How many days can I spend outside the UK before applying for British citizenship?

Checked on 2026-10-25

For British citizenship by naturalisation, the law allows no more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5 years before your application and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. If you apply as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, the limits are 270 days in 3 years and 90 days.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Absences in the 5 years before applying	No more than 450 days	British Nationality Act 1981, Sch. 1 para 1(2)(a)
Absences in the last 12 months	No more than 90 days	BNA 1981, Sch. 1 para 1(2)(b)
Spouse or civil partner of a British citizen	No more than 270 days in the 3 years and 90 days in the last 12 months	BNA 1981, Sch. 1 para 3(a)–(b)
Being in the UK on day one	You must have been in the UK at the start of the 5-year (or 3-year) period	BNA 1981, Sch. 1 paras 1(2)(a), 3(a)
Going over the limits	The Home Office may treat you as meeting them “in the special circumstances of any particular case”	BNA 1981, Sch. 1 para 2(1)(a)
Time that counts as absence even in the UK	Prison under a sentence, immigration detention, time exempt from immigration control (e.g. diplomats)	BNA 1981, Sch. 1 para 9(1)

How the limits work

Both limits are counted back from the date of your application. The 450-day limit covers the whole 5 years; the 90-day limit covers only the final 12 months, and you must meet both. On the spouse route the period is 3 years, with a 270-day total and the same 90-day limit for the last year.

When you go over

The law does not make the limits absolute. Under Schedule 1 para 2, the Home Office may, in the special circumstances of a particular case, treat you as meeting the 450-day or 90-day limit, or both, even though you were away longer. The Act does not list what counts as special circumstances.

Time in the UK that still counts as absence

Schedule 1 para 9 treats some periods in the UK as absence: time in prison under a sentence, detention under immigration powers, a hospital order linked to a conviction, and time when you were exempt from immigration control as a diplomat, a member of visiting forces, or part of such a person’s household. GOV.UK’s guidance repeats the rule for diplomats, their staff and household, and visiting armed forces.

Recording your trips

The Home Office guidance says the application asks for your time outside the UK. Give as much detail as you can from your own records, such as emails or boarding passes; the Home Office will check its own records and fill in gaps or correct them.

How long you must live in the UK first: 5 years, with ILR or settled status held for 12 months (BNA 1981, Sch. 1 para 1(2)).

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.