Register to vote if you're living abroad - paper form
If you're a British citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas voter.
Documents
Details
You can register as an overseas voter if you鈥檝e previously lived in the UK and are either:
- a British citizen
- an eligible Irish citizen registering to vote in Northern Ireland
If you want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales, you can听register to vote听in the normal way. Alternatively you can fill out this voter registration paper form.
If you want to vote in Northern Ireland, you need to听.
There are different arrangements听if you鈥檙e going to be abroad temporarily on election day.
Renewing your registration
Your registration lasts up to 3 years. You鈥檒l get a reminder when it鈥檚 time to renew.
If you do not renew your registration, you鈥檒l be removed from the register and must make a fresh application in order to vote again.
Voting if you鈥檙e registered as an overseas voter
You can vote in UK Parliament elections.
You may be able to vote in听referendums. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.
If you鈥檙e registered in England, Scotland or Wales
You can decide whether you want to听vote by proxy听(if you鈥檙e eligible) or听vote by post:
- apply online for a postal vote
- apply by post for a postal vote
- apply online for a proxy vote
- apply by post for a proxy vote听
If you鈥檙e registered in Northern Ireland听
You can vote by proxy, if you鈥檙e eligible. You need to听.
You cannot vote by post.
Updates to this page
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Page updated to include a link to the Register to vote service and remove details about electors who were registered to vote as a resident in the UK in the last 15 years, or were too young to register. The law has changed to remove the 15-year rule. All eligibility information can now be found on the start page of the Register to vote service.
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Form 'Register to vote as an overseas voter (originally resident of Scotland)' updated.
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attachments updated
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Previous PDFs have been replaced with new PDFs containing updated wording relating to the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.
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First published.