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UK settlement (ILR): the 180‑day absence rule

Residence & citizenship · EuropeChecked Updated

UK settlement (ILR)

Residence & citizenship
180days outside in any 12 months

You must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period.1

Window
For permission granted on or after 11 January 2018, every rolling 12-month period counts, not just the calendar year or fixed blocks from your visa start date.2
A day out
Count whole days outside. The departure and return days count as days in the UK, so a normal trip's days outside are the dates strictly between them.3How we count: The guidance counts whole days and excludes part-day absences under 24 hours. Staytill counts both crossing days as days in the UK.
At the line
Exactly 180 days outside in a rolling 12-month period stays within the rule. Day 181 goes over it.1How we count: The rule sets the line at more than 180 days.

Worked example

Two trips can share one rolling window

  1. You leave on 1 November 2025 and return on 1 March 2026. The full days from 2 November to 28 February are 119 days outside.3How we count: 29 days in November plus 31 in December, 31 in January and 28 in February: 29 + 31 + 31 + 28 = 119.
  2. A second trip from 1 June to 1 August 2026 adds 60 days outside, from 2 June through 31 July.3How we count: 29 remaining days in June plus 31 in July: 29 + 31 = 60.
  3. Both trips sit inside the 12 months ending 31 July 2026: 119 + 60 = 179 days outside. That is under the 180-day line, even though the trips fall in different calendar years.21How we count: The rolling window includes all 119 days of the first absence and all 60 of the second. 119 + 60 = 179.

The rule it rests on: You must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period.1 For permission granted on or after 11 January 2018, every rolling 12-month period counts, not just the calendar year or fixed blocks from your visa start date.2 Count whole days outside. The departure and return days count as days in the UK, so a normal trip's days outside are the dates strictly between them.3How we count: The guidance counts whole days and excludes part-day absences under 24 hours. Staytill counts both crossing days as days in the UK.

Questions people ask

How many days can I be outside the UK for ILR?

You must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12-month period.1

Is the 180-day count based on calendar years?

For permission granted on or after 11 January 2018, every rolling 12-month period counts, not just the calendar year or fixed blocks from your visa start date.2

Do departure and return days count as days outside?

Count whole days outside. The departure and return days count as days in the UK, so a normal trip's days outside are the dates strictly between them.3How we count: The guidance counts whole days and excludes part-day absences under 24 hours. Staytill counts both crossing days as days in the UK.

Is exactly 180 days outside too many?

Exactly 180 days outside in a rolling 12-month period stays within the rule. Day 181 goes over it.1How we count: The rule sets the line at more than 180 days.

Sources

1 law and 2 official pages, each with its exact words
  1. Immigration Rules, Appendix Continuous Residence, CR 3.1 · UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK) · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words must not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12- month period
  2. Home Office, rolling 12-month periods · Home Office (GOV.UK) · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words are considered on a rolling basis over any 12-month period.
  3. Home Office, continuous residence guidance · Home Office (GOV.UK) · read 27 Oct 2026
    Exact words Count whole days. You must only include whole days when calculating an applicant's absences. Part day absences, less than 24 hours are not counted.
Checked against Immigration Rules, Appendix Continuous Residence on 27 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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