South Africans Applying for UK Citizenship Face Strict Limits on Time Abroad

• The UK Home Office published updated guidance outlining how many days foreign nationals can spend outside the country while applying for citizenship
• South Africans on the standard five-year route face a 450-day absence cap, while those on the three-year spouse route are limited to 270 days
• Exceeding the limits can result in a failed application with no full fee refund, though some exceptions apply

The United Kingdom government has released updated Home Office guidance that sets out firm absence limits for foreign nationals seeking British citizenship.

The new rules apply to anyone going through the standard five-year route or the shorter three-year route available to spouses and civil partners of British citizens, and they affect South Africans living in the UK who are working towards a passport.

Under the five-year route, applicants may not spend more than 450 whole days outside the UK across their entire qualifying period. Those on the three-year route have a lower ceiling of 270 days. The guidance specifies that departure and return dates are not counted when calculating absences. Both routes share one additional requirement: no applicant may spend more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12 months directly before their application is submitted.

What happens if you go over the limit

Breaching these thresholds can result in a rejected application, and the Home Office will not issue a full fee refund in that event. However, the guidance does make provision for cases where excess absences can be overlooked.

For the five-year route, absences of up to 480 days are generally disregarded. That figure rises to up to 900 days if the applicant can show that their home, family, and a significant portion of their assets are based in the UK. Beyond 730 days, applicants would typically need to have lived in the UK for at least seven years. Equivalent thresholds exist for the three-year route: up to 300 days disregarded ordinarily, up to 540 days where strong UK ties are demonstrated, and a minimum of four years' residence expected beyond 450 days.

Officials also retain discretion to overlook absences in several specific situations. These include Crown or designated service, work-related travel for UK-based employers, roles as merchant seafarers, compelling occupational or compassionate circumstances, and disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the final 12-month window before an application, absences between 101 and 179 days may be excused if the applicant has strong ties to the UK. Spending more than 180 days abroad during that period will only be overlooked under exceptional circumstances.

Successful adult applicants who complete either route are eligible to receive a 10-year British passport.

More on South Africans living and studying abroad

• Briefly News recently reported on a monthly scholarship that South Africans can apply for to study in Europe in 2027.
• A Canadian expat living in SA has called out the visa wait his South African girlfriend faces to visit Canada.
• A German woman has taken Home Affairs to court after her guesthouse business visa was refused.

Source: Briefly News