Register to vote as an overseas elector

If you are a UK citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas elector. This means you can cast your vote in UK elections and referendums while still living in another country.

Register as an overseas elector

You can register to be an overseas elector using the online form below.

To complete your registration, you will need to provide your:

full name
address
date of birth
National Insurance number.

You may also need your passport details.

Find out more about National Insurance numbers on the GOV.UK website.

Who can be an overseas elector

You can use this service to register to vote, or to renew or update your registration. You can only use this service if you are a British citizen who registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years.

If you were too young to vote when you left the UK, you can still register provided your parent or guardian was registered to vote in the UK and you left the UK no more than 15 years ago.

You can only register as an overseas elector for a period of 15 years from the last time you appeared on the Electoral Register. After that time, your voting rights cease.

If you should move back to the UK, then you can register to vote at your new address as an ordinary elector. You will have full voting rights for all elections eligible to you.

Renew your registration annually

To remain as an overseas elector, you will need to renew your application annually. To renew, you can use the same online form above that you use to register. We will contact you to remind you to renew your declaration before it expires.

If you change address, return to the UK or no longer wish to be registered as a overseas elector, you must inform the Electoral Registration office.

Email: electoralservices@nfdc.gov.uk

Phone: 023 8028 5445

How to vote

You can vote in one of three ways:

by post
by proxy
in person if you are in the UK.

Voting by post means using a form to register your vote and sending it by post. Voting by proxy means applying for someone else to cast your vote on your behalf. Find out more about voting by post or proxy.

You can only vote in person if:

you can get to your normal polling station on election day
you or your proxy hasn't applied to vote by post
you have not already cast your vote
your proxy has not already voted for you.

Privacy notice

There are two versions of the electoral register.

The full register is used for elections and referendums, preventing crime, and checking applications for credit. When you register to vote, your details will appear on the full register.

The edited register is available for general sale, and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing. You can choose if your details will appear on the edited register.

For more information on how we use your personal data, see our Electoral Services Privacy Notice.