Witness for passport?

CarMe

Hey I wonder could anyone help with this, I have to apply for a passport for my daughter (I'm a single mother, her father has already filled in the relevant bits) but I've just noticed that we need a witness to sign and give details about themselves and it cannot be a relative for friend! I'm a bit stumped here, I only see ex for a minute for two at handover and drop back once a week and frankly that's more than enough, does this mean we have to go off somewhere together and find someone willing to be witness who neither of us know?

I'm a bit confused, any help would be great!

Blanchguy

Both your signatures on section 7 need to be witnessed - this can be done separately - the list of acceptable witnesses is on the passport form

Member of the Garda Síochána
Member of clergy
Medical doctor
Lawyer
Bank manager/assistant bank manager
Elected public representative
Notary public/ commissioner for oaths
Peace commissioner
School principal/vice principal
Accountant

- the witness should know you but can't be a relative.

One of you will have to take the child to the garda station to get the photos witnessed so one signature can be witnessed then. Then the other just needs to take the form and get their signature witnessed. You don't need to be together.

CarMe

Ahhh I getcha!! That's much more understandable, Jesus where did I get that from. I think it's because it's written right under where he has already filled in!

That's brilliant, thanks a million

CarMe

Just in case anyone else is looking for this info and finds this, you do actually need to go together I just got sent away and told to come back with her dad, that they more than likely wouldn't accept it unless signed by the same garda at the same time.

LegacyUser

CarMe wrote: »

Just in case anyone else is looking for this info and finds this, you do actually need to go together I just got sent away and told to come back with her dad, that they more than likely wouldn't accept it unless signed by the same garda at the same time.

My mum had that issue, parents not separated but my father was working overseas and my brother and I were going to visit. Garda were no help even though my mum had legal documents from my dad putting her in charge of his accounts and legal affairs. Ended up going to a lawyer friend of the family and having to sign some legal document stating that she had a good relationship with my dad and he wouldn't try and kidnap us lol

Someone who knows both you, the father and the child like School principal should be able to sign.

Grogsy

Do solicitors/doctors charge to witness passport forms?

CarpeDiem85

Grogsy wrote: »

Do solicitors/doctors charge to witness passport forms?

I recently sent my daughters passport application away and the GP charged €20 and the solicitor charged €11!

spurious

CarpeDiem85 wrote: »

I recently sent my daughters passport application away and the GP charged €20 and the solicitor charged €11!

Sure they're probably a bit stuck. Unbelievable.

The Corinthian

spurious wrote: »

Sure they're probably a bit stuck. Unbelievable.

Why; are they a public service now?

I did this the other day, so it's fairly fresh. There are two bits that need to be witnessed; the declaration from each parent/guardian (section 7) and the overall witnessing bit, that I can't remember what it's called (section 8).

A guard at the local station can (depends on the station, from what I gather) do both for you (even though they won't 'know' you), although in the case of the former, if you've a friend who's a solicitor, doctor and you're friendly with the parish priest, you can do it that way too. Remember to bring your own passports to the station as ID though!

Final bit; if the father has "already filled in the relevant bits", then he'll have to do so again - they are, after all, what's supposed to be witnessed.

Toots

spurious wrote: »

Sure they're probably a bit stuck. Unbelievable.

To be fair, they're perfectly entitled to charge. If you're getting your doc to sign the form, you've got to go in and sit down with them because they need to witness you signing. That's a slot that could have been given to a patient who'd probably be paying double or treble that. Same with a solicitor.

Seemingly the Garda stations have now gotten quite strict on witnessing the signatures on the forms, because technically the person is supposed to be known to the Garda who witnesses it. I just recently had my son's done, he's 3 and needed his passport renewed. We were lucky down in the station and the Garda we dealt with was happy to sign off because we'd got all the relevant stuff with us, although there was a big sign up saying that Gardai can't witness the form unless they know you.

My SIL went down a few months ago, and they wouldn't do her form, she had to get the parish priest to do it.

spurious

You are seriously justifying charging for a signature?

I don't know how many forms I signed for kids as a teacher. I could have been raking it in.

The Corinthian

spurious wrote: »

I don't know how many forms I signed for kids as a teacher. I could have been raking it in.

And if you were not an employee who gets paid the same salary regardless but instead self employed and charging for your time, as solicitors and doctors do, I've no doubt you would have.

Toots

With doctors it's not just a money issue though, if you're going in getting a passport signed, it means that potentially there's a patient being turned away whose need to see the doctor would be greater. If they weren't charging for signatures you'd have a lot more people showing up looking to get things signed, which would impact on patient waiting times.

