Overseas Electors

Changes to Overseas Elector registration

The following provisions came into force on 16 January 2024 as part of the Elections Act 2022 and altered some of the processes for Overseas Electors. The main changes were:

• Removal of the 15-year limit on expatriates’ right to vote in UK Parliamentary elections. All British citizens living overseas who were previously registered or resident in the UK are now entitled to register to vote in the UK. 

• The registration period has been extended to a maximum of three years and renewals will be set to a fixed point of 1 November, in line with the updated absent voting provisions for overseas electors. 

• Overseas electors now have the option to re-apply for a postal or refresh their proxy vote, which will then be ‘tied’ to the new three-year period of registration (unless a shorter period for the absent vote is specified by the elector and it therefore expires before the end of the 3 year period) Some British citizens may register as overseas electors if they are now living abroad. 

• Already registered overseas electors will need to submit a renewal declaration to the relevant local authority when their registration is due to expire. Existing Overseas Electors won’t be able to reapply using the Register to Vote online service. In order to register, applicants must declare that their existing registration has ended.

The Electoral Commission have produced an FAQ sheet for the changes which can be accessed here Overseas Voting Changes - FAQs

Overseas Elector registration

Subject to the conditions outlined below, a British citizen aged 16 or over and living abroad is entitled to be registered as an overseas elector if they were either:

(a)   Previously registered to vote in the UK; a person who is (or was) included in a register of local government or parliamentary electors before they left the UK, either as a domestic elector, crown or service voter, overseas elector or a person of no fixed abode who is (or was) registered with a Declaration of Local Connection (DLC).

or

(b)   Previously resident in the UK but not previously registered; a person who was too young to be included on the register at the time they left the UK but had been resident in the UK, a person who was of no fixed abode who would have qualified to register as a DLC or who left the UK before 2001 (when DLC provisions were not in force).

All of the following conditions must be satisfied if you meet criteria (a):

• the entry on the register was made on the basis that you were resident, or treated for the purposes of registration as resident, at that address
• you have not appeared in any other electoral register for any other qualifying address since being last registered at the application address.

One of the following conditions must be satisfied if you meet criteria (b):  

• You were too young to have been included in a register of electors prior to residing overseas.
• You were too young to register but have the name of a parent or guardian included in a register of electors for the address at which you were residing prior to living overseas.
• You were of no fixed abode before you left the UK and although never registered to vote, met the criteria to be registered as a Declaration of Local Connection.

How long are overseas declarations valid for?

An overseas declaration is valid for up to 3 years. Registrations can be removed earlier in the following circumstances:

• cancellation by the elector 
• the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) determines that the person is not entitled to be registered
• the ERO determines the person was registered, or that their entry was altered, as a result of an application made by another person (i.e. not the individual whose details are provided on the application and who has declared that the information provided is true)
• if another entry is made in respect of the elector in any register of electors

A declaration received later than three months after it is dated will be rejected. The applicant will be informed and invited to submit a fresh declaration

An overseas voter may cancel their declaration at any time. The cancellation of an overseas declaration will cancel any absent voting arrangement made in connection with that declaration, even if the elector registers as an ordinary elector at the same qualifying address.

Renewal of overseas declarations

A person registered as an overseas elector is entitled to remain registered until the end of the 3 year period beginning with the date when the entry first takes effect, provided the other conditions for registration remain satisfied. 

Reminders will be sent to every overseas elector of the need to make a fresh declaration if they wish to remain registered. The reminder will be sent approximately 3 months before the registration is due to expire and will include a declaration for the overseas elector to complete.

Where a declaration is not renewed within the renewal period and the person is removed from the register, they will also lose any absent voting arrangement they had in place.

Registering as an overseas elector

If you are a British citizen living abroad and not already registered as an overseas elector, you can register to vote using the online register to vote service – www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

As part of the online registration process, applicants must declare that their existing registration has ended, therefore existing overseas electors cannot renew their application using this method of registration.

If you are already registered as an overseas elector, you will need to renew your registration by completing a paper form. The form will be emailed to you (or posted if we do not have an email address for you) approximately 3 months before your registration is due to expire.  The default renewal date will be 1 November on the third year of your application being granted.

Verification of applicant’s identity

All overseas elector applicants, whether the application is made online or by a paper form, will need to have their identity verified before they can be registered.

