Country guide
United Kingdom travel days: visitor, tax and settlement
The United Kingdom has separate day-count systems for visitors, tax residence and settlement. A six-month visitor permission is not a tax-residence rule, while an SRT result does not extend immigration permission. Track each purpose independently and check the relevant authority.
At a glance
Separate systems, separate records.
| System | Who it concerns | Period | Authority | Review status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor | Visitors using this route | Permission issued for the visit | UK Visas and Immigration | Volatile · review by 2026-08-22 |
| Statutory Residence Test | People checking UK tax residence | 6 April to 5 April tax year | HM Revenue & Customs | Monitored · review by 2026-10-22 |
| Continuous residence | Applicants on an eligible settlement route | Route-specific qualifying period | Home Office | Volatile · review by 2026-08-22 |
Visitor permission
Standard Visitors can usually stay for up to six months, but the permission and circumstances shown in the official record control. There is no generic UK visitor 180-days-per-year rule on this page.
Tax residence
The Statutory Residence Test follows the UK tax year and combines day counts with automatic tests and ties. Use the full SRT guidance rather than one 183-day headline.
Settlement and continuous residence
Absence limits and exceptions depend on the immigration route and relevant dates. Keep route-specific counters and documentary evidence separate from visitor and tax records.
Keep records by purpose
Keep permission records, UK tax-year presence evidence and route-specific absence evidence in separate folders or exports. Passport stamps, tickets and official records can support the dates, while the responsible authority decides what evidence is accepted.
Official record and rule sources
Check the authority.
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