Life in the UK.
ILR · Continuous residence

ILR absence calculator

Settlement (indefinite leave to remain) limits how long you can spend outside the UK. The catch most applicants miss: it's a rolling 12-month window, not a calendar year. Add your trips and we'll find your worst 12-month stretch.

  • 180 days max in any rolling 12 months
  • Travel days don't count
  • 5-year & 10-year routes

Checked against current gov.uk rules · 2026-06-10

Add your trips outside the UK

Enter each trip and we'll do the counting. Nothing leaves your browser.

Saved in this browser only

Your trips stay on this device and aren't linked to your account. Switching device or clearing browser data will lose them, so use "Print / save as PDF" below to keep a copy.

Which route are you on?

Skilled Worker, Health & Care, T2 and similar. You must not be outside the UK for more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period.

Your trips outside the UK

0 counted
Left the UK
Returned to the UK
Days0
Add at least one trip with both dates to see your result.

For guidance only. The Home Office decides.

This tool counts only the whole days you enter (your travel days don't count). It doesn't account for exempt or discretionary absences, and rules can change. Always check the official gov.uk guidance and your own circumstances before applying.

Rules checked: 2026-06-09Official gov.uk rules

Available once you have a result.

How the 180-day rule actually works

For most work routes you must not be outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period. Since 11 April 2024 this is assessed on a rolling basis, so any sliding 12-month window counts, not just each calendar year. Only whole days away count; the day you leave and the day you return don't. The 10-year long residence route uses different limits before 11 April 2024 (548 days total, 184 per trip). This calculator is a guide only: the Home Office has discretion over absences for serious or compelling reasons.

Also required

Heading for ILR or citizenship?

You'll also need to pass the Life in the UK test. Practise with real-format questions in English or Chinese.

Start practising

Next on your journey

Citizenship days calculator

Once you have ILR, check the 450 / 90-day limits for naturalisation.

Open calculator