Absence calculator
What effect will absences from the UK have on my legal status?
We have created useful tools for the most commonly asked questions regarding absences from the UK and how these impact on EU citizens' immigration status.
- a simple quiz which asks a few yes/no questions to work out whether you can get settled status in the future
- two different Excel absence calculators for pre-settled status holders. These allow you to enter trips abroad and calculate whether your absences have an impact on your ability to get settled status. One calculates your 'rolling annual' absence (maximum of 6 months in any 12-month period with some exemptions). The other calculates whether you have 30 months' residence in the last 60 months - this is a simpler way of demonstrating continuous residence, available from 16 July 2025.
Download '6 months in 12' calculator
Download '30 months in last 60' calculator
Note - these calculators may give unexpected results if your computer's Regional Settings are not set to English. If this is the case, please contact us and we can send you an alternative version (it requires a macro-enabled Excel file, which we cannot upload to our website).
(For each calculator, clicking the download button will automatically download an Excel file. Open it and enter your absence dates. For best usability, we recommend you do this on a laptop/computer that has Excel installed. Please note the3million cannot be held responsible for any errors in these calculators, or any decisions taken as a result of using them. If you are in any doubt, please seek legal advice. Both these calculators allow for the entry of up to 100 trips. If you need to enter more than 100 trips, please contact us. Versions: 6/12 calculator - 16 Jul 2025, 30/60 calculator - 12 May 2026)
Continuity of residence
The words "Continuous residence", or "continuity of residence" are used throughout the EU Settlement Scheme immigration rules.
Basically it means living in the UK. However, too much absence from the UK can break continuity of residence.
The rules are different depending on whether you are applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, or for British citizenship.
EU Settlement Scheme
ORIGINAL RULES - BEFORE 16 JULY 2025
Before 16 July 2025, the only way of demonstrating continuous residence was by having a maximum of six months’ absence (with some exemptions*) from the UK out of any 12 month period. For first time late applications, this is still the only way. For existing pre-settled status holders, however, there is now also a simplified way of demonstrating continuous residence - see next section.
The ‘out of any 12 month period’ is trickier to calculate than you might think, because you really do have to look at any 12 month period, not just checking each calendar year.
For example, if you are away for 4 months between August and November in one year, and then 3 months from February to April the next, you might think that you didn’t break your continuity of residence. Unfortunately you did, because you were away for 7 months between July of the first year and July of the second.
To help you calculate your greatest total absence in any rolling 12-month period, we created the ‘6 months in 12 absence calculator’ for you.
* It is possible to have up to two extended absences. A one-off absence of up to 12 months is allowed for some specific reasons (some examples are pregnancy, childbirth, serious illness, compulsory military services). See the Home Office Covid-19 guidance for the EU Settlement Scheme. In some cases an Covid-19 related absence of more than 12 months is also allowed - see the guidance for more details.
SIMPLIFIED RULES - FOR PRE-SETTLED STATUS HOLDERS ONLY - FROM 16 JULY 2025
If you have pre-settled status, it is now also possible to satisfy continuous residence in a simpler way, namely by being resident in the UK for a total of 30 months out of the last 60 months. The 60 months looks back in time from the date you apply to upgrade from pre-settled to settled status.
We have created a second ‘30 months in 60 absence calculator’ to help you check your absences.
IF YOU ALREADY HAVE SETTLED STATUS
You can then be out of the UK for 5 years (4 years if you are Swiss or a family member of a Swiss citizen) without losing your status. Returning to the UK for visits will 'reset the clock' so you can be away for a further 5 (or 4 if for Swiss citizens and their family members) years - make sure you carefully keep the evidence of returning to the UK! See also our FAQ 'I have settled status but left the UK. How long can I be away without losing my status?'
Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme
Through 2023, 2024 and 2025, the Home Office announced various changes to the EU Settlement Scheme, related to automated extensions of pre-settled status, and later, automated upgrades from pre-settled to settled status. See our separate webpage Summary of changes to the EU Settlement Scheme since 2018.
British citizenship
The requirements for applying for British citizenship are stricter than for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Generally, to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen, you need to prove 5 years’ residence without gaps outside the UK of more than 450 days in total, and that you were not absent for more than 90 days in the last year before application. If you exceed these allowances, you may still be able to qualify but it is recommended you seek legal advice.
If you are married to a British citizen, you need to prove 3 years' residence without gaps of more than 270 days in total, and again that you were not absent for more than 90 days in the final year.
