Register to vote
Register to vote - European Union (EU) Citizens
Changes to voting rights
In England, the right of European Union (EU) citizens to register, vote, and stand in UK elections will be removed, except for certain groups:
- 'qualifying EU citizens' - Citizens from EU countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK, currently Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain (referred to as the EU5).
- 'EU citizens with retained rights' - EU citizens from other EU countries who were legally resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 (referred to as the EU20).
Please note that citizens of Ireland, Malta, or Cyprus will retain their voting rights in all UK elections while resident in the UK.
From 7 May 2024 the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will:
- review the eligibility of EU citizens as part of an Eligibility Confirmation and Review (ECR) process.
- write to 'Qualifying EU citizens' and 'EU citizens with retained rights' to confirm their continued eligibility to remain registered, requiring no action from them.
- update application processes for EU citizens to meet the new eligibility criteria.
Changes to candidacy rights
- changes to candidacy rights for EU citizens will be effective from 7 May 2024. EU citizens elected before this date can remain in office for their full term.
- after this date, EU citizens standing as candidates must have been legally resident in the UK before 31 December 2020, or be from Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain to be eligible.