Getting on the UK Electoral Register

To vote in UK elections your name must appear on the electoral register. For current advice on registering to vote, see www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

If you are a British citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas voter. You must have been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years and be eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections and European Parliamentary elections. If you were too young to register when you left the UK, you can still register as an overseas voter. You can do this if your parent or guardian was registered to vote in the UK, as long as you left the UK no more than 15 years ago. An overseas registration lasts 12 months. You must renew your registration each year, and will be reminded to do so by your local Electoral Registration office. If you have renewed your registration within the last year and the next election is within the year, you are registered as an overseas voter. You do not need to register to vote again. You need to register at least 17 days before the election date.