Citizenship & naturalisation day requirements by country
Naturalising as a citizen almost always means proving physical presence: a minimum number of days inside the country over a qualifying period, often with a cap on how long you can be away. Miss the presence bar in any year and your eligibility date can slip — sometimes by years.
This section sets out each country's physical-presence and residence requirements for citizenship: how many days you need, over how many years, the maximum absences allowed, and links to the official guidance. Use it to see how close you are — and to protect the days you've already banked.
Track citizenship rules automatically
Bounded counts your days for every rule on this page and warns you before you cross a limit.
Frequently asked questions
It varies widely — commonly a set number of days per year across a 3–10 year residence period, plus a cap on total absences. Each country page gives the specific presence requirement and qualifying window.
Usually yes — most naturalisation rules require you to stay under an absence limit and to have been physically present for a minimum number of days. Extended trips can reset or delay your qualifying clock.
Generally from when you obtained qualifying residence, but the presence test is applied across the whole period up to your application. Tracking your days from day one avoids nasty surprises at the finish line.
Explore other rules
For information only. These pages are a plain-English summary of publicly available rules, not tax, legal, or immigration advice. Rules change and depend on your personal circumstances — always confirm with the official source and a qualified professional before acting.