European Citizens
Citizens of European Member States are eligible to register to vote in the UK. They can vote in European Elections and Local Elections. They are not eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary (General) Elections.
The next Local and General Elections are scheduled to take place on Thursday 6 May 2010. For more information see the forthcoming elections| page. As there is a combined election, European citizens who are registered to vote in the UK will only be issued with a ballot paper for the Local Election and not the General Election.
Citizens of the following Member States will be eligible to register and vote:
European Union Countries:
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Austria
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Finland
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Latvia
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Romania
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Belgium
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France
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Lithuania
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Slovakia
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Bulgaria
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Germany
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Luxembourg
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Slovenia
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Czech Republic
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Greece
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The Netherlands
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Spain
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Denmark
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Hungary
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Poland
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Sweden
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Estonia
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Italy
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Portugal
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Citizens from the following European countries are classed as British citizens and are eligible to vote at all UK elections.
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Cyprus
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Republic of Ireland
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Malta
Commonwealth Citizens and Citizens of British Overseas Territories
Citizens of Commonwealth countries and British Overseas Territories have the same voting rights as British citizens. This means they can register and vote in all UK elections.
People from the following countries will be able to vote in both the forthcoming Local and General Elections:
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Antigua and Barbuda
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Kiribati
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South Africa
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Australia
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Lesotho
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Sr Lanka (Ceylon)
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Bangladesh
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Malawi
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St Christopher and Nevis
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Barbados
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Malaysia
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St Lucia
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Belize
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Malta
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St Vincent and the Grenadines
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Botswana
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Mauritius
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Swaziland
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Brunei
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Mozambique
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Tanzania
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Cameroon
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Namibia
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The Bahamas
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Canada
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Nauru
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The Gambia
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Cyprus
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New Zealand
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The Maldives
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Dominica
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Nigeria
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Tonga
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Fiji
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Pakistan
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Trinidad and Tobago
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Ghana
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Papua New Guinea
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Tuvalu
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Grenada
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Rwanda
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Uganda
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Guyana
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Seychelles
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Vanuatu
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India
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Sierra Leone
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Western Samoa
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Jamaica
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Singapore
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Zambia
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Kenya
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Solomon Islands
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Zimbabwe
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In the event that a Combined Election is held people from Commonwealth countries and British Overseas territories will be issued with two ballot papers: one for the Local Elections and one for the General Election.
Hong Kong
Following its transfer to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997, Hong Kong was deleted from the list of British Overseas Territories.
Any previous resident of Hong Kong who holds a British Dependent Territories, British Nationals (Overseas) or British Overseas passport meets the nationality criteria for all elections in the UK.
Any previous resident of Hong Kong who only has a Chinese Special Administrative Region passport is Chinese and may not register.
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UK Parliamentary
(General) Election
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Local Elections
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European Elections
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British Citizens
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Commonwealth Citizens
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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British Overseas Territories
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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European Member State
Citizens
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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