Renewing UK passport issue - help!!
 

Hi All

We've been in Aus for 1 year 4 months and need to renew our sons British Passport.

The question I have is the endorsement of the photograph needs to be performed by someone who has known us for at least 2 years. Well that's noone in Aus then!!

Does this mean I have to send the docs and photo to someone in the uk to endorse and send back or will they accept a shorter time period due to circumstances? Has anyone had this issue and resolved it?

I really need to get the application in soon so any advise would be great.

Cheers

Heath

Re: Renewing UK passport issue - help!!
 

Countersignatures should not normally be needed for a renewal, although it may be different for children.

Some people have sent it back to someone they know in the U.K.

Otherwise you will just see if a shorter period is accepted and if not, you will have to get your MP back in the U.K. involved to make a formal complaint to the Foreign Office about unreasonable requirements.

PS as a British citizen overseas you should be aware that you get a third class passport service: double the price, premium rate information line, more difficult requirements and slower processing times.

Re: Renewing UK passport issue - help!!
 

Hi JAJ

Thanks for your response.

The UK instructions for renewals are that no countersig is required as long as the pictures are not materially different. My son is nearly 7 verses nearly 2 with his old passport so I'm pretty sure he'll need a countersig.

Perhaps I should send the picture off without any and see if they call me. The problem with that is if they take 1.5 months to respond and I need to resubmit I'm going to be really close to our flight date.

Accept your comment on other thread, but I posted the question there and it looked like it was getting no traction so I reposted a new thread.

Looks like I might have to convince the neighbour, who can sign, that they knew me from when we visited Oz in 2005!!

Heath

Re: Renewing UK passport issue - help!!
 

I asked a JP here the same question - how do you get a countersign when you haven't known anyone in the right professions for long enough. His answer was that he and other JPs would be happy to countersign if you take birth certificate, current passport, your own ID and the child with you. Worth giving a go.