Information for British citizens living overseas
You can register to vote if you are a British citizen living overseas and have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, or if you are a public servant posted overseas.
Overseas electors are eligible to vote in parliamentary elections and national referendums in the UK.
At present, if you have lived abroad for more than 15 years and are not a public servant posted overseas, then you are not eligible to vote. However, under the Elections Act 2022, the 15 year rule will be removed, to allow all British citizens living overseas to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, regardless of when they left the UK. This webpage will be updated as more information becomes available.
Please use the relevant link below to register to vote through the GOV.UK online service.
British citizen living in another country
Public servants or spouse or civil partner of a public servant posted overseas
- Crown servants (eg diplomatic service, overseas civil service)
- British Council employees
- Armed forces
Public servants are eligible to vote in all UK elections. Keeping your details up to date on the electoral register will mean we can contact you easily and ensure you can still vote.
Ways to vote
Unless you will be present in Cheltenham on polling day, you will need to complete the relevant application form to set up:
- a postal vote, or
- a proxy vote (someone voting on your behalf)
Please take into consideration the time it will take for a postal vote to reach you and ensure you have a enough time to return it to us. You have until 10pm on polling day to return a postal vote.