Key Points
- No set maximum number of days abroad.
- You must show you live together in the UK and intend to continue.
- Do not travel while an in-country application is pending.
- Citizenship has its own, stricter absence limits.
How long can you stay outside the UK?
The partner route has no numerical cap. At extension and settlement the Home Office looks at whether the relationship is continuing and whether you intend to live together permanently in the UK. Time abroad together for holidays, family visits or a work posting is easier to explain than long periods apart.
Travelling while an extension is pending
If you applied from inside the UK and leave before the decision, the application is normally treated as withdrawn. Wait for the decision before travelling.
Proving your status at the border
Status is now held digitally as an eVisa linked to your passport. Keep your online account up to date with your current passport before you travel.
Thinking ahead to citizenship
Naturalisation has specific limits on absences in the qualifying period. Heavy travel that causes no problem for settlement can still delay a citizenship application.
Official Sources
This page is general information, not legal advice. The rules and figures are set by the Home Office and can change.