ruri

Hi everyone,

I have an urgent question regarding countersignatory for applying first british passport for my daughter who was born in Malaysia. I'm giving up trying to get an answer from the passport adviceline because their answers to this question seems to differ from one another. So I thought I might get a definite answer from those who had already gone through this process.

We are currently in the UK at the moment but we are going back to Malaysia in a couple of weeks and having no enough time, I have to make the application from there.

Someone from the office told me that I can get a countersignatory from here (UK) and another person told me that I can't and have to get it from my own country.

So which one is actually right? Can my husband and I get our friend (accountant) who is living here to do it for us or do I definitely have to get another person from Malaysia?

Thanks so much!

whatadiva

from this link:

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

Personal relationship

The countersignatory must:

have known the person applying for at least 2 years
be able to identify the person applying, eg they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague (not just someone who knows them professionally)
They can’t be closely related or involved with the person applying, eg:

related by birth or marriage
be in a relationship or live at the same address as the person applying
Where you’re applying from

If you’re applying in the UK, the countersignatory must:

live in the UK
have a current British or Irish passport
If you’re applying from outside the UK, they must have a current British, Irish or other EU, US or Commonwealth passport. But your application will be processed more quickly if they have a British or Irish passport.

alfista1

This one was a tricky one for us too.
Because how many people do you know overseas who have British passports? You may know none so kind of absurd! Their nationality should have nothing to do with it but anyway that's the rule they put down.
So we waited until we visited England and got a friend of my stepdad to sign them. He had known us for many years so no issues.
They didn't contact him. He was retired also.

Do you have a friend of family in the UK, with a British passport and preferably with a professional job?

whatadiva

countersigning doesn't have to be someone with a professional career. My friend isn't in one but she is a UK passport holder and I had her countersign for the renewal of my daughters UK passport (from US) and all was fine.

alfista1

It does have a list of professions they should be part of but I am sure it won't matter.

ruri

Well that was exactly why I gave a call to the passport adviceline. I spoke to a few and gave me different answers One lady told me that I must get one that knows me for 2 years or more from Malaysia and not UK. Another man told me that it is okay to have one from UK even though I will be applying from Malaysia using the online form.

We have many friends back here in the UK who have known both me and my husband for years and also have met and played with our daughter. One of them is an accountant and is a very good friend of ours for years and so we are planning to get him to be the countersignatory.

May I ask you where you did the application from? Did you do it from inside the UK or from outside?

ruri

Was she living in the US at that time?

whatadiva

Yes on an H1B visa and UK passport
as the link says, a friend can countersign..but best to have a friend with a UK or other EU passport, heck even a US passport holder can (my coworker used his US passport) for the application of FIRST child passport, applied here in US....

ruri

I see. I know Commonwealth was mentioned too and I do of course have a lot of friends in Malaysia but none of them are a British Passport holder or any other than Malaysian.

I thought it would be better to get it signed by our friend while we are in the UK before we go back to Malaysia very soon. But I'm not too sure if that will be a problem at all since I will be applying for the passport from outside the UK.

knighstrike

It won't be a problem. My counter-signatory is a family friend from the UK who works in the traffic department. I meanwhile applied for a passport from the Philippines.

ruri

Oh Thank you so much! What a relief! I will do it that way then

Marty90

I am following this process. I guess it would work for you if you want to give it a go -

1) Collect all supporting documents for passport
2) My wife fills out passport application online, pays and prints out (in her home country)
3) My wife sends the form and photos to me in the UK
4) I get the form and photos signed by a nurse in the UK
5) I send the form and photos back to my wife along with all documents that I have collected - birth certs, my passport etc.
6) My wife collates, adds her documents and mails the complete application to HMPO in the UK.

I have been advised by several forums/advice websites that this method works. I guess if you use high speed postage it wouldn't take longer than a week or two to get all of that done. Hope this helps

ruri

Thanks Marty90!

I don't think you would need to give your passport for this application, but I might be wrong.

Since I'm in the UK at the moment, I will get the form (online) filled and signed and also collect all the supporting documents needed (including my husband's parents birth certs) then bring them all back to Malaysia.

I also need to get certified translations for few documents as they are not full in English.

Marty90

No worries.

Yes the guidance notes say that you must submit both the mother and father's passports (at the time of the Child's birth). So you and your partner will be without them for the duration of the application process. Failure to include them will likely result in refusal or delays (although they will contact you if they need extra docs - not like visa applications. Which is one good thing I guess!)

ruri

Arghhhh that's a bit annoying because my husband needs his passport to travel between london and edinburgh every few weeks. That's another surprise for us then but what to do I guess we'll just have to give what they want.