The Schengen 90/180-day rule, explained

Short answer: Visitors from visa-free countries such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia can spend at most 90 days in the Schengen Area in any rolling 180-day period. On any date, look back over that day and the 179 days before it: if you were in Schengen countries on more than 90 of those days, you have overstayed. Entry and exit days both count.

General information, not legal advice. Last checked 15 Oct 2026; rules can change. Official source: European Commission — Short-stay calculator.

How does the 90/180 rule work?

Pick any date. Look at that date and the 179 days before it. If you were in a Schengen country on more than 90 of those 180 days, you are over the limit. Three details trip people up:

1. It is a rolling window, not a calendar half-year. There is no fixed date when your days "reset". Every day, the oldest day drops out of the window and a new one is added.
2. Entry and exit days are full days. Arriving on 1 March and leaving on 3 March is 3 days, even if you landed late and left early.
3. It is 90 days for the whole area, not per country. Ten days in France and ten in Italy is twenty days.

Do entry and exit days count?

Yes, both count as full days. Arriving on 1 March and leaving on 3 March is 3 days. If you leave one Schengen country and enter another on the same day, that day counts once.

Does the 90/180 rule reset if I leave?

No. Leaving the Schengen Area never resets the count. Each day you spent there comes back exactly 180 days later. A trip to the UK or anywhere else outside Schengen only means those days add nothing.

What happens to my days if I leave and come back?

The days you already used stay in the window until they are 180 days old. The two examples below show exactly when they come back.

Worked example 1: two trips

You spent 10 Feb – 11 Mar 2026 in Spain (30 days) and 1 May – 14 Jun 2026 in Italy (45 days).

Between those dates nothing happened, yet two days came back: 10 and 11 February dropped out of the window. If you arrive on 1 August 2026, the longest you can stay is 45 days, to 14 September 2026, because more of the February days keep dropping out while you are there.

Worked example 2: the full 90, then back

You stay 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2026: exactly 90 days. On 31 March you are at the limit and must leave that day. The earliest you can come back is 30 June 2026. On 29 June the window runs 1 Jan – 29 Jun, which still holds all 90 of your days, so arriving that day would be day 91. On 30 June the window starts 2 January: 89 old days plus the arrival day makes 90, which is allowed. From 30 June you could stay until 27 September 2026, because one old day drops out for every new day you add.

This is why "90 days in, 90 days out" works only after a single continuous 90-day stay. With several shorter trips, count it out — or let the calculator do it.

Who the rule applies to

Non-EU nationals on a short stay — both people who need a Schengen visa and people from visa-free countries. It does not apply to citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, and time spent under a residence permit or a national long-stay visa is not counted (Schengen Borders Code, Article 6).

Which countries count

The 29 Schengen countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, which joined fully on 1 January 2025. Cyprus and Ireland are in the EU but not in the Schengen Area, so days there do not count toward your 90 (European Commission). See the full list.

How it is enforced now

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System records every entry and exit digitally instead of stamping passports, and flags anyone who stays too long. Border officers' count is the one that matters, so keep your own record of trips as well.

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