Exceeding the 90 days and 450 days requirement

Hi, I want to apply for uk citizenship but unfortunately exceed the limits on my days outside of the UK:

- In the last 12 months, I've been away for 140 days (50 too many)
- In the last 5 years, I've been away for 501 days (again, 51 too many)

My absences were due to some business travel and remote work, but mostly due to my dad having a heart attack and me going back-and-forth to Poland during his recovery as his health declined significantly. Last year he improved a bit and said he wish to visit his dream destination while he still can considering his health, so I decided to do it when we still can. I took 3 months out and travelled with him. The 3 months travel are basically the +/- 50 days I have exceeded both limits by.

I've been in the UK for the past 8 years, have pre-settled for 5 years, and settled for 3. I went to university here, earned Bachelor of Engineering, was top of my class, won international prices for the university, won scholarships. I am working in the UK all that 8 years, built my career here, started my self-employment. I met my partner here, moved to London and we built our home here. Our friends are here. I moved my tax residency to be only here. Have investments, stocks&shares ISA, etc here. Have 2 native english people as my referees including a consultant doctor in NHS.

My questions:

• Has anyone here applied with similar numbers (over 90 days in the last year, and over 450 in 5 years) and still got approved?
  What kinds of reasons or evidence did you give?
  Any tips on how to present my case in the strongest way possible?

I don't imagine living anywhere else now. I am traveling a lot for business and sport reasons (I climb a lot) so staying in to make up for this exceeded days can be really tough.

The general rule of thumb, when it comes to exercising discretion is that discretion can be used to disregard one requirement (i.e. disregarding the one requirement, you meet all the remaining requirements). The absences over one year and five years are of course two separate requirements.

that_moving_piece wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 22, 2025 2:08 pm

I am traveling a lot for business and sport reasons (I climb a lot) so staying in to make up for this exceeded days can be really tough.

Sports/climbing looks very optional to me. I'd suggest you take a hike through the Scottish Highlands and the Welsh Brecon Beacons for the next few years and see if that brings the numbers of absences down to a reasonable level.

It may also be relevant as to whether your spouse is a British citizen or not. Have a read of the naturalisation caseworker guidance.

5 years ago I wasn't leaving UK much. So in order to reset the limits, I would need to not leave for many months. Which again, even if I didn't go for any holiday type trip, seeing my dad in Poland, business travel, etc cannot really stop.

Can you not reduce your absences to 90-100 days in the coming one year?

That would allow discretion to be exercised for the five year absence.

If you get down to 100 days in the last 5 years and 480 days in the last five years, you will get discretion. Try to keep your absences down for the next months and apply when they get under 100. Does the nature of your job require you to travel a lot?

contorted_svy wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 22, 2025 4:55 pm

If you get down to 100 days in the last 5 years and 480 days in the last five years, you will get discretion. Try to keep your absences down for the next months and apply when they get under 100. Does the nature of your job require you to travel a lot?

Yes, I need to travel for work and family regularly... So not leaving for 2-3 months is incredibly hard to achieve. While it doeasn't change the fact that I live in the UK.

Leaving family reasons aside, what is the nature of your job?
In any case, you need to get at least one of the requirements in the accepted range.