European elections
As an EU national, you have the right to vote and stand as a candidate in European Parliament elections. The voting takes place every five years. The most recent elections took place in June 2024. For precise information, consult the national authorities in the relevant country below, or check out the results of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Choose country
Your right to vote
If you live in your home country, you can only vote for the EU candidates standing for election in your own country. If you are registered and live in another EU country, you can
- vote for candidates standing in your home country, or
- vote for candidates standing in your host country.
Warning
You can only vote once in the European elections.
Voting conditions in your host country
You may need to register to vote with the national authorities in your host country in order to vote in European elections. In some EU countries, you are automatically added to the electoral roll once you register your residence. However, if this is not the case, and you need to register, check the registration deadlines in your host country well in advance as they vary from country to country.
Voting for a candidate standing for election in your home country
Different EU countries provide different options for voters living abroad. Depending on your home country, you are either
- still registered to vote in your home country
- registered on a special roll for residents abroad, or
- removed from the electoral roll after living abroad for a certain time.
If you are living abroad, and you wish to vote for a candidate in your home country, you can check all the conditions in your local consulate or embassy. See a list of consulates and embassies.
Warning
If you no longer live in your home country, you may not be able to vote in the EU elections of that country. Check the national rules.
Voting for a candidate standing for election in your host country
As an EU national, you can vote under the same conditions as nationals of the country where you live. If nationals are required to have lived in the country for a certain period to be allowed to vote, the same conditions will apply to you. You may need to provide a document proving the absence of a criminal record.
However, the periods that you have spent in other EU countries - other than your home country - should be taken into account in order to meet this requirement.
Compulsory voting
If voting in European elections is compulsory in your host country and, following your registration, you were put on the electoral roll of that country, you are obliged to vote - just as the nationals of that country are. Check the national rules of the country in which you wish to vote.
Voting from outside the EU
If you live outside the EU, you can usually vote in the EU elections in your home country's embassy or consulate. However, some countries don't allow you to vote from outside your home country.
Your right to stand as a candidate
When standing as a candidate in European elections, you will be required to make a declaration that you are not disqualified from standing as a candidate and that you are not standing in any other EU country. You may need to provide a document proving the absence of a criminal record. If you opt to vote or to stand as a candidate in the country where you live, you cannot do so in your home country.
Warning
You can only stand as a candidate in one country in EU elections.
Conditions to stand as a candidate
As an EU national, you can stand as a candidate under the same conditions that apply to nationals of the country where you live. If nationals are required to have lived in the country for a certain period to be allowed to stand for election in EU elections, the same conditions will apply to you.
However, the periods that you have spent in other EU countries - other than your home country - should be taken into account to fulfil this requirement. For more precise information, consult the national authorities in the relevant country.