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The British Pensions Service have asked me to provide a “Life Certificate” to prove that I am still alive so that they will continue to pay my pension. In order to comply with this I need a suitable professional (working or retired) to identify me from my passport, watch me sign my name on a pre-printed document written in English. They should then confirm this by signing their own name, their job title (in English) and business/home address (in Pinyin). The witness does not need to either live in the UK or hold a British passport but should be qualified with a recognised profession (e.g. doctor, dentist, (see list below) and of good standing in their community. Unfortunately the UK Consular Service, the bank, local hospital, local police, PSB, CDHT Community Service all seem to consider this to be outside their job description or cant read English. or wont/cant formalise it with a rubber stamp if a business or gov dept. The best offer was a written statement to the effect that I am still alive and living in Chengdu but it breaks down when it comes to witnessing my identity and signature.
“Examples of people working in (or being retired from) recognised professions resp “persons of good standing in their community” are:
accountant, airline pilot, articled clerk of a limited company, assurance agent of recognised company, bank/building society official barrister, chairman/director of limited company, chiropodist, commissioner of oaths, councillor (local or county), civil servant (permanent), but not someone who works for Her Majesty’s Passport Office, dentist, director/manager of a VAT-registered charity, engineer (with professional qualifications), financial services intermediary (eg a stockbroker or insurance broker), fire service official,funeral director, insurance agent (full time) of a recognised company, journalist, Justice of the Peace, legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs), licensee of public house, local government officer, manager/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 (RGN and RMN), officer of the armed services, optician, paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals), person with honours (an OBE or MBE, for example), pharmacist, photographer (professional), police officer, Post Office official, president/secretary of a recognised organisation, Salvation Army officer, social worker, surveyor, teacher, lecturer, trade union officer, travel agent (qualified), valuer or auctioneer (fellows and associate members of the incorporated society) Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers.
This is super wacky. The UK Consular Service can’t do this for you but a professional photographer can? What? Perhaps you could try an international dentist in Chengdu like Aurora Dental.
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What I am finding is that officialdom, and in that I include banks, are about as flexible as a steel girder round here. I can understand that it’s not listed in their job description but you would think that after 40 years of being with the same bank including 10 years in China with the group that they would be only too pleased since they list witnessing customer’s signatures and verification of true copies as a free service.
Yes, I have a dentist that I use on my list but I am not hopeful. Initially people say “no problem” but then meet a brick wall when they check with the boss. In the UK they would just hit you with a fee to sign a document of this nature.
What I find strange though is that the Pensions department list an official stamp in their list of requirements, however, they will accept someone who is retired and could not possibly use a official stamp. On that basis I suspect that the official stamp cannot be made compulsory and will have to go with that option if all else fails as I probably have a better chance of drumming up a respectable individual in Chengdu if I call in the guanxi.
Did you ever solve this problem?
I also need to get an affidavit signed by a “comissioner of oaths” asap….
@ Tracey
We resolved the issue with guanxi which made the value of the witness kinda questionable but who was I to argue if HM Gov. would accept it.
I have established that are allegedly half a dozen or so offices for ‘commissioner of oaths’ in Chengdu albeit that nobody could tell me where they were located. I did, however, establish that you would need to make an appointment and that there is no guarantee that they will speak English. However, whoever prepared your affidavit should be able to direct you to their offices. I do understand that there is one in the grounds of the No 3 hospital that is clearly marked in English from the outside – be prepared to get lost in the grounds and do a lot of walking because it’s a big site.
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