United States · Naturalization travel
Naturalization physical presence trip calculator.
Enter the date you plan to file and your trips abroad. The tool counts days in the United States against the 913- or 548-day requirement and flags trips of over six months and a year or more.
To file Form N-400 you need physical presence in the U.S. of at least 913 days in the 5 years before filing (548 days in the 3 years on the marriage route). Separately, a trip of more than 6 months puts continuous residence in question, and a trip of 1 year or more breaks it.
Enter your dates
Result
Enter your filing date and your trips, then press Count my days.
Two different tests
Naturalization has two travel-related requirements that people often merge. Physical presence counts days: 8 CFR 316.2(a)(4) requires presence in the United States of at least 30 months of the five years before filing, and the N-400 instructions turn that into 913 days for the five-year route and 548 days (18 months) for the three-year marriage route. Continuous residence is about whether a trip broke the pattern of living in the U.S. This tool computes the first and flags trips that raise the second.
The continuous residence rules for trips
8 CFR 316.5(c)(1) says an absence of between six months and one year "shall disrupt the continuity" of residence unless the applicant can show otherwise to the satisfaction of USCIS. Evidence it lists includes that you did not end your U.S. job, your immediate family stayed in the U.S., you kept full access to your U.S. home, or you did not take a job abroad. The N-400 instructions ask for tax transcripts, rent or mortgage records, bank statements and proof of car registration and insurance for trips of more than 6 months but less than a year.
An absence of one year or more during the required period disrupts continuity. For a five-year applicant the regulation permits filing "four years and one day" after returning to resume permanent residence, and for a three-year applicant "two years and one day". The tool shows that date when one of your trips reaches a year.
How the tool counts
The window is the 5 or 3 years ending on the filing date. Each trip is counted as the days from departure to return, clipped to the window, so a trip that started before the window counts only the part inside. Trips of exactly six months are not flagged; a return after the same day six months later is. Counting conventions differ by a day per trip, and the instructions do not define one, so leave a small margin.
Worked examples
- One 31-day trip in a five-year window: 1,826 days in the window less 31 abroad is 1,795 days present, well above 913.
- Two long stays abroad of 1,065 and 699 days leave 62 days present, far short of 913, and both would also be flagged for continuous residence.
- A trip from January 1, 2024 to January 1, 2025 on the five-year route: the tool flags a break and shows January 2, 2029 as four years and one day after the return.
What this does not cover
Exceptions for military service, employees of certain U.S. organizations abroad, or approved Form N-470 absences; good moral character; tests; or the 90-day early filing date, which the N-400 early filing calculator handles. It does not read your travel history from any record: use your passport stamps and I-94 history to enter trips.
Sources
- eCFR: 8 CFR 316.2, eligibility — 5 years' continuous residence, 30 months' physical presence. Read November 1, 2026.
- eCFR: 8 CFR 316.5(c)(1) — absences of 6 months to a year, and of a year or more.
- USCIS: Instructions for Form N-400 (01/20/25) — 913 and 548 days; evidence for trips over 6 months.
Retrieved November 1, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of physical presence do I need for the N-400?
At least 913 days (30 months) in the 5 years before filing, or 548 days (18 months) in the 3 years before filing if you are applying as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, according to the N-400 instructions.
Does a trip of more than 6 months break continuous residence?
It disrupts continuity unless you can show otherwise. 8 CFR 316.5(c)(1)(i) lists evidence such as keeping your U.S. job, your family staying in the U.S., full access to your U.S. home, and not working abroad.
What if I was outside the U.S. for a year or more?
The absence disrupts continuity of residence. A five-year applicant may file four years and one day after returning to resume permanent residence; a three-year applicant, two years and one day.
Do the days I leave and return count as days abroad?
The regulations and instructions read for this page do not define the count. This tool counts the days from departure to return, which may differ from USCIS by a day per trip, so keep a margin.
Can I meet the physical presence number and still fail continuous residence?
Yes. They are separate requirements. A few long trips can leave you above 913 days and still raise a continuous residence question.
Do short trips of under 6 months matter?
They reduce your days in the U.S. and should be listed accurately on your N-400. The continuous residence presumption is stated for absences of more than six months.
Does this replace USCIS's calculator?
No. Use it to plan and to spot problem trips early. The officer decides, so bring tax transcripts and evidence of your U.S. ties to the interview.
Not legal advice
This page applies the physical presence and continuous residence rules to the trips you enter. It is not legal advice and does not decide eligibility. Consult an immigration attorney if a trip lasted more than six months.