Who can register to vote?

Age

You need to be 18 or over in order to vote at elections. Anyone over 17 is eligible to appear on the electoral register if they satisfy the criteria listed below. This is because 17 year olds will become 18 during the life of the register, so after their birthday they will be able to vote.

Residence

To vote you need to register at the address where you live. If you change your address you will need to re-register as soon as you move.

Nationality and citizenship

Only British, Commonwealth, Irish and European Union citizens are eligible to vote. Below are the details of how to find out which citizens are allowed to vote in this country.

If you are not a citizen of one of the countries listed on the electoral commissions website you cannot register to vote, even if you are allowed to live in this country.

Citizens of European Union member states are not eligible to vote in UK parliamentary elections. They can only vote in local or European parliamentary elections.

More about who can register to vote

Citizens who are from the Commonwealth countries, British overseas territories and EU member states that are resident in the UK are eligible to register to vote. To check if your country is listed go to the electoral commission's website.