How we calculate UK eligibility

Our UK calculator follows the official gov.uk Form AN guidance precisely. Here's exactly how each day is counted:

1. 1

   1. Identify the qualifying period

   Counting backward from your planned application date, we take the last 5 years (standard route) or last 3 years (spouse route).

2. 2

   2. Count days outside the UK (per trip)

   For each trip: the departure day and return day are NOT counted as absent days (per gov.uk Form AN). Only the full days in between count. Example: departing 22 Sep and returning 25 Sep = 2 days absent (23 and 24).

3. 3

   3. Aggregate in two windows

   We sum days outside the UK both within the full qualifying period (5y or 3y) and within the most recent 12 months separately.

4. 4

   4. Compare against statutory thresholds

   Standard route: 450 days over 5 years. Spouse route: 270 days over 3 years. In both: max 90 days in last 12 months.

5. 5

   5. Apply discretion zones

   Home Office may exercise discretion: standard route up to 480 (or 730 with strong reasons); 12-month limit up to 100 (or 180 with exceptional reasons). We color-code these as amber (discretion zone) vs red (high risk).