To vote, as outlined by the UKCISA, someone must “be a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, or a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, and be resident at an address in the UK.”
This includes international students, many of which are subsidised by the taxpayer via the UK Research and Innovation:
“The definition of a ‘Commonwealth’ citizen includes citizens of British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories. A ‘qualifying’ Commonwealth citizen is someone who has to enter or remain in the UK, or who doesn’t require that leave.”
Commonwealth countries:
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji Islands
Gabon
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kingdom of Eswatini
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Kitts & Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent & The Grenadines
The Bahamas
The Gambia
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Republic of Tanzania
Vanuatu
Zambia
Zimbabwe
*Although also EU member states, citizens of Cyprus and Malta are eligible to be registered to vote in elections held in the UK.
*Citizens of Zimbabwe retain their voting rights despite the country having been suspended from the Commonwealth.
British Overseas Territories
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Falkland
Montserrat
Pitcairn Island
St Helena and dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Sovereign base areas on Cyprus
Turks and Caicos Islands
Hong Kong
Former residents of Hong Kong who hold a British Overseas Territories, British Nationals (Overseas) or British Overseas passport qualify for registration.
Examples of politicians/ institutions encouraging international voters:
For more resources:
