We like to do a food shop in France around 1-2 times per month.

We just had a little baby last week but do not have a passport yet (we are British), but will receive the birth certificate within the next few days.

Can we travel to France (via car) with just a birth certificate or do we need a passport to cross the border?

No idea- but I could ask one of my neighbours who work at that border post. Beware though that there is quite a long diversion due to the road being closed from Jougne to Cluses-et-Mijoux due to a massive rock fall. Off peak time, it is fine- another 20 minutes via very pretty Lac St Point- but it is very slow at peak frontaliers time, and will be next week-end as it is a return week-end for French school holidays (last week-end was awful - one massive queue!).

I wouldn't risk it, to be honest. It's between Schengen countries but I know you need some kind of photo ID in case you are stopped. Can you get the baby's residence permit sorted out? Maybe that would be enough.

Either way, travelling cross-border with a baby and no more paperwork than a birth certificate is a big red flag to border guards.

Could you ask? Thanks!

Congrats on the birth of your baby

My advise is to contact your embassy. They might be able to provide some information regarding you question or at least some info on how fast the passport could be issued.

In our case when we got the birth certificate the residence permit was ready within a week and passport within two weeks (we are EU nationals).

Good luck

Does anyone know where you can get baby passport photos done in Lausanne?

Also, does anyone have any experience applying for a British passport for a baby from Switzerland? We reckon it's quicker to do online but also possible via the Embassy in Geneva?

Any tips would be much appreciated.

Passport application is all done online now and out of the UK. The days of issuing a passport from Geneva (and Paris for that matter) are long gone.

I am in the process of getting my son's passport renewed from CH, and we had to send the application to the UK. When you do yours, my advice is to get a British national to countersign the photos of your baby. I asked my Swiss neighbour to countersign (why oh why), and it's been nearly two months, and still no new passport . I am told the delay is because the Passport Office needs to verify the identity of my neighbour, and it is all done by snail mail!

This is where you can start the online application:
https://passportapplication.service.gov.uk/ips-olc/

Good luck and congratulations on the new addition to your family.

Will go and ask later. BTW re road closure, you can still get to Atac or Intermarché in Jougne- as the road closure begins the other side of Jougne.

PS- missed him. he is doing the afternoon/evening shift.

To the best of my knowledge the photo needs to be countersigned by a UK national or citizen of an EU country (w/proper documentaton) An EEA country such as CH or Norway does not qualify.

We recently applied for our daughter's (17) first ever UK passport, by post with all sorts of supporting evidence that she qualifies for citizenship. It was a lot of leg/phone work but the passport arrived within 3 weeks total

D'oh!!!!

You're right Tasebo. Just called the Passport Office, and read and re-read the guidance notes on counter-signatory, and indeed it is EU (which excludes CH)! Note to self - do not apply for passports to two countries at the same time!

Bizarrely since writing my earlier post, I have identified one British person who I know very well (and who knows my son) and who lives in the same village!

Now, I feel like a right dumbo!

Is that EU (non-Swiss) signatory a new thing, or just in the case of kids' passports? When I renewed my passport 6 years ago, I got the company lawyer to sign the back of mine, who is a Swiss. I focused more on the "professional" person bit of the criteria and saw that it didn't have to be a British national.

My thinking was that the British people I know didn't seem to fall into the "professional" category.

This is tricky as well. We tried 2 photographers in Nyon with our 6-month old and none of them were willing to do it as they considered it a waste of time.

Maybe Swiss newborns know how to behave when they have their pictures taken, not sure really

Last time I sent in an application to the Passport office for myself was when I changed my name (used my maiden name in the UK, but decided to go all Hausfrau here in CH). I did need to send in a new photo and those had to be countersigned.

The British lady I know here works at the ETH, so she should satisfy the professional aspect. Interestingly had I waited for one more day, we would have asked my OH's boss (Swedish professor) to counter-sign the photos. But as it were, he was traveling, and I thought the banker Swiss neighbour would do nicely. Now if you'll excuse, I am going to stuff my face with madeleines - I feel so stupid!

OP, sorry for semi-hijacking your post!

It would be a big risk to do it without a passport or legal photo ID ( which the UK doesn't have).
Although it's schenghen you do need to have a valid ID/travel document when crossing the border and neither a birth certificate nor a Swiss residence permit fulfil that criteria.
You may or may not be checked but it is really not worth the risk.

On the upside processing times for UK passports is two weeks or less at the moment ( unless you provide dubious countersignatories) so it shouldn't take long to get one once you have the birth certificate.

As an aside they don't seem to be as fussy about the professional credentials of countersignatories as they used to be. Loads of professions are now eligible. I have done it a few times and on one occasion was actually contacted by the passport office to verify the information provided. It didn't delay the process though as everything was in order and my friend got her newborn's passport within 10 days of sending it off.

Not sure if it's new - we got the OH's first boss here to sign ours initially for renewal as he's British.

"If you’re applying outside the UK

Your countersignatory must have a current British, Irish or other EU, US or Commonwealth passport.

If they have a US, Commonwealth, or non-British or non-Irish EU passport, you must include with your application a colour photocopy of the page with their photograph on it.

Your application will be processed faster if they have a British or Irish passport."

However, note that it DOESN'T have to be done every time you renew your passport.

When you need someone else to sign your form and photo

You must get your form and one of your 2 photos signed if you’re applying for a:
first adult passport
first child passport
replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport
renewal of a passport for a child aged 11 or under
renewal of a passport if your appearance has changed and you can’t be recognised from your existing passport

I haven't had my passport photo signed for I guess 10-12 years now. I just send a new photo when renewing and get the new passport back again a week or so later. Last did it in 2012.

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Just as well as I don't know anyone on the acceptable signatory list who's British who could do it for me these days.

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-pa...tersignatories

Interesting that they seem to think your dentist or pharmacist would know you better than your doctor.

Just lie the baby flat on the floor on a neutral blanket and take (quite) a few shots (without flash to avoid the harsh shadow).
Crop the pictures to the correct passport size and get them printed.

That's what we did with a two week old.

Wow that's fast. I sent my application on the 13th and they only received it on the 23rd (registered Swiss post)! I wonder if your friend sent hers by DHL!

I wish the passport office contacted me - they communicated with the Swiss counter signatory but I have not received a single letter. Second note to self - don't mail important documents on a Friday 13th!

Any idea how long it's going to take them to clear it? We'll be going through in about 3 weeks' time. I'll keep an eye on truckinfo.ch too.

I'll post here as soon as it is re-opened (will you have time for a cuppa?)