Register to vote (crown servants and British Council employees)
Use this service to get on the electoral register or update your details if you’re posted abroad as:
- a crown servant (for example diplomatic or overseas civil service)
- a British Council employee
- the spouse or civil partner of a crown servant or British Council employee
You can do this before you leave or if you’re already abroad.
Deadline for registering to vote in the General Election
Register by 11:59pm on 18 June 2024 to vote in the General Election on 4 July 2024.
You must have applied to register to vote in the UK before you can apply to vote by post or proxy.
If you live overseas
If you’re abroad, you can vote:
- by post
- by applying to have someone else vote for you (voting by proxy)
If you want to vote by post, make sure you apply for and return your postal vote as soon as possible. It can take a long time for your ballot pack to reach you and get back to the UK, especially if your local postal services are irregular or if you live far from the UK.
The Electoral Commission advises people living overseas to apply for a proxy vote if possible.
If you live in England, Scotland or Wales
If you want to apply for a postal vote online, you must apply by 5pm on 19 June 2024. To apply for a postal vote by post, you must get your postal vote application to your local Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on 19 June 2024.
If you want to apply for a proxy vote online, you must apply by 5pm on 26 June 2024. To apply by post for a proxy vote, you must get your proxy vote application to your local Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on 26 June 2024.
If you live in Northern Ireland
You can no longer apply for a postal or proxy vote by post.
You can apply for an emergency postal or proxy vote by post if you cannot get to your polling station because you:
- have a medical condition that you were not aware of before 14 June 2024
- are working as a constable or for the Chief Electoral Officer to support the election
You must get your application to the Electoral Office by 5pm on 26 June 2024.
Register online
Registering takes around 5 minutes.
You only need to register once - you do not need to register separately for every election.
You’ll need your National Insurance number, if you have one.
Find your National Insurance number.
You’ll also need your payroll or staff ID number (usually found on your payslip).
Other ways to apply
You can also register by post (England, Scotland and Wales).
There’s a different form for registering by post in Northern Ireland.
You can vote when you’re 18 or over. If you live in Scotland or Wales, you can vote in some elections when you’re 16 or over - check which elections you’re eligible to vote in.
Children of crown servants or British Council employees
How you register to vote depends on where you’re from.
If you’re from England or Northern Ireland
You can register if you’re aged 16 or over.
Register to vote as a child of a crown servant or British Council employee if you’re from England.
Register by post if you’re from Northern Ireland and the child of a crown servant or British Council employee.
If you’re from Wales
You can register to vote if you’re aged 14 or over.
Register to vote as the child of a crown servant or British Council employee.
If you’re from Scotland
Register by post if you’re from Scotland. Both of the following must apply:
- you’re either 14 or 15 years old
- you live with your parent or guardian overseas
Send the form to your local Electoral Registration Office.
If you’re not a crown servant or British Council employee
There’s a different way to register to vote if you’re in the armed forces.