Immigration Corner | Countersigning passport application and photos

Dear Mr Bassie,

I have a British passport that is about to expire. Please tell me if I need to have my application countersigned.

NA

Dear NA,

There are some paper passport applications and photos that must be signed by someone else - the ‘counter signatory’ - to prove the identity of the person applying.

The applicant must get the paper form and one of their two print photos signed if they are applying for a:

• First adult passport

• First child passport

• Replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport

• Renewal of a passport for a child aged 11 or under

• Renewal of a passport if their appearance has changed and the person cannot be recognised from the existing passport

Signing the form and photograph

The counter signatory must:

• Have known the applicant (or the adult who signed the form if the passport is for a child under 16) for at least two years

• Be able to identify the applicant, for example, they are a friend, neighbour or colleague, not just someone who knows the applicant professionally

• Be ‘a person of good standing in their community’ or work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession

Persons who cannot be the counter signatory

Persons cannot ask someone to countersign their passport if they are:

• Related to them by birth or marriage

• In a relationship with or live at the same address as them

Where persons are residing

If persons are applying in the United Kingdom the counter signatory must:

• Live in the United Kingdom

• Have a current British or Irish passport

If persons are applying outside the United Kingdom, the counter signatory must have a current British, Irish or other EU, US or Commonwealth passport.

If they have a US, Commonwealth, or non-British or non-Irish EU passport, they must include with their application a colour photocopy of the page with their photograph on it. Please note that the application will be processed faster if the counter signatory has a British or Irish passport.

What the counter signatory must do with the form

After the applicant has filled in the form, the countersignatory must check the details are correct and sign it. By signing it they are confirming that:

• They have known the applicant for more than two years

• They are who they claim to be

• As far as they know, all the information they have put on the form is true

The countersignatory must put their passport number on the form. The countersignatory should write the following on the back of one photo:

‘I certify that this is a true likeness of [title and full name of adult or child who is getting the passport].’

He/she must add their signature and the date under the statement. Please note that the applicant does not have to sign or date the photos. The countersignatory may be contacted by HM Passport Office for more information and the application may be delayed if he/she is not available.

There are accepted occupations for counter signatories and the countersignatory must either work in, or be retired from, a recognised profession or be a person of good standing in their community.

Persons should be aware that it is a criminal offence to make a false declaration on a passport application. It is advisable that if persons are not sure who to ask to be the countersignatory, they should call the Passport Adviceline in the United Kingdom.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com