Month: September 2018

Have you lost or damaged your passport? Don’t worry, you can get a new one and the process is reasonably easy to understand and to follow. It’s important to remember that you’re basically re-applying for your passport, so it’s important to get the application process underway as soon as possible to prevent any delays and ensure you get your passport back quickly.

Here’s what you need to do:

Re-application for your passport

You can apply for your passport either online or by visiting your local Post Office and filling in the relevant form. It’s important to note, however, that it’s not a free service to re-issue a lost or damaged passport.

It costs £75.50 if you’re applying online, and £85 if you’re applying via a paper form.

It’s important that you fill in the form as accurately and as clearly as possible. Remember the same rules apply as when you applied for your passport originally. Write legibly and provide all of the personal information necessary to ensure that your application can be dealt with in as swift a manner as possible.

If your form is badly or incorrectly filled in, the Passport Office may have to contact you for clarification, send the application form back to you, or, in isolated cases, possibly even reject the application. So invest the extra time and fill out the form properly.

Re-sending your photographs

You will have to take another passport photo if you’re going re-apply for your lost passport. There are many ways you can do this, whether it’s using an online service such as Paspic, a photo booth, or by visiting any high street photography store.

You will need to send two identical photos of yourself with the new application, both of which will have been signed by an appropriate counter-signatory who conforms to the proper conditions.

Remember that though you only need to have one photograph signed, you need to send two photographs with your application, and both must be of acceptable standard and identical.

Most people are aware that their passport photos need to be signed as part of the passport application process. But, what many people do not realize is that the requirements for signing passport pictures are incredibly specific. Below we share some advice on who can sign your passport photos.

When do you need a passport photo to be signed?

When you apply for your first passport as an adult or a child, you need to have both the application form and passport photo signed. You’ll also need a passport photo signed if you are renewing a passport, replacing a passport, or if your physical appearance has changed dramatically.

The person signing the passport photo

So, you have your passport photos ready and your application form filled in, but how do you choose who signs your passport photo? There are a few rules you need to follow. It’s important that the person signing your photo has known you for a minimum of two years. If signing for a child, then they need to know the adult. They also need to live in the UK, and they need to have a valid and non-expired passport.

Who cannot sign your passport

It’s important that the person signing your passport photos knows you, and not just in a professional way. However, there are restrictions on the type of relationship that you can have with this individual. The person signing your passport photos cannot be related to you by marriage or by birth. They must also not live at the same address. It’s also important to note that you can no longer ask your GP to sign your passport photo. However, if your GP is a close friend, then they are fine to sign.

The occupation of those who sign

One final point is that there are named occupations that the person who signs must hold. A full list is available on the GOV.UK website. However, generally, the list includes those occupations of good standing, such as a teacher, nurse, accountant, banker, dentist, journalist and police officer.

If you require passport photos, then you can easily and quickly take your passport photos, including baby passport photos, at home. To learn more, please do visit our website today.

Getting someone to countersign a passport photo is an easy process. Someone simply signs their name on the back of your passport photograph to confirm that it is indeed an accurate likeness of you. Not just anyone can sign a passport photo, however, and there are conditions the counter-signatory must meet.

Who can sign?

The first piece of criteria your counter-signatory must meet is that they have to have known you for a period of two years. However, they cannot be someone you’re in a relationship with or who lives in your household. Nor can they be someone you’re related to, either by marriage or by birth. Know Who can sign your passport forms and photos?

They must be able to identify you properly, and not be someone you just have a passing familiarity with. They must also be someone of good standing in the community. To qualify for that they must either be retired from or currently work in, one of several recognized professions. Read more about accepted professions here.

The counter-signatory must also be a UK resident and hold a current British passport.

What the counter-signatory must do

Once you have decided who you’d like to countersign your photo – and they have agreed, and they meet all of the relevant criteria to be an officially recognized counter-signatory – you must have them sign the back of your passport photograph.

To do that, they must write the following phrase on the back of the photo:

“I certify that this is a true likeness of (Title, Forename, Surname)”

They must then provide their signature underneath their declaration and provide the date they signed the photograph on, at which point you’re free to post off your application to the passport office.

It’s important to make sure you thoroughly understand the rules relating to who can and cannot countersign your passport photo. Failure to do so will mean your application will be sent back to you, which will only serve to delay the process.

Please make sure you inform the person counter-signing the photograph that the passport office may contact them to confirm their details and your identity.

You’ve booked the perfect holiday and now it’s time to make sure your passports are in order. A common question that glasses wearers ask is: am I allowed to wear my glasses in my passport photo? After all, a mistake in your passport photo can lead to a delay in receiving your passport, as well as extra costs that can be incurred, so it is essential to make sure you get your photo just right.

Your passport photo must be taken in front of a light coloured background, with no shadows falling either on your face or on the screen behind you. The photo should only feature you; no other people or objects should be included in the photograph. It is also essential that your passport photograph was taken within the past month so that it accurately represents a true current likeness of you.

It can be tricky to know the rules and regulations for passport photos, but the general rule to abide by for passport photos is that nothing should be obstructing your face or eyes. This means that there should be no hair covering your eyes, you should not be wearing a head covering — unless for religious or medical reasons — and there should be nothing else covering your face.

The rules on the government website aren’t particularly clear when it comes to prescription glasses. The official guidance states that if you wear glasses that you are unable to take off, then your eyes must be fully visible behind the lenses without any reflection or glare obscuring the view of your eyes. However, as passport photographs are often taken in a booth, or — in the case of online passport pictures — are taken at home using a camera with a flash, it can be difficult to reduce the reflection or glare caused by the lenses in prescription glasses. Therefore, where possible, it is advisable to remove your glasses in order to have your passport photo taken.

Although the government guidance does not state that prescription glasses should be removed for passport photographs, due to the hassle and stress that can be caused if the photographs are not accepted, it is advisable to remove prescription glasses — where possible — in order to have your passport photographs taken.