Can foreign residents register to vote in the United Kingdom?

British and Irish citizens can register when resident and old enough. Qualifying Commonwealth citizens can also register subject to immigration conditions.

In England and Northern Ireland, specified European citizens qualify under continued-right or reciprocal arrangements. Current reciprocal nationalities include citizens of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain with the required permission.

Scotland and Wales allow a broader group of foreign nationals who have permission to enter or stay, or do not need it, to register for relevant devolved and local elections.

No. A person may qualify for local or devolved elections but not a UK Parliament election. The council or electoral office confirms the elections attached to nationality, status, age, and address.

Registration ages also differ. Scotland and Wales allow registration from a younger age for elections where voting begins at 16, while UK Parliament voting begins later.

Do not infer parliamentary voting rights from receiving a local polling card in an earlier election.

For England, Scotland, and Wales, use the official online registration service or the correct paper form. Prepare address history, birth date, nationality, and National Insurance number if available.

Northern Ireland uses a separate registration process through the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland and may require documentary evidence.

Re-register after changing address, name, or nationality. Registering for Council Tax does not automatically place you on the electoral register.

The full electoral register is used for elections and permitted purposes. The open register is an extract that organisations can buy; eligible applicants can choose not to appear on the open version.

If an election is approaching, check the registration, postal-vote, and identification deadlines separately. Completing the form after a deadline will not add you to that poll.

People whose safety would be at risk from publication can ask the electoral office about anonymous registration and the evidence required.