You can register to vote at any time. You don’t need to wait until an election has been called.

A BSL video on Registering to vote

You can register to vote when you are:

  • Aged 14 or older for Scottish Parliament and council elections
  • Aged 16 or older for UK Parliament elections.

You must also be one of the following:

  • A British citizen living in Scotland
  • An Irish citizen living in Scotland
  • A foreign national of another country living in Scotland who has leave to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need leave.

You only need to register once - not for every election. But you do need to register again if you change your:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Nationality.

Register to vote for future elections

You may need your:

  • National Insurance number
  • Passport if you're a British citizen living abroad.

Your local electoral registration officers will contact you to confirm that you've been registered to vote.