Absences for Citizenship Applications

The Home Office provides clear information about allowed absences during your qualifying residence period for citizenship. These restrictions are different from the residential requirements for ILR.

Normal residential requirements

The way absences are treated for nationality applications, compared to settlement, is different.  The most important difference is that you cannot spend more than 90 days outside the UK in the final year of your qualifying period.

Lengthy absences taken during the continuous period for ILR can impact on your ability to meet the residency requirements for nationality.

The government publish clear guidance on how absences are treated in their Naturalisation booklet – the requirements: Booklet AN, which is available from the GOV.uk website. We advise you check this advice before completing your application.