After you have completed the form in full, including section 9, section
10 should be completed and signed by one of the people below, or someone
of similar standing in the community, who has known you for at least 2 years. In addition, the countersignatory must be resident in the UK.
The latest version of the application form asks the countersignatory to
enter their current British passport number (Irish passport numbers are also
acceptable). This is necessary to enable us to check identity.
You should give the countersignatory your complete application together
with photographs, documents fee and envelope, so that they can seal the application
after completing section 10. (In the case of a child section 10 should be
signed by someone of the relevant standing who has personally known the person
who signs the declaration at section 9 rather than the child).
The person providing the countersignature must not be related to you by
birth or marriage. Neither should they be in a personal relationship
with you (this includes a same sex relationship) nor live at the same address.
Acceptable countersignatures:
Accountant
Airline Pilots
Articled clerk of a limited company
Assurance agent of recognised company
Bank/building society official
Barrister
British Computer Society (BCS) - Professional grades which are Associate
(AMBCS), Member (MBCS), Fellow (FBCS) (PN 25/2003)
Broker
Chairman/director of limited company
Chemist
Chiropodist
Christian Science practitioner
Commissioner of oaths
Councillor: local or county
Civil servant (permanent)
Dentist
Designated Premises Supervisors
Director/Manager of a VAT registered Charity
Director/Manager/Personnel Officer of a VAT registered Company
Engineer (with professional qualifications)
Fire service official
Funeral director
Insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
Journalist
Justice of the Peace
Legal secretary (members and fellows of the Institute of legal secretaries)
Local government officer
Manager/Personnel officer (of limited company)
Member of Parliament
Merchant Navy officer
Minister of a recognised religion
Nurse (RGN and RMN)
Officer of the armed services (active or retired)
Optician
Person with honours (e.g. OBE MBE etc.)
Personal Licensee Holders
Photographer (professional)
Police officer
Post Office official
President/Secretary of a recognised organisation
Salvation Army officer
Social worker
Solicitor
Surveyor
Teacher, lecturer
Trade union officer
Travel agency (qualified)
Valuers and auctioneers (fellow and associate members of the incorporated
society)
24-hour Passport Adviceline: 0870 521 0410 (see terms and conditions). Calls are charged at 8p per minute from a BT landline; live operators are available to assist with your enquiry 24 hours a day