Extended voting rights for British citizens living overseas

From 16 January 2024 the 15 year limit has been removed. If you are a British Citizen living overseas who has previously lived in the UK or been registered to vote in the UK, you can register to vote regardless of how long you have lived outside the UK.

These include:

  • People living overseas can now register to vote in the UK no matter how long ago they left or were last registered to vote in the UK. 
  • Overseas declarations are now valid for three 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).
  • People living overseas can now register online (not available in Northern Ireland).