Passport Expiring - please help!

[michelleandrichard]

Hi all
Wonder if any of you who have had to renew have come accross a similar problem. I did not renew our passports in the uk as worried about losing visa stamp etc - silly I know in hindsight. I have printed off the form for both mine and my daughters renewal passport and when reading the supporting information notice that the countersignature has to be a british national we have knownfor 2 years who is a lawyer, doctor, teacher etc - if not a british national an australian citizen of a similar standing. The only people we know (as we have only been here 3 months) have been here 5 years but do not hold such qualifications. He owns a business and his qualification is in the building trade. I have been back on the website and very helpfully there is no way of enquiring about this except via telephone. The telephone line is charged at either $3 per minute for the info line or a flat fee of $9 if you call the passport enquiry line. Just thought before I hang on the line for ages and rack up a huge bill someone might be able to help. I know a teacher here, but have only known her for 2 months and I don't think she would be prepared to say she had know me for longer- not that I want to do that as they probably check up. Considering all the identification processes you go through to get the visa stamp you would think renewing the passport would be easy!

We aren't planning on going back to visit yet but want to make sure we have passports valid incase something happens in the uk that means we have to return.

Would be grateful for any help in this.

Michelle

[Rob and Clare]

I think that some police stations have a proclaimed officer on site.. I know Holden Hill do. This is usually to sign traffic offences etc, but it may be ok for the passport forms too.

This is what the website state :

Proclaimed Police Officer

Proclaimed Police Officers, who can be found at most South Australian police stations, are also authorised to witness documents.
It is advisable to call the police station before attending to ensure there is a Proclaimed Police Officer available when you attend

[Rob and Clare]

or try this for a JP.
http://jp.agd.sa.gov.au/JPPublicWeb/

[richjop]

We needed all our docs certified for the permanent Visa and we went to Burnside library on a Saturday morning to see the JP and he did it all free of charge and even had time for a chat about the UK!!!

[catherine.c]

If you need to have known them for 2 years, can you not ask someone in the UK to sign it? Just send everything to them and they can pass it on to the relevent office. That is assuming you know someone in the UK who is a lawyer / doctor / whatever.
Cheers
Catherine

[Devon]

Hi Michelle
Crikey I called regarding this yesterday. First off I called a number that said it was a standard $9.90 for the call - as I didn't have a credit card I got referred to another number 1902941555 at a charge of $2.75 per min which gets charged to the phone bill - they advised me that the previous $9.90 was also being charged
Anyway the outcome was:
1. You cannot send your passport renewal back to the UK if you are in Australia at present and as the man advised they know where you are due to the immigration stamp when you arrived! So he joked and said so don't even try it! If you are living in Australia and are renewing when back in the UK on holiday you have to make an appointment and have an address in the UK to send the passport to.
2. I asked if I can post the renewal form back to the UK to get someone who we have known for the required two years to fill it in and then return it back so that I can post to them in OZ - long winded but there you go, but the answer was no He again advised that due to their contact details they will know that that person is in the UK and you are not! At the moment he reckons that they are checking the authorised signatory due to security with British passports at present!
3. I asked what do we do then? He replied that if you have not known anyone for the required two years then you need to get the person who is authorised to sign that you have known the longest time to do it! I asked if a JP at the police station could do this and he advised if you know them otherwise no!! They are authorised for some documents but not British passports. He then said that if this is the case that you really do not know anyone then a small business owner ie employer could sign for you as a last resort. As i said my reply I felt stupid as just knew what he would say. My OH is self employed (doh! He's known his accountant more than two years)!!!!! :daydreaming:
The outcome is that it is blooming expensive (passport cost $310 plus $15 courier charge plus the phone call) so I am glad it is only my OH's we need as I did mine for GBP75 in the UK when I went back earlier this year!
Good luck and hope this helps (sorry if it's clear as mud)
Cathy

[Devon]

Michelle
Just re-read your post - it looks like you could get the teacher that you know to sign. You have obviously known her the longest and you have only been here a month longer than you have known her so when they check up they can see that! That being the case she would not need to say she has known you longer anyway
Seems there is a high alert with British passports at present due to fraud hence why they actually are checking at the moment
Good luck again and should have read it properly the first time to save all that typing
Cathy

[michelleandrichard]

Hi all
Thanks for the replies - very helpful. I did call the line eventually - before I logged on here stupidly enough. Can't believe they actually charge you for information - what a cheek. Anway they have said the same - if you have not known someone for 2 years then it has to be someone who has known you the longest so I am going to ask my daughters friends mum who is a teacher.

If anyone if thinking about renewing passport in England do it there - so much cheaper. For mine and my daughters passport it is going to be over $500 plus courier costs. I was so worried about the passport going missing before we came here but I could have gone and done the express thingy at the passport office and it still would have been cheaper. Oh well I suppose it is a learning curve and hopefully someone can save the expense we have had by reading this!

Off to fill in form now - I hate forms

Michelle