The Schengen 90/180-day rule, explained

If you don't hold the passport of an EU country or another Schengen country, you can usually spend up to 90 days in the Schengen area in any 180-day period. That applies whether you travel visa-free or with a short-stay visa. The rule is easy to state and easy to get wrong, because the 180 days are not a calendar half-year: they move with you, day by day.

This guide explains what the rule says, how to count your days, what doesn't count, and what has changed at the border.

What the rule says

The rule comes from Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code, Regulation (EU) 2016/399. It sets the entry conditions for non-EU nationals "for intended stays on the territory of the Member States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, which entails considering the 180-day period preceding each day of stay".

In practice, that means one thing: on any day you are in the Schengen area, you look back over the 180 days that end on that day. If you were in the area on more than 90 of them, you have overstayed.

Which countries share the 90 days

The Schengen area has 29 countries: 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria and Romania were the last to join, on 1 January 2025.

The 90 days are a single allowance for the whole area, not 90 days per country. A week in Paris, a week in Lisbon and a week in Oslo all count toward the same total.

Two EU countries are different. Days spent in Cyprus and Ireland are not counted, because neither is part of the Schengen area without internal border checks. The United Kingdom isn't part of the Schengen area either.

How to count your days

The European Commission's user manual for its calculator sets out two points that catch many travellers out:

• The day you enter and the day you leave both count as days of stay, however late you arrive or early you leave.
• The window moves. There is no fixed start date and no "reset" when you leave. Each day, the oldest day drops out of the 180-day window and today is added.

A worked example

Say you spent 10 January to 20 February in Italy: 42 days, counting both the first and the last day. You plan to come back to Spain on 1 May.

On 1 May, the 180-day window runs back to 3 November of the previous year, so all 42 days are still inside it. You can stay up to 48 more days, until 17 June, before reaching 90. Your January days only start to drop out of the window from 9 July; if you want a longer second trip, starting it later gives you more days.

What doesn't count, and what may change the limit

• Residence permits and long-stay visas. Time spent in the Schengen area under an EU residence permit or a long-stay (D-type) visa doesn't count toward the 90/180 rule.
• A short-stay visa with fewer days. If you travel on a short-stay visa, the number of days printed on the visa sticker applies. If it is shorter than 90 days, stick to that number; the Commission advises not to rely on the calculator in that case.
• Old bilateral agreements. Some Schengen countries have older visa-waiver agreements with certain countries, such as Canada, New Zealand or the United States. Under Article 20(2) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, those countries may allow extra time on their own territory. It is an option, not an obligation, and the calculator can't account for it. Confirm with the authorities of the country concerned before relying on it.

Passport rules for a short stay

Article 6 also sets requirements for your travel document. Your passport must:

• be valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and
• have been issued within the previous ten years.

You must also hold a visa if your nationality requires one, be able to explain the purpose of your trip, and show you have enough money for your stay and your return.

What has changed at the border: the EES

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU nationals on short stays each time they cross the external borders of the 29 countries. It started operating progressively on 12 October 2025, and since 10 April 2026 it has replaced the stamping of passports.

The system records your name, travel document details, fingerprints, a facial image, and the date and place of each entry and exit. According to the European Commission, it allows overstayers to be detected automatically. In other words, counting correctly matters more than ever: the border officer no longer has to add up stamps by hand.

ETIAS isn't running yet

You may have read about ETIAS, a travel authorisation that visa-exempt travellers will need for 30 European countries. As of 30 September 2026, the official ETIAS website states that ETIAS is not in operation and that no applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch. The fee published on the official site is EUR 20.

Until then, ignore websites offering to "process" an ETIAS application. When it starts, apply only through the official ETIAS website.

Common mistakes

• Counting months instead of days. "Three months in, three months out" is not the rule. Always count days.
• Assuming the count resets when you leave. It doesn't. Days drop out of the window only when they are more than 180 days in the past.
• Forgetting arrival and departure days. A Friday-to-Sunday weekend counts as three days.
• Counting days in Cyprus or Ireland. They don't count, but days in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do.
• Relying on memory. Keep your boarding passes and booking confirmations, and run your dates through the official calculator before each trip.