FAQs - Home country elections

Maybe. Voting conditions are decided by each EU country individually, and thus the rules differ from country to country. However, if you want to vote in your home country’s national elections, you may have to be listed on the electoral roll. That is unlikely to be done automatically if you are not resident there. Check the rules in your home country to find out more.

Maybe. This is established at the national level (i.e. it is not an EU law). However, you may vote in municipal and European elections in your host country under the same conditions as nationals.

Maybe. The rules differ from country to country. Check the website of the relevant country’s national authorities to find out if being registered to vote in one country excludes you from voter rolls in another.

No. Ireland is one of the EU countries that does not allow its citizens to vote when residing abroad unless they are expressly exempted from this condition (this applies to any type of election, whether general, municipal, regional or European). You are also not able to vote in the German elections because it is reserved for German citizens only. However, you can vote in German municipal elections as well as European elections under the same conditions as German nationals.

Yes. Each country decides whether or not they allow non-resident citizens to vote in the national elections. In France, citizens living abroad are allowed to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections, regardless of how long they have lived abroad. Make sure you are listed on the electoral roll.

Probably not. Even if your native country allows you to vote in general elections from abroad, you may have been removed from the voter rolls. Check with the national authorities to make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to vote.