Countersigning uk passports whilst overseas

[cherry6]

I have to get my 4 children (who are uk born) to apply for their first uk passports in order to return to the uk (as apparently they cant return on their Australian ones). My husband also requires a renewal of his. We are stuck trying to find someone to countersign. My kids are homeschooled so there is no teacher to ask. They have never been to the doctor here, nor has my husband, and I have only been going to my present one for one year, as we moved to this area only a year ago. We have no friends here (we keep ourselves to ourselves), and my husband does not want to ask his employer as his employer does not know he is leaving yet ( and he is unhelpful at the best of times). Our neighbour works for an estate agent (no good). We dont know anyone else and I am running out of ideas. Can a JP do it? Or does he have to know us for 2 years as well? Help!!

[JAJ]

Straightforward renewals should not normally require countersignature.

A JP should be acceptable to sign. If he or she has known you for less than 2 years then just write in the correct amount of time and the Embassy or High Commission will probably issue the passport anyway.

If they don't you have grounds for formal complaint at the highest level for unreasonable denial of passport facilities.

[cherry6]

Straightforward renewals should not normally require countersignature.

A JP should be acceptable to sign. If he or she has known you for less than 2 years then just write in the correct amount of time and the Embassy or High Commission will probably issue the passport anyway.

If they don't you have grounds for formal complaint at the highest level for unreasonable denial of passport facilities.

Sorry, when I said JP I meant find one in the phonebook and take the documents down for them to sign, I dont actually 'know' one. So would that still be OK?

[JAJ]

Sorry, when I said JP I meant find one in the phonebook and take the documents down for them to sign, I dont actually 'know' one. So would that still be OK?

A JP will not attest to knowing you if that is not the case.

Your husband should be able to renew without a countersignature.

For children, the countersignature should know you, not the children. So the doctor should be ok. Strike out the 2 years, replace it with 1 year, and make the application anyway.

If they refuse, you then have grounds for formal complaint for unreasonable denial of passport facilities. (it's an example of how the Foreign Office doesn't give the same degree of service to British citizens as the Home Office which deals with passports in the U.K.).

As a last resort, they could get Right of Abode stamps in their Australian passports.
http://ukinaustralia.fco.gov.uk/en/visa ... ight-abode