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Witnesses for a FBR application

Forum to discuss all things Blarney | Ireland immigration

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NiceCupOfTea
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Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by NiceCupOfTea » Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:13 pm

Hi.

Thanks to the mod who deleted my duplicate messages - I don't know what happened there.

Anyway, I want to apply to join the Foreign Births Register. I'm English with an Irish grandfather and have nearly all the certificates I need (I'm just waiting on my grandfather's death certificate), but still need to get a Witness to sign my application form, photos, and ID. That's where I'm a bit stuck. I don't know many professionals, and I doubt if any of them have a business card, let alone a stamp.

Is the stamp/business card absolutely necessary? What do I do if none of them do have one?

Thanks.

Michael123
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Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:43 pm
United States of America

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Michael123 » Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:55 pm

Your bank manager will have a card

NiceCupOfTea
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Posts: 9
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by NiceCupOfTea » Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:01 pm

Does it matter that I wouldn't know my bank manager if I fell over him/her in the street? I'm not sure how seriously they take the "personally known to you" bit, but on the other hand I don't see how they could tell.

Anyway, thanks. I will go into my local bank and see if I can make an appointment with the bank manager.

Lee2521
Member
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:10 pm
Ireland

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Lee2521 » Tue Jul 09, 2019 9:21 am

Hi Nicecupoftea

You could ask your GP surgery but they might charge you for the service also they only like doing this
if you have been on their books for a while . I had to do this because my bank said they couldn't do it and I then had to pay £30.00 and I requested this service as it wasn't on offer but I asked can it be done as it's similar to the passport witness .

After all is done you will be looking at waiting at least 12 months for your FBR unless the situation improves with the back log .

NiceCupOfTea
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by NiceCupOfTea » Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:37 am

Hi Lee.

I do have a GP surgery, but I don't know if they have stamps or business cards. And if they don't, then I run into the same problem of what do I do. I suppose I ought to find out first, but I would like to know just how necessary the actual stamp/business card bit is.

Thanks for the heads up about the 12 month wait. I'm kicking myself for not having begun the process much earlier. To be honest, I'd like to get my application in before the 31st October as quickly as possible, because if there is going to be a no deal Brexit, I expect applications to massively spike.

Lee2521
Member
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:10 pm
Ireland

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Lee2521 » Tue Jul 09, 2019 1:18 pm

NiceCupOfTea wrote:
Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:37 am
Hi Lee.

I do have a GP surgery, but I don't know if they have stamps or business cards. And if they don't, then I run into the same problem of what do I do. I suppose I ought to find out first, but I would like to know just how necessary the actual stamp/business card bit is.

Thanks for the heads up about the 12 month wait. I'm kicking myself for not having begun the process much earlier. To be honest, I'd like to get my application in before the 31st October as quickly as possible, because if there is going to be a no deal Brexit, I expect applications to massively spike.
Hi NiceCupOfTea

If your doctor is registered with the British Medical Council and stamps your application on your FBR apllication with their name and details and also they should sign your photo too and you have to sing on your application after the doctor has , as I remember then you should be all good to go .

Firstly you don't have to worry about travel to Ireland and outside the EU
With brexit you should be able to still travel to eu states visa free I imagined and then upto some time in 2021 then the European travel authorization starts but this is only for countries in the schengen and this will cost about £6.00 and last 3 years .

Lee2521
Member
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:10 pm
Ireland

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Lee2521 » Tue Jul 09, 2019 1:19 pm

NiceCupOfTea wrote:
Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:37 am
Hi Lee.

I do have a GP surgery, but I don't know if they have stamps or business cards. And if they don't, then I run into the same problem of what do I do. I suppose I ought to find out first, but I would like to know just how necessary the actual stamp/business card bit is.

Thanks for the heads up about the 12 month wait. I'm kicking myself for not having begun the process much earlier. To be honest, I'd like to get my application in before the 31st October as quickly as possible, because if there is going to be a no deal Brexit, I expect applications to massively spike.
Hi NiceCupOfTea

If your doctor is registered with the British Medical Council and stamps your application on your FBR apllication with their name and details and also they should sign your photo too and you have to sing on your application after the doctor has , as I remember then you should be all good to go .

Firstly you don't have to worry about travel to Ireland and outside the EU
With brexit you should be able to still travel to eu states visa free I imagined and then upto some time in 2021 then the European travel authorization starts but this is only for countries in the schengen and this will cost about £6.00 and last 3 years .

