Residence Permit and Citizenship Absence Rules by Country

How long you can spend abroad without losing a residence permit, and how much presence citizenship requires, in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe. Each row links to a full guide with the official source.

Last verified: September 2026

In short: these rules come in two kinds. Absence limits cap your time away, such as the UK's 180 days in any 12 months for ILR. Presence requirements set a minimum time inside, such as Canada's 1,095 days in five years for citizenship. They also differ in shape: some look at one absence at a time, some add up every absence in a fixed period, and some check every rolling window. Knowing which shape applies matters as much as the number.

Citizenship and naturalisation

United Kingdom

Rule: No more than 450 days abroad, and 90 in the final 12 months (spouse route: 270 in three years)
Period: Five years before applying

United States

Rule: At least 913 days (30 months) physically present, plus continuous residence
Period: Five years before filing Form N-400

Canada

Rule: At least 1,095 days physically present
Period: Five years before signing the application

Australia

Rule: No more than 12 months abroad in total, and 90 days in the final year
Period: Four years before applying

New Zealand

Rule: At least 1,350 days present, and at least 240 in each year
Period: Five years before applying

Germany

Rule: A single stay abroad of up to six months does not interrupt residence
Period: Each absence separately

Cyprus

Rule: No more than 90 days of absence in total
Period: The 12 months before applying

Keeping permanent residence or a residence permit

UK: qualifying for ILR

Rule: No more than 180 days abroad
Period: Any 12 months in the qualifying period

US green card

Rule: Six months or more may disrupt continuous residence; a year or more breaks it
Period: Each absence

Canada permanent residence

Rule: At least 730 days in Canada
Period: Every five-year period

Australia Resident Return visa

Rule: At least 730 days in Australia for the five-year visa
Period: Five years before lodging

Netherlands residence permit

Rule: More than 6 continuous months abroad can move your main residence
Period: Within one calendar year

EU long-term residence (Spain)

Rule: 12 consecutive months outside the EU can end the status
Period: Each absence

France ten-year resident card

Rule: More than three consecutive years abroad can invalidate the card
Period: Each absence

Italy residence permit

Rule: More than six continuous months abroad blocks renewal (longer for permits of two years or more)
Period: Each absence

Switzerland B and C permits

Rule: Six months abroad without deregistering can end the permit
Period: Each absence

Qatar residence

Rule: More than six months abroad needs a return visa
Period: Each absence

New Zealand Superannuation

Rule: Payments normally continue for up to 26 weeks abroad
Period: Each absence

Three shapes, three different checks

Two rules with the same number can behave very differently. Check which shape yours has before you plan a long trip.

One absence at a time. Germany's six months, the US green card lines and Italy's six months look at a single stay abroad. Two separate four-month trips each stay within a six-month rule of this kind, although Germany adds a second test on your total time abroad.
A total over a fixed period. UK and Australian citizenship add up every absence in the qualifying period and again in the final year. Many short trips can break the limit together.
Every rolling window. The UK's ILR rule checks each 12-month window inside the qualifying period. Trips in different calendar years can still fall inside one window.

The same two trips, three answers. Take two trips of four months each, the second starting eight months after the first. Under a six-month single-absence rule, both are within the limit. Under a limit of 180 days in any 12 months, the two trips fall inside one window and add up to about 240 days, which is over. Under a five-year total of 450 days, they use a little over half the allowance.

Days are counted differently, too

Presence rules often count any part of a day in the country: Canada counts both travel days as days present, and so does US naturalisation. Absence rules in the UK count only whole days away, so the departure and return dates are not absences. The same trip can therefore be one or two days longer or shorter depending on the rule. See what counts as a day for the details by rule.

Beyond the day count

A day count settles only the numerical part. Most of these rules have exceptions for serious illness or work abroad for a home-country employer, some leave room for official discretion, and every citizenship route has further conditions such as lawful status, language and character. Use the linked guide and its official source for your status, and take advice when a trip would take you close to a limit.

AtlasDays has a preset for every rule on this page

Log your trips once and add the presets that apply to you. AtlasDays counts each rule in its own shape, whether it is one absence, a fixed period or a rolling window, privately on your iPhone, and shows how much room is left before your next trip.

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FAQ

What is the difference between an absence limit and a presence requirement?

An absence limit caps your time outside the country, such as no more than 180 days in any 12 months. A presence requirement sets a minimum time inside it, such as at least 1,095 days in five years. Some statuses, like UK citizenship, use absence limits; others, like Canadian citizenship, use presence requirements.

Does a short trip home reset a six-month absence limit?

It depends on the rule. Where the rule looks at one continuous absence, a genuine return usually starts a new absence, but some authorities look through short visits. Switzerland, for example, does not treat a temporary visit as automatically preserving the permit.

Can one travel record cover several of these rules?

Yes. The same dated trips can be checked against a citizenship total, a permit absence limit and a tax residence count at once, as long as each rule is applied with its own window and its own way of counting days.

About this article: AtlasDays provides general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Rules change and outcomes depend on your circumstances, so never rely on it alone: check the linked official source or ask a qualified professional.