UK Passport Countersignatory From Australia: Who Can Sign

For a paper UK passport application from Australia, your countersignatory must have known you for at least two years, be of good standing or in a recognised profession, and not be a relative or partner. From overseas, they may hold a British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth passport, including Australian. A notary you have just met usually cannot sign.

Key takeaways

• A countersignatory confirms they know you; it is a personal reference, not a notarial act.
• They must have known you for at least two years, and must not be a relative or partner.
• For applicants overseas, an Australian passport counts, as a Commonwealth passport.
• A non-British or non-Irish countersignatory usually supplies a colour copy of their passport photo page.
• A notary can only countersign if they genuinely meet the same rules, like anyone else.
• Check the current GOV.UK guidance for your application type before anyone signs.

What does a countersignatory do?

HM Passport Office uses countersignatories to confirm the identity of people applying for a UK passport in situations where the office has no recent passport photo to compare against. The countersignatory is someone who knows you, confirms your details on the form, and certifies that one of your photos is a true likeness of you. In effect, they vouch for you, and HM Passport Office may contact them to check.

According to GOV.UK, paper applications usually need a countersignatory for a first adult or child passport, for a replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged passport, for renewing the passport of a child aged 11 or under, and for a renewal where your appearance has changed significantly. Online applications have their own way of confirming identity, so follow the instructions for the application you are making.

Who can countersign from Australia?

The rules on GOV.UK set out several conditions. The countersignatory must have known you, or the parent or guardian if the applicant is a child under 16, for at least two years. They must know you personally, for example as a friend, neighbour or colleague, rather than only through professional dealings. They must be a person of good standing in their community, or work in or be retired from a recognised profession. And they must not be related to you by birth or marriage, be your partner, or live at the same address.

The passport rule is where applying from overseas helps. For an applicant in the UK, the countersignatory needs a current British or Irish passport. For an applicant overseas, GOV.UK says the countersignatory may hold a British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth passport. Australia is a Commonwealth country, so an Australian friend or colleague with a current Australian passport can usually countersign an application made from Australia. If the countersignatory's passport is not British or Irish, they usually need to provide a colour photocopy of its photo page, and GOV.UK notes that applications may be processed faster with a British or Irish passport holder.

Requirement	Applicant in the UK	Applicant overseas, such as Australia
Known you for	At least two years	At least two years
Relationship	Friend, neighbour, colleague; not a relative or partner	Same
Standing	Good standing or a recognised profession	Same
Passport they hold	Current British or Irish	British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth
Extra evidence	Usually none	Colour copy of photo page if not British or Irish

Can a notary countersign my UK passport application?

Usually not, and it is worth being clear about why. The countersignatory's role is to vouch that they personally know you, and the rules require them to have known you for at least two years and not only in a professional capacity. A notary you meet for the first time at an appointment has not known you for two years, so they do not meet the rule, however carefully they check your identity documents. A notary cannot fix that with a seal or a certificate.

A notary could countersign only if they happen to meet the same conditions as anyone else: they have known you personally for at least two years, they are not a relative or partner, and they hold an eligible passport. In that case they sign as a person who knows you, not as a notary. For most people, the better choice is a friend, neighbour or colleague who meets the rules. Our guide to UK documents that do need a notary covers the cases where a notary is the right person.

Who usually makes a good countersignatory?

Look for someone who has known you socially or through work for a few years and who is settled in a steady job or role. Examples often include a work colleague, a manager, a neighbour, a friend from a club or community group, a teacher who knows your family, or a friend who works in a profession. GOV.UK publishes a list of recognised professions, which is useful if you are unsure whether someone's job qualifies, but good standing in the community can also be enough.

Avoid anyone who is related to you, including by marriage, anyone you live with, and anyone in a relationship with you. Also avoid someone who has known you for less than two years, even if they are a lawyer or doctor. The time rule and the relationship rule matter as much as the profession.

What does the countersignatory have to do?

On a paper application, GOV.UK says the countersignatory checks the details on the form, signs the countersignatory section, and provides their passport number. They also write a statement on the back of one of your photos certifying that it is a true likeness of you, followed by their signature and the date. If their passport is not British or Irish, they include a colour photocopy of its photo page.

They should only sign if the details are correct and the photo is a genuine likeness. HM Passport Office may contact them to confirm they signed, so they should be willing to take a call or an email. Our guide to how identity is verified explains why photo likeness checks matter to passport offices and registries.

How do you arrange a countersignatory from Australia?

1. Check whether you need one. Read the GOV.UK guidance for your application type; many renewals do not need a countersignatory.
2. Choose the right person. Someone who has known you for two years, is not related to you or living with you, and is of good standing.
3. Check their passport. For an overseas application, British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth, which includes Australian.
4. Get the photos right. Follow HM Passport Office's photo rules exactly; a rejected photo means starting again.
5. Have them complete their part. Form section, passport number and the true-likeness statement on the back of one photo.
6. Add the passport copy. If they are not a British or Irish passport holder, include a colour copy of their photo page.
7. Send it as instructed. Follow the current sending instructions for overseas applications and use tracked delivery.

What if you cannot find a countersignatory?

This happens, particularly to people who have recently moved to Australia or who lead quiet lives. Start by widening the net: a colleague, a manager, a neighbour, someone from a sports club, faith community or volunteer group, or a friend of a few years' standing who holds an Australian or other eligible passport. Remember the person does not need to be British.

If there really is no one, contact HM Passport Office for advice on your situation before you apply, rather than asking someone who does not meet the rules. A countersignature from an ineligible person can delay the application, and signing a declaration you know to be untrue is a serious matter.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is asking a relative, such as a cousin or in-law, because they have known you longest. Relatives by birth or marriage are excluded. Another is asking a professional contact who has only dealt with you in their work, such as your own doctor or accountant who does not know you personally, or a notary you have just met. A third is forgetting the colour passport copy when the countersignatory is not a British or Irish passport holder.

Photos cause many returned applications too. The countersignatory must write the true-likeness statement on the back of the right photo, in the way the guidance describes, without damaging the image. Let them read the instructions before they start. Our guide to notarising UK documents in Australia covers other UK forms that do need a notary.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

Ellie, a British citizen living in Hobart, is applying on paper for a replacement after her passport was stolen. Her first thought is to book a notary, but the notary explains that the countersignatory must have known her for two years. Instead she asks a colleague she has worked with for four years, who holds an Australian passport. The colleague checks the form, signs, adds his passport number, writes the true-likeness statement on one photo, and includes a colour copy of his passport photo page.

In short

A UK passport countersignatory vouches that they know you. From Australia, they must have known you for at least two years, not be a relative, partner or housemate, be of good standing, and may hold a British, Irish, EU, US or Commonwealth passport, including an Australian one. A notary you have just met usually cannot countersign. Our document notarisation services page explains the UK documents that do need a notary.

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Not sure whether your UK form needs a countersignatory or a notary? Send us the form and its instructions, and we will explain each step before you book.