Overseas Electors
Voting in UK Parliament elections from overseas
If you live abroad, you can register to vote in UK Parliamentary elections if you are both:
- A British citizen. This includes eligible Irish citizens (someone who was born in Northern Ireland, who is an Irish citizen and also qualifies as a British citizen) and citizens of Crown Dependencies
- And, have previously been registered to vote in the UK or have lived in the UK
Applying to register as an overseas elector
To register to vote as an overseas elector online go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. When applying, you need to provide the last UK address you were registered to vote or lived at. You also need to provide your National Insurance number and date of birth. These are used to verify your identity. Alternatively, you can ask us for a paper application form by email [email protected]
Overseas declarations are now valid for three years, lasting until 1 November in the third year after they take effect. We will contact you when it is time to renew your declaration and provide you with instructions on how to renew online.
If your declaration is due for renewal by 1 November 2026, we will contact you as follows:
| If you vote in person
|
Invitation will be sent by e-mail between 1 – 7 July 2026 |
| If you vote by post
|
Invitation will be sent from 20 July 2026 |
| If you vote by proxy or postal proxy
|
Invitation will be sent from 3 August 2026 |
If you receive an invitation from us, please respond, as failure to renew within the specified timescale will result in your removal from the electoral register.
These changes apply to UK Parliament general elections, by-elections and recall petitions. They do not apply to local elections or elections for the Scottish Parliament.
As an overseas elector you can vote in the following ways:
| Ways to Vote | Explanation |
| Proxy vote | Where someone you know who is eligible and registered to vote in the election goes to your polling station to cast your vote for you. Your appointed proxy can, should they wish to do so, then apply to vote by post. They will need to apply for this themselves after you apply for them to be your proxy. |
| Postal vote | Where you receive and send back a postal ballot pack yourself. If you are considering this option, it is important to consider that:
|
| In person | Where you will be expected to travel to your designated polling station, you will need to be in the UK on polling day. You cannot, however, vote in person at a British embassy, high commission or consulate. |
If you wish to apply to vote by post, you can apply using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
If you wish to apply to vote by a proxy you can you can apply using the following link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
For more information visit electoralcommission.org.uk/overseasvoters
