How much time can I spend outside the UK and still qualify under the 10-year long residence route?

The current rule limits you to a maximum of 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period across your qualifying 10 years of continuous residence.

Different rules apply to time spent abroad before 11 April 2024: under the older approach, continuous residence could be broken by a single absence of more than 184 days, or by more than 548 days in total. Only pre-11 April 2024 absences count toward that 548-day total. Keep detailed travel records, as absences are scrutinised closely.