Long Residence: ILR after 10 years
Last verified 4 September 2026 against GOV.UK sources·Page updated 5 September 2026
| Qualifying period | 10 years of continuous lawful residence, on any combination of qualifying routes |
|---|---|
| Current permission | Must have held your current permission for 12 months at application (or be exempt from immigration control) |
| Absences | Before 11 Apr 2024: max 184 days at once / 548 total. From 11 Apr 2024: 180 days in any 12 months |
| Excluded time | Time as a visitor, short-term student or seasonal worker does not count |
| Tests | English and the Life in the UK test |
| Fee | £3,226 |
| Settlement | ILR after 10 years under current rules |
Long Residence is the settlement route for people whose UK history doesn’t fit one neat five-year track: ten years of continuous lawful residence, built from any combination of qualifying visas — student years, work visas, family permission — can lead to ILR. Since 11 April 2024 the route is set out in Appendix Long Residence, which rewrote several long-standing rules.
What time counts
Lawful residence on most routes counts, including Student, Graduate, work routes and family routes — this is what makes Long Residence valuable for people who spent years on visas that don’t themselves lead to settlement. Time as a visitor, short-term student or seasonal worker does not count, and time on immigration bail does not count. Overstaying normally does not count and can break continuous residence, although limited periods of disregarded overstaying may be treated differently under the rules. Since 2024 you must also have held your current permission for at least 12 months when you apply (or be exempt from immigration control).
The two-era absence rules
Absences are counted differently either side of 11 April 2024:
- Periods before 11 April 2024: no single absence longer than 184 days, and no more than 548 days outside the UK in total across that part of the qualifying period.
- Periods from 11 April 2024: the modern rule applies — no more than 180 days outside the UK in any rolling 12-month period, with no overall cap.
Most applicants for the next few years will have qualifying periods spanning both eras, so both sets of limits matter. Map your absences against each rule before relying on this route — a single long absence in the wrong era is one of the ways applications go wrong.
Requirements and cost
Beyond residence, you need English (currently B1 — note that settlement English requirements rise to B2 on affected routes from 26 March 2027, so check the position when you apply) and the Life in the UK test. The fee is the standard ILR fee of £3,226. The earned settlement proposals being considered for the five-year routes would also reshape this area if enacted; as of September 2026 the ten-year Long Residence rules above remain in force.
Route to settlement and citizenship
- Long Residence: ILR after 10 years
- Indefinite Leave to Remain after 10 years
- British citizenship
Long Residence gives ILR after ten years of continuous lawful residence, counting time on most routes including Student and Graduate. The route is separate from the earned settlement proposal, which concerns the five-year work and family routes.
British citizenship is normally available twelve months after ILR, subject to the residence and good-character requirements.
Related guides
- British citizenship by naturalisation From ILR to a British passport: residence and absence limits, the good character test, £1,839 in fees — and what to check about your own nationality law first.
- Settlement: Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) Permanent residence in the UK: the 5-year routes, absence rules, the £3,226 fee, English rising to B2 in 2027 and the earned settlement proposal.
- Private Life route Staying in the UK on the strength of a life already built here: the 7-year child rule, the half-life rule for young adults, and the 20-year rule.