UK settlement (ILR) absence calculator
Add your trips outside the UK and see the 12 months with the most days away, against the 180-day limit for indefinite leave to remain.
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The 180-day rule for settlement
To qualify for indefinite leave to remain on most work and family routes, your time in the UK has to be continuous: no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during your qualifying years. It isn’t checked per calendar year. Every 12-month stretch counts, so two trips in different years can still land in the same 12 months.
How the calculator counts
- Whole days only. The day you leave and the day you come back are spent partly in the UK, so they are not absences. A trip from Monday to Friday is 3 days away.
- Every 12 months. It checks each 12-month period, counted in calendar months (the one ending February 28, 2025 starts on February 29, 2024), and shows the worst one.
- From your start date. Trips before your qualifying period began are left out when you give a start date.
A worked example
Your route started on March 1, 2022. You were away July 10 to September 20, 2024 (71 whole days) and December 15, 2024 to March 31, 2025 (105 whole days). The worst 12 months hold 176 days: inside the limit, with 4 days to spare.
Then a short break: June 1 to 9, 2025, 7 whole days. The 12 months from June 9, 2024 to June 8, 2025 now hold all three trips: 183 days, over the limit by 3. One short trip can break a stretch that looked fine, which is why it pays to check before you book.
The Home Office can allow some longer absences, for example for serious illness, a family emergency or a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and some routes have their own rules. Check the official guidance for your route.
Questions people ask
Do the travel days count as days outside the UK?
No. Only whole days count as absences. The day you leave and the day you return are UK days.
Is it 180 days per year or in any 12 months?
Any 12 months. The limit applies to every 12-month period in your qualifying time, not just to each calendar year or each year of your visa.
What if I go over 180 days?
Your continuous residence may be broken, which can restart your qualifying period. Some absences for serious or compelling reasons can be allowed. Read the guidance and get advice before you apply.
Does the limit change for British citizenship?
Yes. After settlement, citizenship has its own limits: 450 days in 5 years and 90 in the last 12 months. Use the British citizenship absence calculator.