Bounded
Get the app

United Kingdom day-count rules

UK residency rules are unusually layered: the Statutory Residence Test decides tax residency on a sliding day-count that depends on your ties; ILR and settled status each have their own presence and absence arithmetic; visitors get 180 days per visit; and naturalisation looks back at your absences over five years.

Each page below takes one UK day-count rule and explains it in plain English — thresholds, windows, and what counts as a day — with links to GOV.UK and HMRC official guidance.

Tax
United Kingdom — Statutory Residence Test (April 6 Tax Year)UK Statutory Residence Test explained: your safe day limit is 15, 45, 90, 120 or 182 days per April–April tax year, set by how many UK ties you have.90 days / tax year (configurable: 15/45/90/120/182)
Residency
United Kingdom — ILR 180-Day Absence RuleThe UK ILR 180-day rule explained: no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period to keep continuous residence for settlement. With GOV.UK sources.180 days away / 12 months
United Kingdom — Keeping Settled Status (Absence Limits)How to keep UK settled status: it lapses after 5 consecutive years outside the UK (4 for Swiss nationals), and any single day back resets the clock. With official GOV.UK sources.<5 years consecutive absence
United Kingdom — Settled Status Criteria (How to Qualify)The criteria for UK settled status: the 30-in-60-months rule needs at least 913 days (30 months) of UK presence in the most recent 5 years. How days are counted, the legacy absence rule, and official GOV.UK sources.≥913 days in / 5 years
United Kingdom — Skilled Worker SettlementUK Skilled Worker settlement absence rule: no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12 months, plus 5 years from your first visa. GOV.UK sources.≤180 days away / 12 months
Visas
United Kingdom — Standard Visitor Visa (180 Days per Visit)How the UK Standard Visitor rule works: up to 6 months (180 days) per visit, no annual cap, but you must not live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits.180 days / visit
Citizenship
United Kingdom — Naturalisation Residence RequirementUK naturalisation absence limits explained: no more than 450 days outside the UK in 5 years and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months before applying. With GOV.UK sources.450 days / 5y + 90 / final year
Free tools
UK Statutory Residence Test CalculatorDays, ties, and the automatic tests — the full RDR3 decision in one pass.
ILR Absence CalculatorYour worst rolling 12 months against the 180-day continuous-residence limit.
UK Naturalisation Absence Calculator450 days absent in 5 years, 90 in the final year — checked from your trips.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on your ties. 183+ days in the UK tax year makes you resident automatically. Below that, the Statutory Residence Test scales the safe threshold by your UK ties (home, family, work, past residence) — for some people as few as 46 or even 16 days can tip the balance.

For pre-settled holders to qualify for settled status: at least 913 days (30 months) of UK presence within the most recent 60 months. Once you hold settled status, you keep it unless you stay outside the UK for 5 consecutive years (4 for Swiss nationals).

ILR's continuous-residence rule allows at most 180 days of absence in any rolling 12-month period of the qualifying years. Naturalisation then looks back 5 years: no more than 450 days absent in total, and no more than 90 in the final year.

Standard visitors can stay up to 6 months (180 days) per visit. There's no fixed annual quota like Schengen's 90/180, but frequent long visits invite questions at the border about whether you're genuinely visiting rather than living in the UK.