You can register as an overseas voter if you move or live abroad.

You must have previously lived in the UK and be either:

• a British citizen
• an eligible Irish citizen registering to vote in Northern Ireland

The rules are different if youll be abroad temporarily on election day.

How to register as an overseas voter

To vote in England, Scotland or Wales, register to vote in the usual way.

To vote in Northern Ireland, register with a paper form.

Renewing your registration

You must renew your registration every 3 years to keep voting in UK elections while living abroad.

Youll get a reminder from your UK electoral registration office when its time to renew.

If you do not renew your registration, youll be removed from the register. Youll need to register to vote again as an overseas voter.

Updating your registration details

Contact the electoral registration office where you registered as an overseas voter if you need to change:

• your name
• your address
• your nationality

What elections you can vote in

You can vote in UK Parliament elections if youre registered as an overseas voter.

You may be able to vote in referendums. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.

Ways you can vote as an overseas voter

If youre registered to vote in England, Scotland or Wales, you can either:

• vote by post
• vote by proxy (if youre eligible)
• vote in person

If youre registered to vote in Northern Ireland, you can either:

• vote by proxy (if youre eligible) - youll need to apply using a paper form
• vote in person

If you want to vote in person

You can vote in person at the polling station you used when you lived in the UK. If you were not registered to vote when you lived in the UK, you can vote at the polling station that applies to where you used to live.

Youll need to show photo ID to confirm your identity.

If youre not sure which polling station you should go to, contact the electoral registration office for where you used to live.