Verification is done by providing their National Insurance number (NINO) during the registration process. If a NINO is not provided, or the NINO provided does not match with the data held at the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), the applicant will be required to provide documentary evidence from a list of approved UK issued documents. This can be supplied at the point of application, or upon request by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).

Documents to support identity in the absence of a NINO or a NINO that doesn’t match with data held at DWP

When sending documents, you must provide either:

• a copy of ONE document from list A or
• a copy of ONE document from list B AND copies of TWO additional documents from either list B or C or
• copies of FOUR documents from list C.

Supporting documents list A:

• Passport
• Biometric immigration document (issued in the UK only)
• European Economic Area identity card
• Photo card driving licence (issued in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man)
• Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card

Supporting documents list B:

Unless stated otherwise, these documents must be issued in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man.

• Paper driving licence (not photo card)
• Driving licence with photo (not issued in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man)
• Birth certificate
• Marriage or civil partnership certificate
• Adoption certificate
• Firearms certificate (granted under the Firearms Act 1968)
• Record of a bail decision (issued in England or Wales)

Supporting documents list C:

These documents must be issued in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man.

• Bank or building society statement, or account confirmation letter
• Utility bill
• Credit card statement
• Benefits (or benefits entitlement) statement
• Mortgage statement
• P45 or P60 form
• Pension statement
• Council tax statement, or demand letter

The documents in list C can be the same type. For example, you can provide four bank statements from different months.

If verification by NINO match or documentary evidence has not been possible, an applicant can provide an attestation from a suitably qualified elector. Please note that attestation is only an option after the other methods of verification have been tried and have failed.

Verification of connection to UK address

The new regulations allow an overseas applicant to register in respect of the last address at which they were registered or – if they were never registered – at the last address at which they were resident in the UK. The applicant will need to provide this information, as well as the date they were last registered or resident and these details will need to be verified by the ERO.

For those applying under a last registration address, the details will initially be matched against Register of Elector records electronically, with manual records being used for older entries. If this is not possible, the details will be verified against DWP records using the name (or previous name), date of birth and postcode provided on the application.

For those applying under residency because they had never been registered to vote in the UK, the details will be verified against DWP records using the name (or previous name), date of birth and postcode provided on the application. A parent or guardian’s entry on the electoral register is acceptable if the applicant was under 18 before they left the UK.

For both registration qualifications and residency qualifications, if the DWP check fails, documentary evidence will be requested. The documentary evidence must show the applicant's full current or previous name and the relevant address.  Examples of acceptable documentary evidence include, but are not limited to:

• a driving licence granted in the UK (including an expired licence)
• an instrument of a court appointment, such as a grant of probate or letters of administration
• a letter from the Office of the Public Guardian confirming the registration of a lasting power of attorney
• a letter from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
• a council tax demand letter or statement
• a rent book issued by a local authority
• a statement of benefits or entitlement to benefits, such as a statement of child benefit, within the meaning of section 141 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, or a letter confirming that the applicant is entitled to housing benefit, within the meaning of section 130 of that Act
• a letter from the DWP confirming the applicant’s entitlement to a state pension
• a letter from a school, college, university or other educational institution which confirms the attendance of, or the offer of a place for, the applicant at that institution
• a letter from the Student Loans Company
• an official copy of the land register entry for the relevant address or other proof of title for the relevant address
• a solicitor’s letter confirming the purchase of, or confirmation of the land registry registration of, the relevant address
• a Form P45, Form P60, reference or payslip issued to the applicant by their employer or former employer
• a bank or building society passbook or statement, or a letter from a bank or building society confirming that the applicant has opened an account with that bank or building society
• a credit card statement
• a utility or mobile telephone bill
• a letter from an insurance provider

If a connection between the applicant and the address cannot be verified by the documentary evidence provided, an attestation from another registered elector can be accepted.  

Existing Overseas Electors

Overseas electors that were registered prior to 16 January 2024 will still have their registration expire 12 months after their last declaration; once they have renewed under the new system, their registration will be valid for up to 3 years.

If you are already registered as an overseas elector, you cannot renew your registration by using the online register to vote service. Instead, you will need to complete a declaration renewal form confirming that the details held by the ERO are correct. 

The form will be emailed to you (or posted if we do not have an email address for you) approximately 3 months before your registration is due to expire.  The default renewal date will be 1 November on the third year of your application being granted.

When renewing your application, any absent vote application will need to be renewed/refreshed at the same time so it will match the registration entitlement.