The changes and who they affect
The law has changed affecting European Union (EU) citizens. Those changes affect which elections EU citizens can vote in and stand as a candidate in.
After the UK left the European Union, the changes were made under the Elections Act 2022. From 7 May 2024, the changes apply to:
- local council elections 
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections.
What has changed
If you are an EU citizen, you are now only be eligible to register, vote or stand as a candidate in these elections if:
- you're a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain who:
- is a resident in the UK
- has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
- does not need permission
- you're a citizen of any other EU country who on, or before 31 December 2020:
- was a legal resident in the UK
- had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
- did not need permission, and this has continued without a break
EU citizens cannot vote or be a candidate in a General Election for the UK Parliament.
More information is available on the Electoral Commission website about voting if you're an EU citizen living in the UK.
Eligibility confirmation process
We wrote to all EU citizens currently registered on the Electoral Register in November 2024 to either:
- confirm that they are being retained on the register following a data-based review as being a qualifying EU citizen or having retained rights; or
- ask EU citizens to confirm if they remain eligible to be registered under the new criteria. Depending on the response, the elector either remained on the register or was removed. Anyone who did not respond was removed from the Electoral Register.
For more information, please visit the Electoral Commission's website.