YOUR INDEPENDENT GUIDE TO LIFE IN THE UNITED KINGDOMENGLAND · SCOTLAND · WALES · NORTHERN IRELANDClear sources. Better decisions.
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THE PRACTICAL GUIDE

Prepare a reliable absence record

Keep complete dates and a backup while understanding the limits of a day count.

By UKpedia24Sources checked: 2026-09-20

Start with evidence you can check

Collect departure and return dates from your records, then resolve overlaps and missing dates. Memory alone is unreliable for old or multi-country trips.

A count is not an eligibility decision

The tool examines a specific numerical rule in rolling 12-month windows rather than calendar years. Route rules, exceptions and immigration history may affect the assessment. A day count cannot establish that you qualify.

  • Enter completed trips within the period being examined.
  • Check for accidental overlaps.
  • Keep evidence of absence reasons privately if relevant.
  • Export JSON after updates; browser storage is not a permanent backup.

Before seeking advice

Prepare a tidy record together with route names and permission dates, and ask which rules apply. The log saves organisational work but does not replace that assessment.

Sources and next step

Local rules can differ. Consult the source for your part of the UK before acting.

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