British citizens living abroad

Yorkshire puddings, pubs, and having a good debate over a decent cup of tea with an old friend are just a few things you may miss while you’re overseas. But living abroad doesn’t stop you having your say back home…

Every British citizen who has been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years is eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary (general) elections and European Parliamentary elections in the UK. To do so, you need to register to vote as an ‘Overseas voter’. You can get the registration form on this website.

If you were too young to register when you left the UK, you can still register as an overseas voter so long as your parent or guardian was registered to vote in the UK.

Once you’ve got the registration form, you’ll need to make sure you sign the declaration and you’ll need to get another British citizen living overseas, but not a close relative, to sign the witness declaration (British embassies and consulates can usually do this for you if you ask). Once you’ve filled in the form, you’ll need to post it back to the local electoral registration office where you want to register in the UK. You can find their address and other contact details by entering your UK postcode on this website (usually the postcode of your last UK address).

How can I vote?

Once you’re registered, you’ll need to decide how you want to vote depending on your personal circumstances. If you’re in the UK on election day, you can always vote in person at a polling station. But don’t worry if you’re abroad at the time of the election or have another reason why you won’t be able to vote in person on the day - you can apply to vote by post or by proxy (someone voting on your behalf). Have a look at our How to vote pages for more information.

If you’re based abroad, you need to be aware that, due to election timetables, you may not receive your ballot paper until shortly before election day. Depending on where you’re based, there may not be enough time for you to return your ballot before voting closes (10pm on election day), so voting by post may not be the best way for you to vote. In these circumstances we would encourage you to appoint a proxy in the UK to vote on your behalf. Proxies can themselves apply to vote for you by post, if this is easiest for them. You can find more information on postal and proxy voting here.

Want further information on registration or voting? Have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions.