Birth Certificate

[KathyWoolfe]

This is, of course, the basis of the plot of Day of the Jackal (pub 1972) and is still the case today.

There was a programme on last year about it. The reporting journo asked for a copy of Frederick Forsyth's birth certificate from the appropriate registrar, got it, and used it to obtain a UK passport in the name of Frederick Forsyth. They then confronted the man himself over dinner with a friend in a restaurant Watchdog style as if it was all his fault for highlighting the loophole in the first place. He was rather bemused and somewhat annoyed, unsurprisingly.

I thought that for a passport you also have to have a photo of you verified by a professional (ie doctor, solicitor etc) who has known you for at least 2 years?

[DimPrawn]

I thought that for a passport you also have to have a photo of you verified by a professional (ie doctor, solicitor etc) who has known you for at least 2 years?

Have you heard of the concept of lying? If you are using a fake birth cert to obtain a passport, you might falsify the photo too.

[Lucifer Box]

Have you heard of the concept of lying? If you are using a fake birth cert to obtain a passport, you might falsify the photo too.

Shhhh, the criminal fraternity might not have thought of that.

[KathyWoolfe]

Have you heard of the concept of lying? If you are using a fake birth cert to obtain a passport, you might falsify the photo too.

So the passport office doesn't phone up the solicitor or doctor you've got your photo authenticated by then?

[PAH]

So the passport office doesn't phone up the solicitor or doctor you've got your photo authenticated by then?

No. We just expect them to, hence they think they don't need to because we won't test the system.

[Ardesco]

So the passport office doesn't phone up the solicitor or doctor you've got your photo authenticated by then?

They never have for my passport (I have a mate who is a doctor and signs things like this for me). The only thing he has ever been asked to verify was my security clearance when I joined the OTC.

[BrilloPad]

girlfriend authorised a passport for a nighbour(as director of now defunct company).

they wrote back asking lots of silly questions.

gf will write to them tomorrow.

[PAH]

girlfriend authorised a passport for a nighbour(as director of now defunct company).

they wrote back asking lots of silly questions.

gf will write to them tomorrow.

Careful, that's how IR35 investigations start. They like to try to and catch you off-guard then slowly focus in on what they're really after.

For that reason I ignore the milkman when he asks if I want gold top instead of silver. He'll have to get up earlier than that to catch me out about offshore investments.

[Lucifer Box]

So the passport office doesn't phone up the solicitor or doctor you've got your photo authenticated by then?

Not in my experience, no. My neighbour (bank manager) authenticated mine, Mrs Lucifer's, Lucifer Major's and Lucifer Minor's and was never contacted.

I'm sure you could authenticate it yourself and get away with it 99 times out of a 100.

[Gonzo]

So the passport office doesn't phone up the solicitor or doctor you've got your photo authenticated by then?

Mrs Gonzo was born overseas, so she has applied for citizenship and a passport while she has been over here and never were any of the referees that she had to supply for these contacted.