EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights
EU citizens will no longer automatically be entitled to register, vote, or stand for election.
Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights:
Qualifying EU Citizens
These are citizens from countries with reciprocal agreements who have 'leave to remain' in the UK or who do not need 'leave to remain' in the UK. These are currently Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.
EU Citizens with Retained Rights
These are EU citizens who were living in the UK before 31 December 2020 (the date when the UK left the EU).
These changes will apply to all local elections and referendums in England.
These changes are expected to come into force by Spring 2024.
