Foreign flags in the UK

Flags of other countries are a familiar sight in the UK: outside embassies and high commissions, hotels and conference centres, company headquarters with international guests, and in the gardens of people who want to show where their family comes from. For private individuals and businesses there are few rules. For government buildings and for the order of several flags, the government’s guidance and the Flag Institute’s protocol apply.

Who may fly foreign flags

• Private individuals and businesses in England: According to the government’s plain English guide, any country’s national flag, civil ensign or civil air ensign can be flown from a flagpole without advertisement consent. The same applies to the flag of any administrative area within a country outside the UK, and to the flags of the Commonwealth, the United Nations and other international organisations of which the UK is a member. The word “country” includes the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the British Overseas Territories.
• Scotland: According to the UK government, flag flying in Scotland is outside the scope of the advertisement control regime.
• Northern Ireland government buildings: Under the Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, the national flag of a visiting Head of State may be flown alongside the Union Flag when the building has more than one flagpole. Otherwise, no flag is flown at a government building except as the regulations provide.

The EU flag after Brexit

According to the government’s plain English guide, following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the flag of the European Union is no longer included in the list of flags that do not require consent in England. The Scottish Government’s guidance for 2026, by contrast, states that the European flag is flown every day from St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh, together with the Saltire and the Ukrainian flag.

Order of precedence

According to the Flag Institute, flags in the UK are ranked as follows:

When British national flags are flown with flags of other nations, the Flag Institute describes each flag as the same size, or at least the same width, on separate flagpoles of the same height. It also notes that the UK’s 3:5 flag shape works well with nearly all other nations’ flags. If one pole is higher than the rest and carries the senior national flag, no non-UK national flags are flown on the other poles. More in the guide to flag protocol.

Mourning and foreign flags

When a British national flag is at half-mast, the Flag Institute notes that flags of foreign nations are not flown, unless their country is also observing mourning. Other flags on the same group of poles are also at half-mast or are not flown at all.

Flags of proscribed organisations

A different matter is the flag of a banned group. Under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, a person in a public place commits an offence if they wear, carry or display an article in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation. This concerns proscribed organisations, not the national flags of recognised countries.

Businesses with international guests

A business can fly the flag of visiting guests as a gesture of hospitality; there is no rule for private flagpoles. Those who follow the official order fly the flags at the same size and in the order of precedence above. More about company flagpoles is in the guide to flagpoles for businesses.