, although it even goes as far as to say a GP can't do it unless you are also friends with them!

Is it usually this difficult?  

  Make sure you send your child’s full birth certificate in a strong envelope.  You will get a text and an email when it has been scanned onto the system.

smudge56

maman said:

I could be wrong /out of date but I thought someone who's known the child had to sign the photos. 🤔

It’s only for paper application forms that the physical photo has to be certified.  For the digital application, the 
Digital referee is sent an image of the applicant and a list of questions.  Their details are checked and an Experian check carried out on then before they are accepted.

Postik

smudge56 said:

If you have a passport and have entered the passport number you don’t need to send in your birth certificate.

  Make sure you send your child’s full birth certificate in a strong envelope.  You will get a text and an email when it has been scanned onto the system.

Thanks, but unfortunately despite me entering my passport number, it is asking for both my child's birth certificate AND my full birth certificate.

I went on the live chat on the passport website and queried this, and they said it's because my passport was issued after the child was born (my daughter is 14 so hardly unusual). I suspect they're just making it up as they go along.

Someone else I know told me it's because it's my child's first passport, but again I haven't seen anything anywhere which says in that instance you will need the parent's full birth certificate.

smudge56

You don’t need your birth certificate. Just your passport number.  The examiner will look at your passport history and see that you have had a passports at the time of birth.  If you were born before 1/1/83 it makes no difference when your passport was issued as you would be British by birth.

Postik

smudge56 said:

You don’t need your birth certificate. Just your passport number.  The examiner will look at your passport history and see that you have had a passports at the time of birth.  If you were born before 1/1/83 it makes no difference when your passport was issued as you would be British by birth.

You would think so wouldn't you, but it is specifically asking for MY birth certificate as well as my daughters.  This is despite me providing my passport number.

Caz3121 said:

• have known the person applying for at least 2 years (this is the adult making the application if the passport is for a child under 16)

More incorrect information from the GOV website.  I asked someone today to complete the verification process, and it asked them to confirm my daughter's identity and showed them a photo of my daughter.  It did NOT ask them to confirm my identity, or if it did it still asked them to confirm my daughter's too.