Eligibility to vote 

UK citizens, qualifying Commonwealth citizens, citizens of any EU country that are resident in the UK and certain UK citizens who live or work abroad are eligible to vote.

This page provides information regarding eligibility and special arrangements for electors.

To be eligible for inclusion on the Register of Electors you must be:

• Over 18, or reach the age of 18 during the period in which the register is in force
• A British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union Citizen, or citizen of a British Overseas Territory or British Crown Dependency (See below)
• Resident at the property you wish to register at on the date you apply

Please note foreign nationals who are not Commonwealth or EU citizens, are not eligible to register or vote.

British overseas territory citizens are those who were born in an overseas British territory or at birth one of your parents was a British overseas territory citizen.

British Crown Dependency are citizens who live within the Channel Islands or the Isle of Wight. 

Special Arrangements

In some cases, special arrangements need to be made to ensure that those who are eligible to vote can vote. For information regarding registration in these circumstances, please visit the register to vote page.

For further information please contact Electoral Services.

Eligible Nations

• Commonwealth countries
• European Union countries
• Hong Kong
• British Overseas Territories
• British Crown Dependencies

Commonwealth Countries ¹

To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the UK or not require such leave. Commonwealth citizens include those of British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Hong Kong

Only former residents of Hong Kong who hold a British Dependent Territories, British nationals (Overseas) or British Overseas passport qualify for registration.

1 Citizens of Commonwealth countries that have been suspended from the Commonwealth retain their voting rights. Their voting rights would only be affected if their country was also deleted from the list of Commonwealth countries in the British Nationality Act 1981 through an Act of the UK Parliament.

2 Citizens of the UK and the Republic of Ireland are eligible to be registered to vote in respect of ALL elections held in the UK.

3 Although also EU member states, citizens of Cyprus and Malta are eligible to be registered to vote in respect of ALL elections held in the UK.

External Links

Electoral Commission Website