If you are a British citizen living overseas you are entitled to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections and European elections for up to 15 years after moving abroad. Overseas electors cannot vote at local government elections or elections to devolved bodies. This does not apply to members of HM Forces and Crown Servants, who are able to vote at all UK elections. Please refer to the FAQ on registration for service personnel and Crown Servants for more information.
In order to register as an overseas voter you will need to contact the Electoral Registration Officer at the local authority for the address where you were last registered with in the UK. They will send you out the forms that you need in order to register. Alternatively the form can be downloaded from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Registration forms may also be available from the British Diplomatic Mission in the country where you are residing.
If you have never been registered as an elector in the UK, and you left the UK after your eighteenth birthday, you will not be eligible to register as an overseas elector. However, if you left the UK before you were 18 years of age, you can register at your parents' or guardians' last address in the UK, providing that you left the UK no more than 15 years ago. You will need to contact the Electoral Registration Officer at the local authority where your parents or guardians were last registered.
Overseas electors can apply to vote by post or proxy. Postal votes are sent out approximately one week before polling day, so if you are not likely to be able to receive and return a postal vote in that time, it would be better to appoint a proxy.
