United Kingdom

You can use this service to:

get on the electoral register so you can vote in elections or referendums
update your name, address or nationality by registering again with your new details
get on or off the open register

Who can Register:

You must be aged 16 or over (or 14 or over in Scotland and Wales).

You must also be one of the following:

a British citizen
an Irish or EU citizen living in the UK
a Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission
a citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission

Check which elections you’re eligible to vote in.

You can vote when you’re 18 or over. If you live in Scotland or Wales, you can vote in some elections when you’re 16 or over - check which elections you’re eligible to vote in.

Register Online:

You normally only need to register once - not for every election. You’ll need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address, or nationality.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
You will be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one).

After you’ve registered, your name and address will appear on the electoral register.

There’s a different process to register anonymously, for example, if you’re concerned about your safety or the safety of someone in your household.

You can edit your registration and if you prefer you can register using a paper form.
Check all the details here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

If you live abroad

You can use this service to register to vote (or to renew or update your registration) if you both:

are a British citizen
were registered to vote within the last 15 years (or, in some cases, if you were too young to register when you were in the UK)

You may need your passport details.

If you previously lived in Northern Ireland and want to vote there, use the Northern Ireland overseas elector registration form.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

DOWNLOAD PDF:

You can vote in UK Parliament elections.

You may be able to vote in referendums. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.

You can vote by post or proxy if you’re eligible. You’ll be asked to make this choice when you register.

You’ll then need to apply by filling in and posting one of the following :

You can also ask for it to be emailed or posted to you when you register online.

If you’re registered in Northern Ireland, you cannot vote by post from abroad.

You can contact your Electoral Register Office to find out when postal votes might be sent. This could help you decide whether to vote by proxy or by post.

Source: www.gov.uk

GOV.UK: The official UK government website provides information on voting as a British expat, including eligibility, registration, and voting options: www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad
Electoral Commission: The Electoral Commission is an independent body that oversees elections in the UK. Their website offers information on voting rights, the registration process, and upcoming elections: www.electoralcommission.org.uk
Your Local British Embassy or Consulate: The website of the British embassy or consulate in your host country will have specific information related to your location and can provide guidance on the voting process.
www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-dubai
Overseas Voter Registration Service: You can register as an overseas voter through this service, which is part of the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

UK Parliamentary elections

Across the whole of the UK, to vote in a UK Parliamentary election a person must be must:

be registered to vote in the constituency;
be of voting age – 18 years old on polling day;
be either a British, qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; and
Not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote – Peers in the House of Lords, prisoners serving a prison sentence or having been convicted of committing certain electoral crimes.

Local elections in England and Northern Ireland

For local elections in England and Northern Ireland, the rules are the same as they are for UK Parliamentary elections with two main exceptions. Peers in the House of Lords and EU citizens resident in the UK may also vote in local elections as long as they meet the age and residency requirements.

Local and devolved elections in Scotland and Wales

In Scotland and Wales, you must be a resident to be registered to vote in the area, but there are now different rules on nationality and age, and the ban on some prisoners voting has been removed.

In Scotland, the main differences between local and Scottish Parliament elections are:

Registered 16- and 17-year-olds can vote;
All legally resident foreign nationals can also register to vote (not just EU nationals);
Convicted prisoners who are detained and serving a sentence of 12 months or less may now register to vote in local and Scottish Parliamentary elections.

In Wales the franchise has been changed for Senedd Cymru and local elections:

Registered 16- and 17-year-olds can vote;
All legally resident foreign nationals can also register to vote (not just EU nationals).

These changes do not cover police and crime commissioner elections in Wales as these elections are a reserved matter for the UK Parliament.

The voting age will remain at 18 for PCC elections in Wales and only registered British and Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth and EU citizens will be able to vote.

All convicted prisoners serving a prison term are still prohibited from voting in Senedd Cymru and Welsh local elections.

Commonwealth and Irish Citizens

The right of some non-British residents, namely Commonwealth and Irish citizens, to vote in UK elections is a result of historic ties with the UK.

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland and qualifying Commonwealth citizens who are residents in the UK are eligible to register for, and vote in, all elections in the UK.

A qualifying Commonwealth citizen is someone who is a resident of the UK and who has leave to remain in the UK or does not require leave to remain. Electoral registration officers can check the immigration status of applicants from a Commonwealth nation.

Changes to EU nationals’ voting rights

EU nationals legally resident in the UK may currently register to vote in all elections that use the local government franchise. This entitlement stemmed from the UK’s membership of the EU.

In June 2021, the Government announced it was proposing to amend the legislation covering EU voting rights. It said after the UK’s exit from the EU “there should not be a continued, automatic right to vote and stand in local elections solely by virtue of being an EU citizen”.

The Elections Act 2022 included provisions to change the voting rights of EU citizens in local elections in England and Northern Ireland, and in police and crime commissioner elections in Wales. These changes are expected to take place after local elections in England in 2024. The eligibility of EU nationals to register to vote in these elections will depend on when they became resident in the UK and which EU country they are from. The Government estimates that around 160,000 EU nationals will lose their right to vote in local elections in England and Northern Ireland.

The changes in voting rights for EU nationals will not affect voters from Cyprus, Malta and Ireland. Resident citizens of Malta and Cyprus will retain their voting rights as qualifying Commonwealth citizens. Those from Ireland will retain voting rights from the historic ties with the UK that predate EU membership.

They will also not alter the voting rights of foreign nationals, including EU nationals, in devolved and local elections in Scotland and Wales.

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