FREE TOOL

Physical Presence Test calculator

For the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555). Enter your full days in a foreign country during your 12-month period to see whether you meet the 330-day test. Everything runs in your browser.

Full days in a foreign country during your 12-month period

How the Physical Presence Test works

You qualify under the Physical Presence Test if you are physically present in a foreign country (or countries) for at least 330 full days during any 12 consecutive months. Key points:

A full day is a complete 24-hour period, midnight to midnight, spent in a foreign country. Partial days do not count.
Time spent over international waters (or flying between the US and a foreign country) does not count as time abroad.
The 12-month window can begin on any day — you can pick the period that captures the most full days.

The Physical Presence Test is one of two ways to qualify for the FEIE; the other is the bona fide residence test. Meeting one of them is required, but the exclusion also has income limits and other conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Updated 2026-09-13

What is the 330-day physical presence test?

One of two routes to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion: at least 330 full days physically present in foreign countries during any 12-month period you choose. The days need not be consecutive.

What counts as a full day abroad?

A complete midnight-to-midnight period in a foreign country. Travel days that touch the US, and time over international waters, do not count, which is why a two-week US trip usually costs more than 14 days.

Can I pick which 12 months to use?

Yes, any 12-consecutive-month window, and choosing well is often the difference between qualifying and not. The window can straddle tax years; the exclusion then prorates.

What is the alternative if I cannot reach 330 days?

The bona fide residence test: a full calendar year as a genuine resident of a foreign country, judged on facts rather than day counts. Many long-term expats qualify that way instead.

Not tax advice. The FEIE has additional requirements this tool does not check. Confirm your situation with a qualified advisor.

Source: IRS, Physical Presence Test. Related: Remote workers & nomads

Embed this calculator

Free to drop into your own site. It runs entirely in the visitor's browser — nothing is sent anywhere. Copy this snippet:

<iframe src="https://spyglassbeacon.com/embed/physical-presence-test-calculator" width="100%" height="400" style="border:1px solid #E2E8F0;border-radius:12px" title="Physical Presence Test calculator (FEIE)" loading="lazy"></iframe>

Please keep the "Powered by SpyglassBeacon" link shown in the embed.

Count your days abroad automatically

SpyglassBeacon keeps a running, timestamped count of where you are, so your 330-day number is already done.

Get the app