Registering to vote as an overseas voter
If you are a British or eligible Irish citizen living abroad who has previously lived in the UK or been registered to vote in the UK, you can register to vote in the UK general election.
Changes to voting from overseas now apply:
- you can register to vote if you previously lived in the UK but were not registered to vote
- you can register to vote in the UK no matter how long ago you left or were last registered to vote
- your overseas declaration is now valid for 3 years, lasting until 1 November in the third year after it takes effect (for example, if your declaration takes effect on 1 March 2024, it will expire on 1 November 2026)
If you are an overseas voter who registered to vote before 16 January 2024, you need to renew your registration when your declaration expires.
The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 general election is 18 June 2024.
Proxy voting for the general election
It is recommended that overseas voters opt to vote by proxy, rather than by post, in the UK general election on 4 July, due to the timescales.
If you applied for a proxy vote before 31 October 2023, this expired on 31 January 2024 and you need to reapply for a proxy vote.
Apply to vote by proxy if living overseas on GOV.UK
Postal votes for overseas voters
If you have a long-term postal vote you applied for before 31 October 2023, this will expire 12 months after the date of your most recent declaration. We will contact you before your postal vote expires.