Applying for Child first UK passport from Thailand, do they keep the original docs?

[Millian]

Does anybody know if they keep all the original docs, including parents passports?

I also need to apply for wife's UK Visa, and wondering if we can apply at the same time? However, If they keep some of the original socs from Passport application, not sure if that's possible? 

[CharlieH]

Who is "they" that you are referring to ? Generally, if original docs are required, they are returned.

[Millian]

VFS Global, the company that processes Visa and passport applications on behalf of the UK government.

 

Are the original docs sent to UK, or are they returned at the time of application? 

[brewsterbudgen]

For the child's first passport, the originals are checked by VFS (Bangkok or Chiang Mai) and then returned, including any passports. 

 

Obviously for your wife's visa, they take her passport.

[KannikaP]

On 4/17/2025 at 2:43 PM, Millian said:

Does anybody know if they keep all the original docs, including parents passports?

I also need to apply for wife's UK Visa, and wondering if we can apply at the same time? However, If they keep some of the original socs from Passport application, not sure if that's possible? 

How can they keep the parent's passports. Do you mean just while the application is going through.

[KannikaP]

Slightly off topic, but relevant. My son in Dubai is renewing his 5 year old daughter's passport, online....no silly VFS involved.

He had to nominate someone who has known HIM for over 2 years, and sent them MY email. I subsequently got an email from HMPO which I started to fill in, only to find that a family member is not acceptable. An airline pilot...chiropodist, dentist, funeral director, journalist, pub licensee!, nurse, optician, Sally Army Officer, surveyor, nurse, photographer, trade union officer or travel agent are all OK, working or retired. 

Professions that are not accepted

You cannot confirm someone’s identity if you:

are a doctor, unless you state you know the applicant well (for example they’re a good friend) and you recognise them easily from their photo.

How silly can it get?

Luckily we know a Travel Agent.

[theoldgit]

On 4/25/2025 at 9:19 AM, KannikaP said:

Slightly off topic, but relevant. My son in Dubai is renewing his 5 year old daughter's passport, online....no silly VFS involved.

He had to nominate someone who has known HIM for over 2 years, and sent them MY email. I subsequently got an email from HMPO which I started to fill in, only to find that a family member is not acceptable. An airline pilot...chiropodist, dentist, funeral director, journalist, pub licensee!, nurse, optician, Sally Army Officer, surveyor, nurse, photographer, trade union officer or travel agent are all OK, working or retired. 

Professions that are not accepted

You cannot confirm someone’s identity if you:

are a doctor, unless you state you know the applicant well (for example they’re a good friend) and you recognise them easily from their photo.

How silly can it get?

Luckily we know a Travel Agent.

The rules who can, or cannot, countersign a passport application are clearly detailed in the application guidelines, including the restrictions on family members, the list of those who can is pretty extensive.

[KannikaP]

7 hours ago, theoldgit said:

The rules who can, or cannot, countersign a passport application are clearly detailed in the application guidelines, including the restrictions on family members, the list of those who can is pretty extensive.

Yes, but who makes the rules. Some of those persons seem very silly to me....a chiropodist but NOT a Doctor. A Sally Army Officer but NOT a Vicar or Priest. 

[KannikaP]

On 4/18/2025 at 1:20 PM, Millian said:

VFS Global, the company that processes Visa and passport applications on behalf of the UK government.

 

Are the original docs sent to UK, or are they returned at the time of application? 

I would say yes, the documents are sent, via Courier, to UK HMPO, all 32 copies of all the passport pages, even empty ones. I can understand that as some stupid Immigration  man had stamped Page 26 a couple of years ago, not in sequence with all the other in/out stamps.

Copies of Birth Certificates may be non-returnable, but not the Originals if you sent them. Even your old Passport is returned.

Why in these days of secure sending of documents is the post still being used, flying all those dead trees around the world.

[theoldgit]

5 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Yes, but who makes the rules. Some of those persons seem very silly to me....a chiropodist but NOT a Doctor. A Sally Army Officer but NOT a Vicar or Priest. 

A doctor can sign if they know the applicant well enough to recognise the applicant from a photograph, l think you’ll find it’s the GP’s themselves that have decided that they don’t want to be bogged down with this sort of bureaucracy, as they don’t want to sign a form confirming that they recognise an applicant from a photo, not unreasonable given that GP’s generally have well in excess of 2,300 patients.

Ministers of religion can countersign applications, including vicars and priests.

I don’t know who originally drafted the guidelines they’ve been around for decades, they’re pretty extensive.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, theoldgit said:

A doctor can sign if they know the applicant well enough to recognise the applicant from a photograph, l think you’ll find it’s the GP’s themselves that have decided that they don’t want to be bogged down with this sort of bureaucracy, as they don’t want to sign a form confirming that they recognise an applicant from a photo, not unreasonable given that GP’s generally have well in excess of 2,300 patients.

Ministers of religion can countersign applications, including vicars and priests.

I don’t know who originally drafted the guidelines they’ve been around for decades, they’re pretty extensive.

Recognised professions

You must work in or be retired from a recognised profession and know the applicant personally.

Examples of recognised professions include:

accountant

airline pilot

articled clerk of a limited company

assurance agent of a recognised company

bank or building society official

barrister

chairman or director of a limited company

chiropodist

commissioner for oaths

councillor - local or county

civil servant - permanent

dentist

director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company

engineer with professional qualifications

financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker

fire service official

funeral director

insurance agent of a recognised company - full time

journalist

Justice of the Peace

legal secretary - fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs

licensee of a public house

local government officer

manager or personnel officer of a limited company

member, associate or fellow of a professional body

Member of Parliament

Merchant Navy Officer

minister of a recognised religion including Christian Science

nurse - registered

officer of the armed services

optician

paralegal - certified, qualified or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals

person with honours - OBE or MBE

pharmacist

photographer - professional

police officer

Post Office official

president or secretary of a recognised organisation

Salvation Army Officer

social worker

solicitor

surveyor

teacher or lecturer

trade union officer

travel agent - qualified

valuer or auctioneer - fellow or associate member of the incorporated society

Warrant Officer or Chief Petty Officer

Professions that are not accepted

You cannot confirm someone’s identity if you:

are a doctor, unless you state you know the applicant well (for example they’re a good friend) and you recognise them easily from their photo

work for HM Passport Office

work at UK Visas and Immigration and are involved with applications for British citizenship or right of abode in the UK