Struggling to find a countersignatory for a UK passport renewal

[jareduy5]

I’m currently renewing my UK passport and running into a frustrating issue finding someone from the “recognised professions” list who can act as a countersignatory.

I did manage to get a friend (who is a solicitor) to confirm my identity online, but I later received an HMPO email saying they “do not meet the criteria”. I’ve also tried two of my landlords, but they haven’t responded to my requests.

I’m a fairly introverted person, so I find it quite uncomfortable having to repeatedly ask people for a favour like this, especially when it involves official identity verification.

Interestingly, as a director of my own UK Ltd company, I’m eligible to act as a countersignatory for someone else - but that doesn’t really help me if I can’t find anyone suitable for my own application.

If anyone here is also a director of a UK Ltd and has faced the same issue, feel free to reach out at email address removed by moderator!!. Maybe we can help each other out in a legitimate and compliant way.

Appreciate any advice or shared experiences.

[contorted_svy]

You can't get a stranger to act as your countersignatory. They must know you personally.

Interesting that the solicitor was deemed unsuitable.

[jareduy5]

I’m waiting for a response from HMPO about why it was rejected. I’ve known him for 12 years. I’m not asking some random person from the internet to vouch for me. You can meet someone (director of some Ltd) and be friends for 2 years. At least you don’t have to ask favors from people you don’t want to interact with. I’m all for communication when it’s a win-win.

[contorted_svy]

Sure, you can. But unclear how that would help you getting your passport renewed now as you'd need to know someone for 2 years. Such form of contact is not encouraged on this forum.

[SwiftDB4]

I thought most UK passport renewals did not require a countersignatory?
Only in cases where your previous photo doesn't resemble your current one, your previous passport was lost or damaged, or if a child ?

[jareduy5]

Regarding Dubai (and similar cases), the countersignatory must hold a British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth passport. I don’t think it’s comfortable for people to disclose their citizenship, even to a neighbour in a multi-apartment building, and I also don’t think the chances are good in some countries.

Then, HMPO replied: “The reasons why the person is rejected are not specified”.
I still don’t understand why they rely on an outdated countersignatory rule from 1915 instead of using Post Office staff and the biometric machines they already use to collect passport data. And why a notary public can do so many official verifications, but can’t do simple identity confirmation for this process.

All of this adds unpredictability into our lives. It feels like HMPO is asking applicants to solve identity verification problem for them in increasingly complex and indirect ways.

Research shows that people now communicate more online than offline. On average, internet use is around 6.5 hours per day globally, with a large share spent on messaging and social media platforms. It would seem more logical if online profiles or verified digital presence could be considered in some way.

I know HMPO can sometimes verify identity via video call. Has anyone here had that experience? How did it go?