Read this Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) guide on how get villagers to move out. Includes how to get rid of villagers, kick villagers out by amiibo card, & how to get more villagers!!!
How To Get Rid Of Villagers
| Villager Related Articles | |
|---|---|
 How To Get Villagers You Want | Mystery Island Tour Villagers Guide |
| Campsite Villagers Guide | How To Get Rid Of Villagers |
Video Guide On How To Get Rid Of Villagers
How To Get Villagers To Move Out
How To Trigger A Moving Out Event
- Wait for time to pass after they first move to the island
- Make time pass by changing the date manually
- Average length is 10 to 14 days
- Won't happen during other events!
White Cloud Is The Indicator
Villagers who are thinking about leaving your island will have a white cloud appear over their head and will look visibly troubled. Note that this cloud will appear for other troubles they may be having too, so it's not 100% guaranteed that they're thinking about moving out.
No Need To Lower Friendship Level
When you repeatedly hit a villager over the head with a net, they will get angry. While this does in fact reduce your friendship level with that villager, it is not necessary to get them to leave your island!
Won't Move Out During Other Events
During events such as the Fishing Tournament, it seems that the villager move-out is blocked from triggering. In this case, simply wait until the next day (or change the date yourself) to get the white cloud moving-out flag to trigger for a villager.
How To Make Villagers Leave On Their Own
| ① | Find a villager with a white cloud over their head. |
|---|---|
| ② | If it's the villager you want, ask them to leave. If it's a different villager, don't talk to them and wait until the next day. |
| ③ | Look for villagers with a white cloud on the next day. |
| ④ | Repeat steps 2-3 until you get the villager you're targeting. |
If you don't talk to the villager with the white cloud, it seems to sometimes be passed on to other villagers on the following day. By not talking to a villager and changing the date, you can try to pass on the desire to leave the island to another villager.
The Moving-Out Flag Sometimes Disappears
The white cloud marker that sometimes afflicts a villager will not appear during special events such as the Fishing Tourney or KK Slider's Concerts. Additionally, it won't always be passed on to another villager, and may instead sometimes simply disappear. There is no 100% surefire way of removing a given villager.
Only Applied To Villagers Who Are Outside
The white cloud moving-out flag will only be applied to villagers who are outside. If the villager you're trying to make leave is in their house that day, you'll have no choice but to wait another day to try again.
Moving Out Process
- 1. Talk to the Villager that wants to leave
- 2. They pack up all their luggage
- 3. Their house will become a lot for sale
- 4. The house will be sold the following day
- 5. The day after that, a new villager will arrive
One day after a villager leaves and their house goes up for sale, the lot will be officially sold, indicating that a new villager has been decided and is incoming! If you want to get a villager from a Mystery Island Tour, note that the only time you can do this is on the day the empty house goes on sale! If you do it the following day, Tom Nook will have already sold it to another random villager.
Check Out More On How To Get Villagers You Want On Your Island HereStop Them From Leaving
When a villager is distressed and start talking to you about leaving, you'll be able to choose whether or not they leave. Make sure to choose the right option - the final decision will come down to you!
Get Rid Of Villagers Using The Campsite
Randomly Swap With A Villager When At Max
In order to recruit new villagers that arrive at your Campsite, you'll need to have an empty spot available for them. If you're at the limit of villagers on your island, one villager will be selected at random to be replaced with the new recruit.
You Can Refuse A Trade
Although the villager selected will be random, you will still have the final say in whether you want to swap the two villagers. Even if you refuse this particular trade, you'll still have the option to try to recruit the villager again later.
Once The Replacement Villager Is Decided, It Can't Be Changed
The new villager you're trying to recruit will suggest one specific villager to kick out, and once this villager has been decided, it can't be changed! You can bypass this, however, by shutting down the game before the dialogue finishes. Animal Crossing autosaves at the end of conversations, so if you press the Home button and close the game, you'll be able to try this over and over.
▲When you see the name of the villager they want to kick out (in yellow in the above picture), shut down and reset the game!
Check Out The Campsite Villagers Guide In Detail HereGet Rid Of Villagers Using Amiibo
Invite Villagers With Amiibo Cards
By using an Amiibo card and inviting a villager to your campsite, you'll be able to swap your villagers freely to make room for the new one. Just choose which one should get replaced and you're done!
How To Make Villager Leave With Amiibo Cards
| 1 | Build a Campsite |
|---|---|
| 2 | Go to Nook Stop and scan your amiibo card |
| 3 | Listen to the Villager's request at the Campsite and help them out Recruit them to become a resident |
| 4 | Repeat steps 2-3 |
| 5 | If you have 10 residents already, you will be able to select one villager to leave your island. |
| 6 | The villager you've selected will leave on the next day. |
Need To Invite Them 3 Times
Villagers which you invite to your campsite via amiibo will not immediately join your island. You'll need to do small tasks for them a total of 3 times before they agree to move in! You'll have to call them to the island 3 separate times to get this to happen!
How To Get More Villagers
Main Methods Of Increasing Villagers
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Start The Game (2) | ・2 villagers will be on your island when you arrive at the beginning of the game |
| Resident Services Event (3) | ・Complete the Resident Services event where you help build 3 houses ・Need to build furniture for the houses |
| Build Campsite (1) | ・Recruit one villager that comes with the campsite ・All villagers that come afterwards are random |
| Recruit (4) | ・Have an available plot of land ・Recruit via Mystery Tours ・Recruit via the Campsite |
In-Game Events And Free Recruitment
The recruitment of some villagers will be 'mandatory' and included in a series of in-game events that you have to complete. However, after these initial 6, recruitment of the remaining 4 possible villagers will be entirely optional and can be done at your own pace!
Can Only Have Up To 10 Villagers
Your island can only accommodate up to 10 Villagers at a time. At this point, you won't be able to make any new housing plots. Note that villagers will still arrive at your Campsite, but if you want to recruit them, you'll have to replace an existing villager for them!
Recruit On Other Players' Islands
So long as you have an available plot of land, it's possible to recruit villagers from the other players' islands! If your friend has a villager that is in the process of moving out and you visit their island, you will have a chance to recruit them over to your island instead!
Ask Around On Our Forums For Villager Recruitment Here!Animal Crossing New Horizons Switch - Recommended Articles
April Updates
| April Update Related Articles | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.10 Update | ||
| May Day | Museum Day | Wedding Season |
Essential Guides
| All Fish List | All Bug List |
| Sea Creatures List | Villager Tier List |
| All Villagers List | Mystery Island List |
| DIY Recipes List | DIY Materials List |
Must Reads For Beginners
| Beginner Guide & Tips | |
| Points of No Return | Beginning Questions |
| Best Island Layout | Best Tent Location |
