Identity Document legal certification

[xoggoth]

Despite what you may imagine solicitors don't charge much for this sort of thing anyway. Can't recall exact amount but I had a statement certified by solicitor a few years back, about ten quid.

[doodab]

Sending an original passport won't prove your identity either, unless you stick your head in a box and send that as well.
Whomever is verifying your identity needs to have you and your photographic identification document in the same place at the same time so that they can compare the two.

To my mind a certified copy can serve just as well as the original document in such a situation, aside from the fact it would be somewhat easier to fake a certified copy than an original document, and it would require that the certification itself be subject to authentication, but in any case I believe the law specifically requires employers to make and retain a copy of the original documents in order to provide a "statutory excuse" and avoid punishment should it turn out that you are in fact working illegally, so they are unlikely to accept copies whomever they are certified by, unless you are simply providing them as a courtesy to save them photocopying the originals themselves.

[SueEllen]

If you are getting your passport certified for immigration purposes then the agent is not conforming with the law as they need to meet you in person themselves and see your passport.

Sending in a photocopied certified passport doesn't cut it with the UK Immigration as you could easily be impersonating another person.

However for other things you can easily get things certified by someone who is not related to you but has a degree, a doctor, a magistrate or a lawyer. Luckily I know people in all these categories.

Also if one of your lawyer friends certifies something for you, you are suppose to pay them. However paying them can be buying them a drink.

[nfoote]

some senior partner signed it there that photocopy was a true copy of the original, without even EVER seeing or meeting me to confirm *I* was a true likeness of either of them!?!?!

I would have thought it is the likeness of the bearer to the passport they are looking for, not the linkess to the original. You have still not proved who you say you are. Just that your photocopy is certified. For example I could take my wife's passport and photocopy in and they will still carry out the service.

Boom. My point entirely, I sent the photocopy of "my" passport that was signed by someone who'd never met "me" into the agent and the next Monday I was onsite working, the agent had also NEVER seen or meet "me" until about 3 months into the contract

[nfoote]

Not avail at every Post Office mind.

Very true as I found out one frustrating day after standing in a typical British queue for aaaaages.

Then took it all to a Barclays Branch since I was told a bank could do it and I am a Barlcays customer. They just plain refused to do it. I had my NZ passport, UK drivers licence and Barclays card ie 3 different forms of id, 2 from 2 different governments and 1 from Barclays themselves!! And they STILL refused to sign the photocopy of my passport as a true likeness of the originals and the person standing infront of them.
If I didn't know how much of a b@llache changing to HSBC would have been I would have shut my Barclays accounts right then and there. Honestly, does the UK even know what Customer Service is?!?

In the end I just sent my passport and the photocopy with my junior lawyer friend to her work one day, some senior partner signed it there that photocopy was a true copy of the original, without even EVER seeing or meeting me to confirm *I* was a true likeness of either of them!?!?!

[northernladuk]

I don't think this will work. It states...

We check each document against the original, date and sign each photocopy and stamp with the words, ‘this copy is a true likeness of the original’ on each document.

It does not state that this is a true likeness of the bearer. Maybe for the odd requirement it may cover it but it will not fulfil the requirements to present a passport in person to check they are allowed to work in the UK.

I would have thought it is the likeness of the bearer to the passport they are looking for, not the linkess to the original. You have still not proved who you say you are. Just that your photocopy is certified. For example I could take my wife's passport and photocopy in and they will still carry out the service.

[rpgpgmr1]

Doesnt have to be only a solicitor, see link:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/p...iaId=105000818

Seems reasonable charge for anyone not in a LTD company ( who would provide a letter stating that any Employee supplied by them has been checked for right to work in UK ) who needs to provide certifed copies of ID documents . Not avail at every Post Office mind.