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Key points to remember
- EU citizens living in France can vote in municipal and European elections, but not in presidential or legislative elections ;
- Non-EU citizens (US, UK, Canadian, Australian) cannot vote in any French elections, including local ones ;
- All expats can usually vote in their home country from France through their consulate, by postal ballot or by proxy ;
- UK citizens lost their right to vote in French local and European elections after Brexit (since 2021).
Who Can Vote in French Elections
French electoral rules are based on nationality, not residency. The right to vote is granted by citizenship treaties — the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 for EU citizens, and French nationality law for everyone else. The result is a three-tier system:
- French citizens can vote in every election: municipal, departmental, regional, legislative, presidential and European ;
- EU citizens resident in France can vote in municipal and European elections only ;
- Non-EU citizens (American, British post-Brexit, Canadian, Australian, etc.) cannot vote in any French election, regardless of how long they have lived in the country.
There is no "long-term resident" exception in France. The only way for a non-EU expat to gain full voting rights is through French naturalisation, which typically requires five years of residency, B1-level French and an integration interview.
Voting Rights by Nationality in France
| Nationality | Local (municipal) | European | Presidential | Legislative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU citizen (Irish, German, Spanish, etc.) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| British (post-Brexit) | No | No | No | No |
| American, Canadian, Australian | No | No | No | No |
If you hold dual nationality and one of your passports is from an EU country, you keep EU voting rights in France even if your other passport is American, British or otherwise non-EU.
EU Citizens: Registering on the French Electoral Rolls
Voting rights for EU citizens in France date back to the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, which created the concept of European citizenship. Registration is not automatic — even if you have lived in France for years, you must actively put your name on the liste électorale complémentaire (the complementary electoral roll for EU citizens).
The procedure goes through your local town hall (mairie). You can also register online via service-public.fr, but first-time voters in France are usually advised to register in person to confirm their identity. The documents you need are the following:
- A valid passport or national ID card proving EU nationality ;
- A proof of address in France dated within the last three months (energy bill, broadband bill, rent receipt or tax notice) ;
- A completed registration form, Cerfa n°12670*02 for municipal elections, plus Cerfa n°12671*02 for European elections.
You must register at least six weeks before the vote (typically by the end of February for a March municipal election). Registration is permanent, so you only do it once per address — you do not need to renew before each election.
EU citizens registered on French rolls cannot also vote for representatives of their home country in the same election: you choose between French and home-country lists for the European Parliament, and you can only vote for local candidates where you live.
The Municipal Elections (Mayors and Town Councils)
Municipal elections (élections municipales) take place every six years to elect the conseil municipal of each French commune, which then elects the mayor (maire) from among its members. The next vote is scheduled for March 2026, with a possible second round one week later for communes where no list wins outright in the first round.
EU citizens vote on the same ballot as French citizens, but a small constitutional limit applies: an EU national elected as a councillor cannot serve as mayor or deputy mayor, and cannot take part in the electoral college that elects French senators. They can hold every other municipal role.
Your polling station (bureau de vote) is determined by your address. The mayor is the public face of services that matter most to expats: building permits, school registration, registering a death or marriage, and increasingly, climate and housing decisions. If you live long-term in France as an EU citizen, voting locally is the only direct lever you have over those decisions.
The European Elections (Members of the European Parliament)
European elections take place every five years to elect Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). France elects 81 MEPs through a single national constituency with proportional representation. The next European vote is scheduled for June 2029.
As an EU citizen in France, you have a choice: you can either vote on the French list (and elect a French MEP) or on the list of your country of origin through their consular system. You cannot do both — voting twice in the same European election is a criminal offence in every EU member state and cross-checks are run after each ballot.
If you opt to vote on the French list, the registration is the same complementary electoral roll covered above. If you prefer to vote for the home-country list, you keep your registration with your home country's electoral authority and use whichever absentee mechanism they offer (postal, consular or online).
Non-EU Citizens: No Voting Rights, but Some Influence
If you are American, Canadian, Australian, British post-Brexit, or from any other non-EU country, France grants you no voting rights of any kind, no matter how long you have been resident or how much tax you pay. Proposals to extend local voting rights to long-term non-EU residents have been discussed in the National Assembly since the 1980s but have never passed.