When I worked in a bank branch it was unbelievable the amount of stuff I got asked to sign on a weekly basis. Most of it was grand, and if people were happy to queue up and wait for me to autograph and stamp something, that was fine. A lot of them told me that they were coming down to the bank because GPs had started charging to sign the forms, and that was what made me realise just how much stuff like that would impact a GP surgery in terms of time essentially wasted on signing forms, when they could be treating patients.

CarpeDiem85

In fairness when I went in to get the GP to sign the form, it literally took 20 seconds to look at the form, sign it and stamp it. I was gobsmacked when she said she was charging €20 for it. I would have got someone else to do it otherwise.

December2012

CarpeDiem85 wrote: »

In fairness when I went in to get the GP to sign the form, it literally took 20 seconds to look at the form, sign it and stamp it. I was gobsmacked when she said she was charging €20 for it. I would have got someone else to do it otherwise.

Why did you not ask before you went in?

Neyite

CarpeDiem85 wrote: »

In fairness when I went in to get the GP to sign the form, it literally took 20 seconds to look at the form, sign it and stamp it. I was gobsmacked when she said she was charging €20 for it. I would have got someone else to do it otherwise.

It takes about the same amount of time and effort for them to hit 'print' on my repeat pill prescription, but they charge €50 for that.

A commisioner for oaths can charge anywhere between €10 and €50 for his signature.

titchy

A local town councillor is a commissioner for oaths here, he always signed for me for free...(last one was renewed last year, so won't need it done again now)

Anyone like that looking for the hint of a vote near you;)

Toots

Neyite wrote: »

It takes about the same amount of time and effort for them to hit 'print' on my repeat pill prescription, but they charge €50 for that.

Holy crap! That's very steep. My GP charges €10, which I think is fair.

neuc

in dfa website it says 'Nurses' can also witness. [i am new user, unable to post url]
But passport form doesn't mention 'Nurses'
any HSE Nurse will do?


Your witness can be a:
Member of the Garda Síochána
Member of clergy
Medical doctor
Lawyer
Bank manager/assistant bank manager
Elected public representative
Notary public/ commissioner for oaths
Peace commissioner
School principal/vice principal
Accountant
Teacher
Dentist
Vet
Nurse
Physiotherapist
Speech Therapist
Lecturer
Credit Union manager
Pharmacist
Chartered Engineer

galah

Can i ask, realistically, how is a guard supposed to know you, especially in a larger town/city? Unless you are "known" to them for other reasons? :pac:

Just find it baffling, really.

That said, we havent had problems so far getting the kids' passports applied for and renewed, quick trip to the guards with all your stuff and no issues.

zeffabelli

There are two separate issues.

The witness part, this can be done separately.

But the guards still have to sign the application form and according to my local station, they want both parents in at the same time because the DFA will call them and ask if both were there and when they've said no, the DFA rejected the application.

This is a gross inconvenience for parents living in separate counties or have complicated work schedules. Don't know what it's about.

It makes sense for the post office clerk to check identification before posting it off rather than gps charging 20 or 30 for this.

galah

But even the witness part is a little mental - for example, hypothetically i could be a foreigner living with my irish husband in a new city - kids are irish but not yet in school, and you have no obvious health issues - who do you get to witness if they really need to " know you"? And what does that mean, anyway? Have gone for a drink with, know that your name is x, or know the entire family history going back to the time of the Fianna?

Just wondering. Pretty sure you'll always find a way, but...

Typer Monkey

zeffabelli wrote: »

There are two separate issues.

The witness part, this can be done separately.

But the guards still have to sign the application form and according to my local station, they want both parents in at the same time because the DFA will call them and ask if both were there and when they've said no, the DFA rejected the application.

This is a gross inconvenience for parents living in separate counties or have complicated work schedules. Don't know what it's about.
.

It's done to ensure that both parents/guardians are aware that a passport is being applied for for the child and are consenting to same.

People regularly come in without even the children and then are incredulous that you won't sign a passport form for unknown people with an unseen child.

It's something that needs to be done every three years. Surely both parents can find some time that suits all parties to come to the Garda station for 10 minutes. The procedures are there to prevent child abduction. I can imagine the uproar if gardai were signing forms for children willy nilly and a child was parentally abducted...damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Typer Monkey

galah wrote: »

But even the witness part is a little mental - for example, hypothetically i could be a foreigner living with my irish husband in a new city - kids are irish but not yet in school, and you have no obvious health issues - who do you get to witness if they really need to " know you"? And what does that mean, anyway? Have gone for a drink with, know that your name is x, or know the entire family history going back to the time of the Fianna?

Just wondering. Pretty sure you'll always find a way, but...

If both parents/guardians and the child go to your local Garda station with the following documentation the Garda will witness your identity and sign the form;

Both parent's passports
Child's expired passport or just birth certificate if first application
Child's birth-cert
4 photos of child
Evidence of address