UAE tax residency: the 90- and 183-day rules
The UAE has no personal income tax, yet its tax residency still turns on a day count — 90 or 183 days in a rolling 12 months — that you have to be able to prove.
How long can a UK citizen stay in Europe?
Since Brexit, British citizens are third-country nationals in the Schengen Area — capped at 90 days in any rolling 180-day window.
The UK 180-day rule for indefinite leave to remain
To settle in the UK you must not spend more than 180 days abroad in any rolling 12 months — counted across years, to the day.
The 330-day rule for Americans working abroad
Spend 330 full days abroad in a 12-month window and the US lets you exclude up to $130,000 of earned income — but the day count is exact, and one short day can undo it.
Who has to prove where you were?
When a tax authority or border officer doubts your day count, you are usually the one who has to prove it — here is what that takes.
Dual tax residency and the treaty tie-breaker
Two countries can each call you a tax resident for the same year. A treaty's tie-breaker tests, applied in order, decide which one wins.
What counts as a 'day' for visas and tax
The day you arrive and the day you leave aren't counted the same way everywhere — Schengen, the US and the UK each define a 'day' differently.
How Canada counts your days for PR and citizenship
Canadian permanent residence and citizenship are both measured in days inside the country — 730 to keep PR, 1,095 to become a citizen.
The US Substantial Presence Test, explained
America doesn't use a simple 183-day count — it weights three years of days into one formula. Here is how the test actually decides your US tax residency.
What happens if you overstay in the Schengen Area
Refused entry, a return decision, and an entry ban recorded across the Schengen Area — what EU law actually does when a short stay runs past 90 days.
The UK Statutory Residence Test, explained
Britain replaced the old 183-day guesswork with a precise, multi-part day count — here is how the SRT actually decides your tax residence.
Working remotely from another country: the fine print
Your laptop crosses borders more easily than the rules do — a tourist stamp, a tax year, and your employer each quietly count the days.
Why citizenship forms ask for every trip abroad
From the US to Australia, permanent residence and citizenship are earned in days — and the forms want every date you crossed a border.
EES explained: the EU's new digital border
Since April 2026, biometric entry/exit checks have replaced passport stamps at Europe's external borders — and they quietly keep score of your 90/180 days.
Can you be a tax resident of nowhere?
The internet's favourite tax hack is mostly a myth: residency is assigned by law, not chosen — and leaving one country rarely ends it on its own.
ETIAS explained: the EU's €20 travel authorisation
From late 2026, visa-exempt visitors will need a €20 online authorisation before they travel to Europe. What it is, what it costs, and why it doesn't touch your 90/180 days.
The Schengen 90/180 rule, explained without the headache
It's a rolling window, not a fixed block — and both your arrival and departure days count. Here's how the math actually works.
The "183-day rule" is not one rule
183 days is a useful rule of thumb and a dangerous thing to rely on. What tax residency actually turns on — and why the day count is only the beginning.
How to count your days abroad without losing the plot
Partial days, rolling windows, unreliable stamps: the practical traps of day-counting, and a simple system that survives a messy travel year.
Why Countly counts on your phone — and nowhere else
A day-counter has to know where you have been. Here's how Countly does that without an account, a server, or a single ad.
Questions, answered.
What is Countly?
Countly automatically counts the days you spend in each country — quietly, and only on your phone. It watches the thresholds that matter when you live across borders: tax residency, the Schengen 90/180 rule, and visa limits, so none of them takes you by surprise.
How does the Schengen 90/180-day rule actually work?
It is a rolling window, not a fixed block. For any given day, you may have spent at most 90 days in the Schengen Area across the previous 180 days. Both your arrival and departure days count as full days, and the 90-day allowance is shared across every Schengen country — hopping between them does not reset it.
Is the “183-day rule” the same in every country?
No. 183 days is a common threshold, but the exact number, the reference period (calendar year, tax year, or a rolling window), and how a “day” is counted are set by each country’s own law and its tax treaties. Some places can make you a tax resident with fewer days through other tests. Always confirm with official sources or a qualified adviser.
Does Countly keep my location private?
Yes. Your location stays on your device. There is no account to create, and no analytics or advertising. Countly does the counting locally and keeps the history with you.
Does Countly give tax or immigration advice?
No. Countly is a counting tool that helps you see your days clearly. It is not legal or tax advice and does not replace a qualified tax or immigration professional.
Which platforms is Countly on?
Countly is on iPhone and Android, free to download, currently version 1.1.