Jury Service for Visa Holders and Immigrants in the UK

Who Is Qualified for Jury Service

Section 1 of the Juries Act 1974 sets the conditions in England and Wales. A person is qualified if:

• They are aged 18 or over and under 76
• They are registered as a parliamentary or local government elector
• They have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 5 years since the age of 13
• They are not disqualified (for example, by certain criminal convictions)

Being on an electoral register is the condition that immigration status touches, because jury summonses are drawn from the register. Who can register depends on nationality and on the part of the UK you live in:

• England and Northern Ireland: British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens; citizens of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain; and citizens of other European Union countries who had permission to enter or stay on or before 31 December 2020 that has continued without a break.
• Scotland and Wales: anyone with permission to enter or stay in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man can register for Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections and local elections. In Wales that makes a person a local government elector, which is one of the ways the Juries Act condition can be met.

See GOV.UK on registering to vote and the GOV.UK jury service guide.

Settlement and Jury Service

Having indefinite leave to remain (settlement) does not by itself put you on an electoral register. Nationality and the part of the UK you live in decide that:

• Qualifying Commonwealth citizens: can register anywhere in the UK, so the Juries Act register condition can be met.
• European Union citizens: in England and Northern Ireland, registration is open to citizens of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain, and to other European Union citizens whose permission to be in the UK began on or before 31 December 2020 and has continued without a break.
• Other nationalities: cannot register in England or Northern Ireland, so no summons is issued there. In Scotland and Wales, permission to stay is enough to register for devolved and local elections.

If You Receive a Summons

A summons must be answered within 7 days, online or by returning the form by post. The fine for not returning the form or not turning up is up to £1,000. What happens next depends on your situation:

• If you are qualified: attendance is a legal duty unless the court agrees to excuse or delay you. Your employer must let you have the time off, but can ask you to delay if your absence would seriously affect the business.
• If you are not qualified: the reply form asks about the qualification conditions, so that is where you say you are not on an electoral register.
• Language: the reply form and the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (jurysummoning@justice.gov.uk, 0300 456 1024) are where you raise a difficulty following proceedings in English.

Jury Service and Citizenship

After becoming a British citizen, you can register to vote anywhere in the UK, so the electoral register condition is met. The other Juries Act conditions — age, the 5-year residence rule and not being disqualified — still apply. There is no separate English language test for jury service. The English language requirement is part of the citizenship application, not of jury service. Jury service sits alongside voting as something the electoral register opens up.

For the path from settlement to citizenship, see our settlement to citizenship journey. For more on voting rights with different immigration statuses, see our settlement rights and benefits guide.

Practical Considerations

• Jury service usually lasts up to 10 working days, and court hours are usually 10am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. Jury staff tell you if the trial is likely to run longer.
• Jury service is not paid, but you can claim money back. For the first 10 days that is up to £64.95 a day for lost earnings and care costs if you are at court for more than 4 hours, or £32.47 a day for 4 hours or less. After 10 working days the daily limits rise to £129.91 and £64.95. Food and drink is up to £5.71 a day, or £12.17 if you are at court for more than 10 hours. Travel inside England and Wales is covered; accommodation is not.
• Your employer chooses whether to pay you during jury service. If they do not, the loss-of-earnings claim goes to the court.
• Your employer cannot dismiss you or treat you unfairly for attending jury service. See our employment rights guide, settlement guide, Skilled Worker visa guide, and Life in the UK test guide
• Check the GOV.UK expenses page for what you can claim

Questions and answers