British nationals in the Netherlands urged to sign up to vote
Robin Pascoe
British nationals in the Netherlands are being urged to register to vote in the July general election, now that new rules have made it possible to do so.
Britain used to remove the voting rights of everyone who lived away for more than 15 years, but that legislation was scrapped at the beginning of this year, clearing the way for long-term exiles to have a say in domestic affairs once again.
“Decisions have been made and will continue to be made by the British government that directly affect the lives of thousands of British nationals living and working in the EU,” says Tricia Tarrant, from the British in the Netherlands campaign group.
One problem in particular which may affect British nationals abroad is new income requirements to move back with an EU partner, perhaps to retire or look after an elderly relative.
Currently, a British subject who wants to move back to Britain with a Dutch spouse needs to have an income of €34,000 (29,000 pounds sterling) to get a visa. But that is being raised to nearly €40,000 later this year and over €45,000 in 2025.
“Those amounts are among the highest in Europe, and you are not allowed to take your partner’s earnings into account,” Tarrant points out.
Decisions like this will continue to have a serious impact on thousands of British nationals living abroad, she said. “People tell us they feel stranded here, for example, that they can’t go back to look after their mum.”
Voting on July 4, she said, is about having a say not just in the election, but beyond. “We will all have an MP in the UK and, for the life of the next parliament, we’ll be able to contact them as an overseas constituent,” she said.
Registration to vote, which must be done by June 18, is straightforward, even if you have lived in the Netherlands for years. You need your national insurance number and the postcode of where you last lived in the UK.
Additional information you may need
How to find your Electoral Registration Officer
Some 45,000 British nationals currently live in the Netherlands but there are no figures to show how many had lost their right to vote because they had lived abroad for more than 15 years.
In total, some 3.5 million British nationals are thought to live abroad.
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