md95065

Has anyone here got any experience with renewing a UK passport in the US for someone who is severely mentally disabled - to the extent that they could not complete the application form or sign it?

The UK IPS web site specifically mentions this and refers you to the UK Passport Adviceline (24hrs and a real bargain at only 8p a minute from a BT landline).

The www.britainusa.com web site appears to be completely silent about this possibility and just refers all enquiries to their outsourced help service for a mere $2.10 a minute ...

Frankly (especially given the current passport fees) I resent having to pay $2.10 a minute just to find out how to file an application correctly and I have a strong suspicion that I may not get the correct answer anyway.

So:

• Has anyone here ever had to do anything like this?
• Has anyone called the "ABTRAN e-Care and Fulfilment" help line, and were they any use?
• Do you need to have a counter-signatory for a passport renewal? The instructions for form C1 suggest that you do, but according to the UK IPS web site you don't.

Scouse Express

Hi,

I would suggest sending a note to the Passport Office, at the Embassy, stating your plight. I'm sure that they will respond right away with an answer for you.

Enclose a Phone Number, where they may contact you.

Jim.

Sally Redux

I am currently renewing my children's passports, I found the whole thing very hard to follow. One of the numbers on BritainUSA is number unobtainable, leaving the premium line which, like you, I didn't feel confident about. I got them countersigned just to be on the safe side.

Englishmum

No you don't need to have a *renewal* of a British passport countersigned, you only need it countersigned for new passports where one has never been issued before, or if you have lost one/had it stolen and therefore can't send it in with the application form for a new passport.

It's pretty straightforward to do a passport renewal; you need new photographs (have to follow the instructions exactly, so do read up on them) the current passport and the fee or credit card authorisation.

In your case, is the disabled person able to sign his/her name? If not, you will need to check with the Embassy or possibly the nearest British Consulate as they may take fingerprints instead, but in that scenario perhaps they would need to be notarised? As someone else suggested, I would write to the Embassy and send an SAE for the reply.

MsElui

an exception to the above - is if the photograph has changed a lot since the previous passport. Then it MUST be countersigned again. When I renew my eldest sons passport I will get it countersigned as he was only 2 weeks old in his first passport photo and did a passable impression of a potatoe. Doesnt look like that any more :P

NC Penguin

When I renewed my UK passport in the US a few years ago, I called to enquire if a countersignature was necessary. At the time, I was told that it wasn't necessary unless the applicant's appearance had changed dramatically.

meauxna

I just had a flashback while reading this--we couldn't figure it out either!
Do you know, we went on a several day-long odyssey to find the Orthodox priest who had baptized DH into the Greek church so he could sign this bleepin' form.. of course he was in some minuscule village up a hill and worked 20 minutes a day, so you never knew where to find him. It was all so strange to me, because we don't have to get this kind of personal endorsement. No wonder it seemed unnecessary to me--it WAS!

lapin_windstar

Presumably if you have power of attorney or can act as a trustee, you can do more or less whatever the individual would be legally able to in their own right.

Mind is the UK charity for mental health issues. You could try ringing or emailing them for advice - even though the application is taking place outside the UK, it's still going to be more or less the same UK system, I would assume (possibly wrongly):

"The legal advice line is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2pm-4.30pm. Ring the main Mind number (020 8519 2122) and ask for the legal advice line. You can also email us on [email protected]"
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/L...galbriefHR.htm

Englishmum

Ha ha....that's so funny!

Actually as a former (established) Civil Servant in the UK I am eligible to countersign passport application forms; this was confirmed by the British High Commission when I lived in Singapore when my Scottish next-door neighbour needed her passport form countersigned and asked me. I ended up countersigning them for quite a number of my friends.. but when our son's passport went missing I had to find someone else - luckily our dentist here in NJ did it (free of charge!)

(Going off topic....we found our son's passport the day after I'd FedExed all the paperwork to get him a new one. I phoned in the afternoon and they'd already authorised the credit card payment! That was an expensive mistake LOL!).