DJElectricDaddy

FYI my simple renewal application has taken me over three months and waiting to complete because apparently I needed a photo countersigned, even though the help file says not. The letter explaining I need a countersignatory mysteriously got lost while I’m sat here twiddling thumbs.

Pretty bloody annoying and frustrating!!!

With hindsight I would countersign and photos just in case.

37100

Had you altered that much! I needed my photo countersigned and I did enclose a copy of the countersignatory's passport. He was not contacted. Still took 9 weeks to arrive.

DJElectricDaddy

The last passport was from 2001. Its 13 years so my hair is greyer, my eyes baggyer and my chin a little wobblyer. I generally look 13 years older. But no my features are totally identifiably the same.

37100

When I look in the mirror I see the same person I was 10 or so years ago. Having only just renewed my passport when it was stolen, my photo was identical.

dan455

hey, any more news on your sons passport? i'm in the same boat as you, i applied under the old rules for a passport for my daughter, i'm in china too

website used to say 'download forms, send to liverpool, wait and receive passport', anyway i sent it away on the 13th of march, received on the 15th, payment taken the 17th, havent heard anything about it since

also good luck if you want to try find out any information, the only thing you can do is call the passport advice line, who will tell you that all they can do is send an email to the liverpool office, without an application number theres nothing you can do they say, and since i downloaded the forms and sent them myself, theres no application number to speak off... anyway after they sent the email, i got an email back saying someone will call me to discuss it, still waiting... call them again and they will 'escalate' your enquiry, although that didnt seem to help me much...

im also worried how everything on that website has changed, and now everyone must go to the uk visa application centre for an interview, and the passport will be sent back to that visa application centre... here's hoping i'll get some news this week and it will be sent straight to my home in china soon...

dan455

if your letter got lost, do you mind telling us how you find out there was a problem?

Vexcore

No passport mate, i replied to you in the other thread,

Good luck to you too!

windsong

Now I am in a real bind! I just moved to a new area in the USA and have only been here a couple of months so no one here has known me longer than that, never mind someone who holds a British passport (see below), so who on earth can countersign my passport application? (The old one expired 10+ years ago).

Quote from the instructions:

<<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.

When they hold a US, Commonwealth or other EU (not British or Irish) passport, they must provide a colour photocopy of the page with their photograph on it. This must be included with the countersigned application.>>

Vexcore

ITS BULL

If you’re applying from outside the UK, they must have a current British, Irish or other EU, US or Commonwealth passport

ITS BULL

windsong

Oh what fun! I tried to pay with my bank's debit card and it said it was refused by my financial institution. There's plenty of money in my account so why won't the passport app site take my card?

dan455

Actually it sounds like the passport app site did accept your card, however it was your bank who rejected the payment. Could be because they're being extra cautious and don't want a company from another country taking payments from your account...

I had to call my bank before I applied for my daughters passport ( chinese bank card was used ) and tell them to allow transactions from UK, we had problems where it was rejected before

37100

Vexore, it might be different for China, but when I printed off the declaration page (the one with the ref number on it), the form only had 'British, Irish or other, US or Commonwealth passport' and the signee has to cross out the non-relevent countries, add the number of his passport, and sign.

Vexcore

Nah it isn't, it's the same passport form we all use 'the OS' one

i still used a chinese national for my counter sign,

one poster on here uses a south korean dude and he got a passport for his daughter

it said on the form for me MUST BE UK/USA/EU passport holder

but it is indeed 'BULL' im sure of it.

Pollyana

Its fine until they decide to do a dipcheck and actually check who has countersigned things.........
People should follow the instructions for renewal from the country they are in and submit what is required.

========================

Now, a little request...
Please could you a) moderate your language a little and b) not encourage people to submit documents that do not meet requirements. 99 times out of a 100 they may be ok, but if someone decides to check up .....

37100

Not sure it would be 'bull' if you fill in the on-line form. Especially if you send an application from the US as the poster is. Might be hard to convince the HMPO that you do not know a suitable passport holder.

Sending you good vibes for your passport application. It must surely arrive soon.