Register to Vote

 The deadline to register to vote in time at the 2026 local government, Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru Elections is 11.59pm, 20 April 2026.

Who is eligible - England

You must be aged 16 or over to register to vote in the in England.

You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen. 

In England, you can also register if you have permission (or do not need permission) to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man and you’re:

• a Commonwealth citizen (including citizens of Cyprus and Malta)
• a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
• a citizen of another EU country, who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter or stay (or did not need permission) and this has continued without a break
   

Who is eligible - Scotland and Wales

You must be aged 16 or over to register to vote in the in Scotland or Wales. 

You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen. 

You can also register if you have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or you do not need permission. 
 

What you will need

You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one). After you’ve registered, your name and address will appear on the electoral register.

If you live abroad

All British citizens living abroad who have ever lived in the UK or who were registered to vote in the UK can now register to vote at General Elections.

If you live abroad, you may wish to appoint a proxy. This is the best way to avoid delays in the global postal system. Your proxy vote can vote by post and live anywhere in the UK. Apply to vote by proxy while living overseas.

You’ll need to renew your registration to vote from abroad every 3 years.

Need help registering?

You can get help registering from your local Electoral Registration Office.

The UK government also has an easy read guide about registering to vote.