United Kingdom

Absences for UK naturalisation: 450 days in 5 years, 90 in the final 12 months

For a section 6(1) application the guidance names two figures: not absent from the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year qualifying period, and not more than 90 days in the 12 months ending with the date of application. Only whole days count, so the day you left and the day you came back are not absences. The qualifying period ends on the date you apply and starts the day after that date minus its own length.

What the rule names

450
Whole days absent in the 5 years ending on the reference date
window: 5 years, ending on the date you count to
90
Whole days absent in the 12 months ending on the reference date
window: 12 months, ending on the date you count to

Whole days only: the day you left and the day you came back are not counted.

How the count works

  1. 1A whole day abroad is an absence. The day you leave the UK and the day you return are not, on the Home Office's own example.
  2. 2The 5-year period ends on the date of application. Its first day is the day after that date minus 5 years, which is one day later than most people assume.
  3. 3Add the whole days abroad inside that period. The rule names 450 days.
  4. 4Do the same for the 12 months ending on the date of application, where the rule names 90 days.
  5. 5Both figures are reference thresholds. The guidance allows discretion over excess absences in some circumstances, which is a matter for the caseworker and not for a calculator.

Count your own dates against this rule

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What catches people out

  • Only whole days count: the day you left and the day you returned are not absences.
  • The Home Office publishes your travel history on a subject access request; reconcile this output against it before submitting.
  • The qualifying period ends on the date of application and starts the day after that date, minus its own length: a 5-year period ending on 17 September 2026 starts on 18 September 2021.
  • The guidance allows discretion over excess absences in some circumstances; the figures here are the reference thresholds only.

The rule in its own words

[section 6(1)] not absent from the UK for more than: 450 days in that 5-year period; 90 days in the period of 12 months ending with the date of application. [section 6(2)] not absent from the UK for more than: 270 days in that 3-year period; 90 days in the period of 12 months ending with the date of application

To identify the start of the qualifying period, you calculate the day after the application date minus the length of the qualifying period

Must not have had more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12-month period before making the application (but see the section on Absences from the UK)

We only count whole days' absences from the UK. We will not count the dates when you leave and enter the UK as absences. For example, if you left the UK on 22 September and returned on 23 September you will not be classed as having been absent from the UK.

Questions people ask about this rule

Which days count as an absence?
Whole days only. The Form AN guidance says: "We only count whole days’ absences from the UK. We will not count the dates when you leave and enter the UK as absences. For example, if you left the UK on 22 September and returned on 23 September you will not be classed as having been absent from the UK."
When does the 5-year qualifying period start?
The guidance puts it plainly: "To identify the start of the qualifying period, you calculate the day after the application date minus the length of the qualifying period." A 5-year period ending on 17 September 2026 therefore starts on 18 September 2021 — not 17 September 2021, which is what you get by subtracting 5 years from the application date. One day, and it changes the count.
What happens if I am over one of the figures?
That is not a question a day count answers. The guidance allows discretion over excess absences in some circumstances; the figures here are the reference thresholds the rule names, and whether a requirement is met is for the Home Office and, if you want one, a regulated adviser. Not immigration advice.
How do I check my travel history against an official record?
The Home Office holds your own travel history and will give you a copy on a subject access request, free. Ask for it and reconcile any count against it before you submit a form: a record you can produce beats a figure you worked out.
Is this the same as the rule for a spouse of a British citizen?
No. A section 6(2) application has a shorter qualifying period and a lower figure — 270 days in 3 years — with the same 90 days in the final 12 months.

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