Individual electoral registration (IER)

If you are eligible to register to vote you are legally required to do so.

You cannot vote in UK elections if you are not registered to vote. If you are not registered you may also experience difficulties when applying for a mortgage or other forms of credit, including opening a bank account or applying for a mobile phone contract. Credit reference agencies use the electoral register when assessing a persons credit rating and it is also used to select people for jury service.

Who can register to vote

• anyone aged 16 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18)
• British or qualifying Commonwealth citizens. This means Commonwealth citizens who have permission to remain in the UK or do not require such permission
• citizens of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member states

Citizens of EU countries other than the Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Malta can't vote in UK Parliamentary General Elections, but they can vote at local government elections.

You can also use the register to vote service to inform us if

• you move house
• you change your name
• you wish to opt in or out of the open (edited) register