UK ILR absence calculatorthe 180-day rule, checked on a rolling 12-month window
Free indefinite leave to remain calculator. Enter your absences from the UK and see your worst rolling 12-month total against the 180-day limit, plus your earliest eligibility date.
Add every trip out of the UK during your qualifying period. The rule is a maximum of 180 days absent in any rolling 12 months — not per calendar year, and not per visa year.
Usually the day you arrived on your current route.
5 years is the standard route.
Enter the start of your qualifying period to see your worst 12-month window.
The 2018 rule change catches people out
For applications made on or after 11 January 2018, the Home Office counts a rolling 12-month window ending on any day of your qualifying period. Older guidance — and several calculators still online — count consecutive 12-month blocks measured back from the application date. The rolling method is stricter, and it is the one used here.
Track your UK decision times
We publish UKVI processing percentiles weekly. Leave your email and we will tell you when settlement times move.
Got it. We'll email you when UK settlement processing times move.
Something went sideways. Try again in a sec, or email us directly.
Your trips stay in this browser. This tool is an estimate, not immigration advice — some absences (Crown service, and certain compelling circumstances) can be disregarded by a caseworker.
// Questions
- How many days can I be outside the UK before ILR?
- No more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period during your qualifying period. It is not 180 days per calendar year and not 180 days per visa year — the Home Office can measure the 12 months ending on any day of your qualifying period, so a long absence split across a new year still breaches the rule.
- What changed in January 2018?
- For applications made on or after 11 January 2018, absences are assessed on a rolling 12-month basis. Before that, they were counted in consecutive 12-month blocks measured back from the application date. The rolling method is stricter and catches absence patterns the block method missed. Several calculators still online use the old method.
- Do part days count?
- The day you leave the UK and the day you return are both treated as days of absence under current guidance. This calculator counts both endpoints, which is the conservative reading and matches how caseworkers apply it.
- Which absences can be disregarded?
- Time spent overseas in Crown service, and absences for serious or compelling reasons — for example a serious illness of a close relative, a conflict, or a natural disaster — may be disregarded at caseworker discretion. Business travel required by your sponsoring employer is generally still counted. Discretion is not guaranteed, so plan against the raw number.
- What is my qualifying period?
- Five years is the standard route, including Skilled Worker and most family routes. Global Talent and Innovator Founder can qualify at three years. Some partner routes and the long-residence route use two and ten years respectively. Pick the one that matches your visa, not the one you would prefer.
- Does the absence rule apply to British citizenship too?
- Citizenship uses different limits — broadly 450 days over five years, with no more than 90 days in the final 12 months — so passing this ILR check does not automatically mean you pass the naturalisation check. Keep the same trip list and test it against the citizenship limits separately.