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Who can register to vote?

You can register to vote if you are:

• 16 years old or over and
• a British citizen
• or an Irish, qualifying Commonwealth or European Union citizen who is resident in the UK

If you are 16 or 17, you can only register if you will be 18 within the lifetime of the electoral register. You cannot vote until you are 18.

Below is a full list of Commonwealth and European Union countries. If you are a citizen of one of these countries, and resident in the UK, you are eligible to register to vote in UK elections. To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the UK or not require such leave. The definition of a 'Commonwealth citizen' includes citizens of British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

European Union countries

If you are an EU citizen resident in the UK and wish to vote in the 2009 European Parliamentary elections in the UK, you will need to fill in a European Parliament voter registration form.  More details can be found here.

Commonwealth countries

Download an electoral registration form