Residence & citizenship

UK long residence application — historical days abroad

The UK long-residence route has transitional absence rules around 11 April 2024.

Untild · Residency · Source reviewed 2026-10-30

Check your own dates: UK long residence application — historical days abroad calculator →

Summary

Recorded component: Recorded ten-year absence total • transitional rules need separate review
Window: Last 10 years
What the tool measures: Presence evidence
Official reference: UK Home Office Appendix Continuous Residence ↗

The UK long-residence route has transitional absence rules around 11 April 2024.

Who it applies to

Applicants assessing the historical part of a ten-year long-residence required residence period.

The rule

The current rule distinguishes a 548-day total reached before 11 April 2024 and a 184-day individual absence starting before that date. This counter is a total calculated only from recorded absences; it does not automatically apply transitional boundaries.

Counting the days

This counter adds recorded full days outside the UK during the most recent ten years. It does not automatically separate absences using the transitional rules of 11 April 2024. Review the applicable historical periods separately.

Choose the date through which you want to count, then add your recorded visits.
Use the counting convention above. Include recorded trips abroad and returns home, so the tool can distinguish separate absences.
Read the result alongside the conditions. Missing records and other eligibility requirements are not inferred from a total.

Check your dates with the free calculator

Examples

These examples demonstrate the counter's arithmetic, using a count-through date of 30 October 2026. They do not determine legal status or eligibility.

Example 1 — one recorded visit

2026-10-20 to 2026-10-29 · France

Recorded result: 8 days

Example 2 — overlapping records

2026-10-15 to 2026-10-25 · France
2026-10-20 to 2026-10-29 · France

Recorded result: 13 days

Example 3 — two visits with a gap

2026-10-05 to 2026-10-10 · France
2026-10-20 to 2026-10-29 · France

Recorded result: 12 days

Exceptions & edge cases

Use the official reference for the full conditions and any changes since the source review date shown on this page.

Common misconceptions

“A tracker target is a legal residency test.”

This page records presence as evidence. The tracker target does not create a statutory minimum or decide domicile.

“A new calendar year resets this counter.”

This is a rolling window. Dates leave the window as time moves forward.

Frequently asked questions

What does this rule count?

The UK long-residence route has transitional absence rules around 11 April 2024.

Which counting window does this tool use?

Last 10 years. This counter adds recorded full days outside the UK during the most recent ten years. It does not automatically separate absences using the transitional rules of 11 April 2024. Review the applicable historical periods separately.

What else should I check before relying on the total?

Where can I read the official requirements?

Read UK Home Office Appendix Continuous Residence ↗. The source was last reviewed on 2026-10-30.