This review has now finished.
Due to a change in law, some EU citizens are no longer automatically entitled to vote and stand as a candidate in local elections in England. This change also applies to Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
EU citizens where the UK Government has negotiated agreements with EU Member States to allow its citizens living in the UK to vote, in return for the same right for UK citizens living in that country, will still be able to vote and stand in elections.
Currently, these agreements have been made with:
- Spain
- Portugal
- Luxembourg
- Poland
- Denmark
Other EU citizens who were legally resident in the UK before the end of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Period (31 December 2020) will also still be able to vote and stand in elections.
The changes will not affect citizens of the Republic of Ireland or citizens of Commonwealth nations.
Review process
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is required to conduct a review of all European citizens that are registered to vote.
The ERO will check through historical electoral register records to confirm if an EU voter was legally resident in the UK before 31 December 2020.
If we are not able to confirm that, an email will be sent to the voter to confirm if they remain eligible to be registered under the new criteria.
If you're still eligible to vote
If you receive a letter or email confirming you're still eligible to vote, you do not need to do anything further. You'll remain eligible to vote in future local government and PCC elections, but not UK Parliamentary elections.
If you're being reviewed
We'll contact you by letter or email if our records show you're an EU citizen and we need to confirm if you're entitled to remain registered.
For example, if we cannot confirm your nationality from the information we have, or if you are a citizen of one of the following countries:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- The Netherlands
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
Responding to the review
If you have received a letter or email asking you to confirm your eligibility, you'll need to either:
- use log in details sent to you and reply on GOV.UK
- complete a paper form included in your letter and return it to us.
If you confirm you do not meet the eligibility criteria or you do not provide details as requested, you'll no longer be eligible to vote in local government elections and PCC elections. You'll receive a letter or email confirming this.
We'll make 3 attempts to contact you. This could be by a phone call or a canvasser may knock on your door.
If you do not respond to the request for information about your eligibility, you'll no longer be eligible and will receive confirmation of this.
If you're eligible, you can re-register to vote online.
If you have gained new citizenship or changed your nationality
If you have gained new citizenship or changed your nationality since you last registered to vote, you should tell us. Changes to your citizenship or nationality may affect your eligibility to vote in some elections and you may need to re-register to vote.