NiceCupOfTea
Newly Registered
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:45 pm

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by NiceCupOfTea » Wed Jul 10, 2019 10:22 pm

Hi Lee.

Well that was a complete waste of time. I stopped by my GP practice today and the receptionist told me GPs don't sign passports anymore. Not even for a fee, which I was willing to pay. I have to say, I wouldn't recognise my GP practice if it was actually helpful, but that's another story.

So now what? I've only got my dentist or my local hospital left to try and after today I am not optimistic about them saying yes.

This business about needing a professional to sign is ridiculous. It's not the 1850s anymore; surely anyone who has known you for a long time should be appropriate. I've got an old friend, a carer, as good a character as I can think of. But she doesn't do paid work, so that's that.

BrexitEscapee
- thin ice -
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by BrexitEscapee » Wed Jul 10, 2019 10:59 pm

When I did mine it was easy as one of my mates is a GP, and they were still acceptable then. However, I've looked at the online guidance and it appears there are two criteria: (1) the person must be a lawyer/commissioner for oaths/justice of the peace/police officer/magistrate/judge and (2) must either know you personally or know someone who knows you personally.

So it looks like you'll need to put the word out amongst your friends/family/colleagues to find out if any of them know a police officer, lawyer etc etc.

Sulla
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Portugal

Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Sulla » Thu Jul 11, 2019 11:46 am

BrexitEscapee wrote:
Wed Jul 10, 2019 10:59 pm
When I did mine it was easy as one of my mates is a GP, and they were still acceptable then. However, I've looked at the online guidance and it appears there are two criteria: (1) the person must be a lawyer/commissioner for oaths/justice of the peace/police officer/magistrate/judge and (2) must either know you personally or know someone who knows you personally.

So it looks like you'll need to put the word out amongst your friends/family/colleagues to find out if any of them know a police officer, lawyer etc etc.
I'm not sure that the personal connection is something that is taken seriously by the witnesses themselves. For instance I had my own FBR application witnessed at the Beijing embassy by an official who was also a commissioner of oaths. He didn't know me from Adam. Pay the money and you get the service was the impression I got.

In my experience of having various passport or other documents witnessed in different places around the world, a similar attitude is adopted by notaries and lawyers. As long as they are satisfied with your identify and you take some proof of address with you, plus of course their fee, I would not anticipate issues. What exactly "know you personally" means is open to interpretation. For many of them, simply meeting you and speaking to you face to face will satisfy that requirement.

spiderplants
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by spiderplants » Thu Jul 11, 2019 6:32 pm

NiceCupOfTea wrote:
Wed Jul 10, 2019 10:22 pm
Hi Lee.

Well that was a complete waste of time. I stopped by my GP practice today and the receptionist told me GPs don't sign passports anymore. Not even for a fee, which I was willing to pay. I have to say, I wouldn't recognise my GP practice if it was actually helpful, but that's another story.

So now what? I've only got my dentist or my local hospital left to try and after today I am not optimistic about them saying yes.

This business about needing a professional to sign is ridiculous. It's not the 1850s anymore; surely anyone who has known you for a long time should be appropriate. I've got an old friend, a carer, as good a character as I can think of. But she doesn't do paid work, so that's that.
The witness criteria is very outdated - it assumes we all live in 1950s 'Heartbeat' and see our doctors and bank managers in the pub or post office each week.

Do you know anyone who knows anyone in one of these professions? Could you ask around your friends and colleagues?

NiceCupOfTea
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by NiceCupOfTea » Thu Jul 25, 2019 5:01 pm

Quick update.

I tried my bank, but they refused to do it as well. So after that I decided to look for a public notary on google. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting round to emailing him, which I've just done.

Meanwhile the DFA have since updated their website. If you look under 'What is a certified document?' in their new FAQ section, the range of people which can certify a document is very small - a solicitor or barrister, notary, or Commissioner of Oaths.

So that's that sorted, well hopefully.

I'm still bothered by one thing though. If the application is online only, how do I get it signed and witnessed? I can print out the form, but it seems like they want you to send it electronically. Still puzzled over that one.

Court2
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Re: Witnesses for a FBR application

Post by Court2 » Thu Jul 25, 2019 5:18 pm

You apply online, pay the fee and one of the last pages you see is basically a summary of your lineage you-parent-grandparent which you print, sign, witness and add into an envelope with all your certificates to send off.

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