Certified Passport Copy

[NeilH76]

Hi,
Can someone tell me where and how i can get a copy of my passport certified? Thanks

[stevewool]

any solictors office will do this for a fee, just ring around the price can differ a lot

[NeilH76]

thank you ... more expense then

[johncar54]

I guess Steve is correct, however, I live in Spain, where the only ‘person’ who can certify a copy as authentic is a person from the department where the original was issued, i.e. passport office/consulate in the case of a passport, DVLA for a D/L or a log book, etc, as only the place which issues the original can be certain that the original, presented to them (with a copy) is in fact a valid document and not a forgery.

Thus in Spain, a solicitor, notary, judge, police officer etc. cannot certify a copy. The same should apply everywhere. (In my former job I saw many forged documents which would have fooled almost anybody, certainly your average solicitor)

[stevewool]

i think i paid just a fiver but this was 5 years ago

[NeilH76]

i think i paid just a fiver but this was 5 years ago

ahhh that's not so bad ... when hearing the word 'solicitors' it sounds expensive, hehe

[johncar54]

This puts what I said above in context.

After we married in RoP my wife and I came to Spain 8 years ago. In order to get my dependent’s allowance on my OAP I had to send an original copy Marriage Certificate, or an authenticated copy, to DWP. I could not find an original so I took a copy to the Town Hall, they copied (the copy) and certified their copy as a ‘true copy of the original’ which they believed it was.
I sent the town hall copy, certified to DWP and received the allowance.
It was a few years after that, that Spain stopped the practice of town halls, solicitors etc providing copies.

[stevewool]

thats it John, it is the person saying the picture is a true likeness of who is standing in front of them, but the person cant be a criminal saying that

[johncar54]

Steve, It is the person saying the picture is a true likeness of who is standing in front of them,

The question was:- Can someone tell me where and how i can get a copy of my passport certified?

It was not certifying a passport photo, which I have been doing for friends for over 50 years now.

[Terpe]

Hi,
Can someone tell me where and how i can get a copy of my passport certified? Thanks

Any professional person or a person of good standing in the community is able to certify your documents/passport etc

Here's a list that gives examples of the type of person that would be OK
(about the same as those who can countersign a passport applicatio/photo etc.

- Accountant
- Airline pilot
- Articled clerk of a limited company
- Assurance agent of recognised company
- Bank/Building Society official
- Barrister
- Chairman/Director of limited company
- Chiropodist
- Commissioner of Oaths
- Councillor (local or county)
- Civil servant (permanent)
- Dentist
- Director/Manager of a VAT-registered charity
- Director/Manager/HR Officer of a VAT-registered company
- Engineer (with professional qualifications)
- Financial services intermediary (eg a stockbroker or insurance broker)
- Fire Service official
- Funeral director
- Insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company
- Journalist
- Justice of the Peace
- Legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs)
- Licensee of public house
- Local government officer
- Member, associate or fellow of a professional body
- Member of Parliament
- Merchant Navy officer
- Minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science)
- Nurse (RGN and RMN)
- Officer of the armed services (active or retired)
- Optician
- Paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals)
- Person with honours (an OBE or MBE, for example)
- Pharmacist
- 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 agent (qualified)
- Valuer or Auctioneer (fellows and associate members of the incorporated society)
- Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers

Have both the photocopied document and the original and ask the person to certify the copy by writing ‘Certified to be a true copy of the original seen by me’ on the document.
Have them sign and date it and print their name under the signature.
They'll need to add their occupation, address and contact number

BTW, legally the person you ask should not be directly related to you, living at the same address as you or in a relationship with you.

Best to first double-check with the organisation that needs the certified copy as they may have additional specific limiting rules on just who is acceptable to them to certify a document.

[johncar54]

Not sure if you included a 'local community leader'.

I was on a team which arrested 300+ such persons accepted by UK Passport Office to sign passport applications, for signing false applications. (Albeit that they had no 'professional standing,' no kind of registration, had not even been elected etc and were not even paid).

In passing. When I was a serving police officer I signed my wife's application for a PP (she had been on my passport for years). I included a note to the effect that as her husband I was better qualified than anyone to confirm the facts. My pals in Scotland Yard did not believe the PP would be issued, but it was without any questions. Funny old world !