Time Outside UK, Ancestral Visa

Hi all on the forum,

I am currently on an ancestral visa, as far as I am aware (mostly from info from this forum) I am allowed to be outside of the UK for 180 days in the 5 years before applying for ILR (or whatever it is going to be!)

I will have to be outside of the uk for a period of roughly 20 days which will take my total 10 days or so over 180.

I did not plan on this absence as it is work related, I have read that for employed people this seems fine as long as the employer writes a letter and one can prove that it is work related and you are still resident in the UK.

My problem is that I am self employed and own a LTD company, I cannot find any info as to what I would need to prove my business travel as a self employed individual.

Would my company records and a letter from the company I am visiting abroad suffice?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

See also UK ancestry.

Thank you for that Vinny, that sounds positive.

"You must ignore short absences abroad if it is clear that the applicant has continued to be based in the UK. Examples of this type of absence include:

• holidays consistent with annual paid leave
• business trips consistent with maintaining employment or self-employment in the UK.

Discretion when continuous residence has been broken

There are exceptional cases when periods spent in the UK on the basis of UK ancestry may be added together to form unbroken continuous residence.
There must have been no absences abroad, apart from those described above. Authorised employment or business in the UK must not have been broken by any single interruption of more than three months or, in total, no more than six months."

Am I correct in understanding that they will not count my short trips, annual holidays as well as business trips as part of the 180 days hence I will not need any discretion?

Should I still collect supporting documentation to prove this is a business trip?
I have seen a template from the site that employed persons may use, what would be needed for a self employed individual, would a letter from my accountants and a letter from my business associate abroad suffice?

Thanks again for any info.