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British citizenship: 450 days and the final 90

Residence & citizenship · EuropeChecked Updated

British citizenship

Residence & citizenship
450 / 90days out in 5 years / final 12 months

You must not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year qualifying period or more than 90 days in the last 12 months.12

Window
For an application on 1 June 2027, the 5-year period runs from 2 June 2022 through 1 June 2027. The last 12 months start on 2 June 2026.3How we count: The guidance starts the period on the day after the application date minus the qualifying period.
A day out
Departure and arrival dates are not absences. Leaving on 22 September and returning on 23 September gives no days outside for this count.4
First day
The standard section 6(1) route also requires you to be in the UK on the first day of the 5-year period.1
Spouse route
The section 6(2) route for a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen uses 3 years, up to 270 days outside, and the same 90-day limit in the last 12 months.2

Worked example

Both absence caps get their own total

  1. Apply on 1 June 2027. Your trips inside the period from 2 June 2022 have 29, 25, 90, 90 and 15 days outside.34How we count: The example uses the research trips ending 31 August 2022, 10 January 2024, 30 September 2024, 31 May 2025 and 5 January 2027, with crossing days counted in the UK.
  2. The 5-year total is 29 + 25 + 90 + 90 + 15 = 249 days outside, well below 450.1How we count: 29 + 25 = 54; 54 + 90 = 144; 144 + 90 = 234; 234 + 15 = 249.
  3. Only the final trip, 15 days outside, falls in the last 12 months. If you were in the UK on 2 June 2022, both absence limits and the first-day condition are met.21How we count: The last 12 months begin 2 June 2026. Only the trip from 20 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 intersects that window.

The rule it rests on: You must not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year qualifying period or more than 90 days in the last 12 months.12 For an application on 1 June 2027, the 5-year period runs from 2 June 2022 through 1 June 2027. The last 12 months start on 2 June 2026.3How we count: The guidance starts the period on the day after the application date minus the qualifying period. Departure and arrival dates are not absences. Leaving on 22 September and returning on 23 September gives no days outside for this count.4 The standard section 6(1) route also requires you to be in the UK on the first day of the 5-year period.1

Questions people ask

How many days outside the UK can I have for British citizenship?

You must not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year qualifying period or more than 90 days in the last 12 months.12

Do departure and return days count as absences?

Departure and arrival dates are not absences. Leaving on 22 September and returning on 23 September gives no days outside for this count.4

Do I need to be in the UK on the first day of the period?

The standard section 6(1) route also requires you to be in the UK on the first day of the 5-year period.1 For an application on 1 June 2027, the 5-year period runs from 2 June 2022 through 1 June 2027. The last 12 months start on 2 June 2026.3How we count: The guidance starts the period on the day after the application date minus the qualifying period.

Is the limit different for a British citizen's spouse?

The section 6(2) route for a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen uses 3 years, up to 270 days outside, and the same 90-day limit in the last 12 months.2

Sources

2 laws and 2 official pages, each with its exact words
  1. British Nationality Act 1981, Sch. 1, para. 1(2) · legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the period of five years ending with the date of the application, and that the number of days on which he was absent ... does not exceed 450
  2. British Nationality Act 1981, Sch. 1, last 12 months · legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words twelve months so ending does not exceed 90
  3. Home Office, naturalisation qualifying window · Home Office (GOV.UK) · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words use the day after the application date minus the length of the qualifying period. For example in an application under section 6(1) made on 1 September 2022, the applicant must have been legally in the UK on 2 September 2017.
  4. Home Office, naturalisation absence days · Home Office (GOV.UK) · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words You must not count the dates of departure and arrival as absences. For example: a person who left the UK on 22 September and returned on 23 September will not be classed as having been absent
Checked against British Nationality Act 1981, Sch. 1 on 27 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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