There are still ways to engage with local political life without a ballot:
- Some larger cities (Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nantes) run a conseil consultatif des résidents étrangers, an advisory board of foreign residents that the municipality consults on integration and housing topics ;
- Citizen associations such as French American Foundation or local chapters of British in Europe coordinate lobbying around expat-specific issues ;
- French naturalisation remains the only path to full voting rights — see our guide on becoming a French resident for the long-term residence and citizenship pathways.
UK Citizens After Brexit
Until 31 January 2020, British nationals living in France could vote in municipal and European elections like any other EU citizen. The Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020, and from 2021 onwards British citizens lost local and European voting rights in France. This affected an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 UK residents in the country.
Some categories of British citizens covered by the Withdrawal Agreement retain a few civic rights (residence permit renewals, healthcare access), but voting is not among them. The only way for a British expat to vote in French elections today is to acquire French nationality.
Brexit also reshaped voting rules on the UK side. The Elections Act 2022, which entered into force in January 2024, abolished the previous 15-year limit on overseas voting. As a result, British citizens living in France can now vote in UK general elections for life, regardless of how long ago they left the UK, provided they were ever registered to vote there or were too young to register before leaving. For more on the broader Brexit impact, see our guide on moving to France from the UK.
Voting in Your Home Country From France
Whatever your nationality, the elections back home generally follow you abroad. Each country has its own absentee mechanism, but the overall pattern is the same: register on the overseas electoral roll, receive a ballot in France, send it back before polling day.
United States: the Federal Voting Assistance Program
US citizens vote in federal elections (presidential, Congress) through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). You fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every election year, send it to the local elections office of your last US state of residence, and receive an absentee ballot by email or post depending on the state. Most states accept the ballot back by mail, fax or secure portal — for any practical question, see our moving to France from the USA guide.
United Kingdom: overseas voter registration
UK citizens register as overseas voters at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Since the Elections Act 2022 came into force in 2024, the previous 15-year cap is gone — registration is open to anyone who was once on the UK electoral roll, or who left the UK as a minor. You vote either by post or by appointing a UK-based proxy, in your last UK constituency. Postal vote applications must reach the local Electoral Office at least 11 working days before polling day.
Canada: the International Register of Electors
Canadians enrol on the International Register of Electors via elections.ca. Eligibility requires being 18 or older and having lived in Canada at any point in your life. Once registered, Elections Canada sends a special ballot kit to your French address when an election is called, and you return it by mail or courier. See our guide for Canadians moving to France for the wider expatriate context.
Australia: the AEC overseas process
Australian citizens use the Australian Electoral Commission's overseas voting service. You can vote in person at an Australian embassy, consulate or high commission (Paris, in France), or vote by postal ballot. The intention to return to Australia within six years is part of the eligibility check. For broader context, see our moving to France from Australia guide.
Three Ways to Vote From Abroad
In practice, expat voting in any country uses one of three channels. Each has its own deadline and reliability profile:
- By proxy — you nominate a friend or family member registered to vote at your home address, who then votes on your behalf. Most reliable when the postal service is uncertain ;
- By post — your home country sends a ballot to your French address, and you return it by mail or courier. Allow at least two weeks each way ;
- In person at the consulate — available in France for citizens of Australia, the United States (in some elections) and a handful of other countries. The Paris consulate is the main hub, with smaller posts in Marseille and Lyon.
If you also need to vote by proxy within France (for an EU election, or if you are French and away from your home commune on polling day), you can submit a request through maprocuration.gouv.fr or in person at any French police station (commissariat) or gendarmerie.
Election Years Coming Up
If you plan to vote, the next four years are dense for both French and home-country ballots:
- March 2026 — French municipal elections (open to French and EU citizens) ;
- April-May 2027 — French presidential election (French citizens only) ;
- June 2027 — French legislative elections (French citizens only) ;
- November 2028 — US presidential and Congressional elections ;
- 2028 or 2029 — UK general election, depending on when Parliament dissolves ;
- June 2029 — European Parliament elections (open to French and EU citizens).
Mark the registration deadlines a few months earlier on your calendar — for the 2026 French municipal elections, the cut-off is the end of February. If you also need help with the wider settling-in side, our visa requirements guide and English-speaking helplines directory cover most of the bureaucracy.