Rulebook / Residence & citizenship / Australia
Australia Resident Return visa
- Day threshold
- 730 days
- Window
- Rolling 1826 days
- Direction
- Floor — reach at least
- Counts
- Days in Australia; arrival and departure days both count
- Authority
- Department of Home Affairs
Australia Resident Return visa requires at least 730 days in Australia in any rolling 1826-day period. You are trying to reach the number, not stay under it. Two years in Australia in the five years before applying. Substantial ties to Australia can substitute, and are judged, not counted.
Who it applies to
This matters most if you are:
- A permanent resident who travels often and must protect the status they already hold.
- An applicant counting physical presence toward residence or a passport.
- Anyone who will have to evidence their days to an immigration authority at renewal or application.
The rule — and why it exists
Days in Australia. At least 730 days in Australia in any rolling 1826-day period — written as >=730 / 1826.
Why it exists: residence and citizenship are granted to people who actually live in the country. Presence requirements and absence caps are how that is measured rather than asserted.
Counting the days
- On any given day, look back over the 1826 days ending on that day (that day included).
- Count every day you were physically in Australia in that span. Partial days count as full days.
- The total must reach 730. Repeat for every day — there is no reset date.
- A day only stops counting once it is more than 1826 days old. Leaving and returning changes nothing.
The free calculator below counts this rule with the same engine the Dwelltime app ships.
Check it with the free tool
Examples
Example 1 — 481 days inside, checked at the end of the window
Stays: Australia 2026-03-01 → 2027-06-24. Checked on 2027-06-24.
Result: Days in Australia: 249 more days needed (481 of 730 in Australia), earliest 2028-02-28.
Example 2 — 730 days used, then trying to return
Stays: Australia 2026-01-01 → 2027-12-31. Checked on 2028-01-31.
Result: Days in Australia: reached — 730 of 730 days in Australia.
Example 3 — Two separate stays that add up past 730
Stays: Australia 2026-01-01 → 2027-03-14; Australia 2028-07-02 → 2029-09-12. Checked on 2029-09-12.
Result: Days in Australia: reached — 876 of 730 days in Australia.
Exceptions & edge cases
- Absences with permission. Some regimes disregard absences approved in advance or forced by illness; record them and check the source.
- Continuity vs. totals. Some rules require both a total and no single absence over a limit; both must hold.
- Evidence. Authorities may ask for stamps, boarding passes or statements — keep the source of every day.
Common misconceptions
- "Hitting 730 days is automatic." Not quite — the count meets the day test; the remaining conditions still apply.
- "It resets when I leave." No. Days age out one at a time, 1826 days after they happened.
- "Arrival day doesn't count." Any part of a day inside is a day inside.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 730-day count per calendar year or rolling?
Rolling 1826 days. The window rolls forward one day at a time.
Do arrival and departure days count?
Yes — any part of a day counts as a day.
Where does this rule come from?
Department of Home Affairs: Resident Return visa (subclasses 155 and 157). The link is verified on every build; if it stops resolving the build fails.
This rule is tracked in 
Dwelltime
- Counts your days for this rule from the trips you record
- Shows the last safe day, or the days still needed, before you book
- Explains every counted day and every uncounted one
- Runs alongside your other visa, tax and residency rules
Sources
Related rules
- 🇦🇺Australia ETA (subclass 601)Three months per entry, unlimited entries while the ETA is valid for twelve months.
<=90 / VISIT - 🇦🇺Avoid Australia tax residencyResidence is triggered at 183 days in a tax year, so the safe ceiling is 182. Day count is one test among several in most systems — ties, home and centre of interests can make you resident on fewer days.
<=182 / YEAR - 🇦🇺Become Australia tax residentReaching 183 days in a tax year triggers residence under the day-count test.
>=183 / YEAR - 🇦🇺Australia citizenship residenceFour years lawful residence with no more than twelve months absent, and no more than ninety days absent in the year before applying.
<=365 AWAY / 1461
For information only. This page is a plain-English summary of publicly available rules, not tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change and depend on your personal circumstances — always confirm with the official source above and a qualified professional before acting.