Free calculator
Absence calculator: the 180-day rule, checked.
Add your trips outside the UK to see how many days you've used in the rolling 12-month window, and whether you're within the limit that protects your ILR.
This tool provides guidance only. Always consult a licensed immigration advisor for official advice.
The 180-day absence rule, explained
To settle in the UK you need continuous residence, and for most routes that means no more than 180 days spent outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period of your qualifying time. Go over that in a single 12-month window and you can break the continuous residence your ILR depends on, resetting the clock.
Rolling window, not calendar year
The limit applies to any 365-day window, not January-to-December. That's the part most people get wrong: two shorter trips in different calendar years can still fall inside the same rolling window and count together. This calculator measures against the worst 12-month window, the way the Home Office does.
What counts as a day of absence
Whole days spent outside the UK. The day you leave and the day you return don't count, only the full days abroad in between. Once you have your absence picture, work out your ILR eligibility date →
The rule is not the same on every route
The 180-day rolling limit governs the work routes: Skilled Worker, Global Talent and the other 5-year work clocks. The spouse and partner route has no numeric limit at all — absences are judged on whether your life is genuinely in the UK. Global Talent academia and research endorsees get a carve-out: research absences don't count. And the 10-year long residence route was reformed in April 2024, so older absences are judged under the previous 184/548-day limits while newer ones use the rolling 180. If your history spans routes or the 2024 boundary, check the route sheet before assuming one number covers you.
If you're close to the limit
Aim for buffer, not brinkmanship. The limit is tested against your worst rolling window, so a trip that looks safe in isolation can combine with last year's travel and tip you over. Log every trip, plan new ones against the window this calculator shows you, and treat 180 as a cliff edge rather than a target. If you may already be over, the consequences depend on route and timing — that's a conversation for a regulated adviser, not a calculator.
Questions people ask
How many days can I be outside the UK and still qualify for ILR?
For most routes, no more than 180 days of absence in any rolling 12-month period of your qualifying time. It's measured over any 365-day window, not the calendar year, so trips near a year boundary can still add up together.
Does the day I fly out count as an absence?
No. By the ILR convention, the day you leave the UK and the day you return don't count as days of absence, only whole days spent outside the UK in between. This calculator applies that rule for you.
What happens if I go over 180 days?
A single absence over 180 days in a 12-month window can break your continuous residence and reset your settlement clock. If you're close to the limit, it's worth planning trips carefully and, for anything consequential, checking with a regulated adviser.
Is it the calendar year or a rolling window?
A rolling 12-month window. The Home Office looks at any 365-day period, so two shorter trips in different calendar years can still fall inside the same rolling window and count together. That's the part most people miss.
Does the 180-day rule apply on a spouse or partner visa?
No. The family route has no numeric absence limit. Instead, absences must have good reasons consistent with the couple living together in the UK permanently — long or unexplained stretches abroad are judged case by case and can still sink an application.
Do research trips count against the limit on Global Talent?
For academia and research endorsees (Royal Society, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering, UKRI) and qualifying prize winners, absences for research don't count towards the 180 days at all. Arts Council and Tech Nation endorsees get no research carve-out.
I'm applying on the 10-year long residence route. Which limits apply?
Both regimes, potentially. Absences starting on or after 11 April 2024 use the 180-days-per-rolling-12-months rule; earlier absences are still judged under the old limits of 184 days for a single trip and 548 days in total. A heavy pre-2024 travel history can matter even when recent years are clean.
What should I do if I'm close to the limit?
Count your worst rolling window precisely (this calculator does that), plan upcoming trips against it, and leave yourself buffer rather than aiming to land exactly on 180. If you've already gone over, or think you might have, speak to a regulated adviser before applying — the answer depends on your route and timing.