To qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you must have maintained "continuous residence" in the UK during your qualifying period (usually 5 years). The biggest trap is the 180-day rule — if you spent too many days abroad in any 12-month period, it can break your continuous residence and restart your qualifying period. Here is how to calculate it correctly.
The 180-day rule explained
You must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any single 12-month period during your qualifying period. This is not a calendar year (January to December) — it is any rolling 12-month window. UKVI will check every possible 12-month period within your qualifying period, so one long trip can affect multiple windows.
💡 Tip
The 180-day limit applies to each 12-month period independently. Being away for 170 days one year and 170 days the next is fine — but if 180+ of those days fall within any single rolling 12-month window, you have a problem.
How to count your absences correctly
- Count the days you were physically outside the UK — the departure day and the return day both count as days in the UK (not abroad)
- Example: leave on 1 June, return on 10 June = 8 days abroad (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th)
- Add up all absences within any 12-month window in your qualifying period
- Use your passport stamps or your travel history — you can request your full travel history from UKVI if you are missing records
- Request your travel history at gov.uk/get-travel-history
What counts as breaking continuous residence?
- More than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the qualifying period
- A single absence of more than 6 consecutive months (this breaks residence regardless of annual totals)
- Leaving the UK with no intention to return (this voids your qualifying period entirely)
What if I exceeded 180 days?
If you exceeded the limit, you have two options. First, you can wait — the qualifying period restarts from after your excessive absence period, so in some cases you may only need to wait a few extra months before you qualify again. Second, if the excess was for compelling compassionate reasons (medical emergency, death in family, natural disaster preventing return), you can apply for ILR and explain the circumstances — UKVI has discretion to overlook absences in genuine exceptional cases.
Which visa routes have a 5-year qualifying period?
- Skilled Worker visa — 5 years
- Global Talent visa — 3 or 5 years depending on endorsement
- Spouse / family visa — 5 years
- Investor visa — 2, 3, or 5 years depending on investment amount
- Long Residence — 10 years continuous lawful residence
How to check your travel history
If you do not have a full record of your travels, request your UK entry and exit history from the Home Office. Go to gov.uk/get-travel-history and submit a Subject Access Request. It typically takes 1–3 months to receive. For upcoming ILR applications, it is worth doing this 6 months in advance to check your position.
💡 Tip
Keep a simple spreadsheet of every trip you take outside the UK — dates out and back, total days. This takes 2 minutes per trip and saves enormous stress when your ILR application date approaches.
Check your UK travel history from the Home Office
Request Travel History →