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Schengen 90/180 rule: how to count your days

Schengen 90/180

Visa days
90days in any 180

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.1

Window
Each day of your stay looks back over the 180 days before it, and the days inside that window may not pass 90.12
A day is
The day you enter and the day you leave both count as days of stay.3
Where
29 countries share the count: 25 EU members, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.4
Not for
An EU residence permit or a long-stay visa lets you stay longer than 90 days, outside this count.5
At the border
Since 10 April 2026, the Entry/Exit System records each entry and exit of non-EU visitors on short stays at the external borders of the 29 countries using it, in place of passport stamps.678
Overstay
An overstay can bring an entry ban, which in principle lasts no more than five years.9
ETIAS
ETIAS is not in operation yet. The EU says it will announce the start date several months ahead.10

Worked example

A June trip still counts in the autumn

  1. You spend 1 to 30 June 2026 in Spain. With the day you arrive and the day you leave both counted, that is 30 days.3How we count: Every calendar day from entry to exit, both included.
  2. You come back to Italy on 15 September 2026. All 30 June days still sit inside the 180 days behind each day of this trip, so you have 60 days left, not 90.12How we count: 90 minus the days already inside the 180-day window that looks back from each day of the new stay.
  3. Your last day in the area is 13 November 2026: 15 September to 13 November is 60 days, and 30 plus 60 makes 90. Still being there on 14 November would be day 91.13How we count: Day 60 of the second stay, entry day included. The June days only begin to leave the window in late November.

The rule it rests on: The day you enter and the day you leave both count as days of stay.3 Each day of your stay looks back over the 180 days before it, and the days inside that window may not pass 90.12

Questions people ask

How does the Schengen 90/180 rule work?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.1 Each day of your stay looks back over the 180 days before it, and the days inside that window may not pass 90.12

Do the arrival and departure days count?

The day you enter and the day you leave both count as days of stay.3

Which countries share the Schengen day count?

29 countries share the count: 25 EU members, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.4

Does a residence permit change the limit?

An EU residence permit or a long-stay visa lets you stay longer than 90 days, outside this count.5

Sources

2 laws and 8 official pages, each with its exact words
  1. Schengen Borders Code, Art. 6(1) · EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words 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
  2. European Commission, short-stay calculator · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words You must count back 180 days from each day of your stay and ensure the total number does not exceed 90.
  3. Schengen Borders Code, Art. 6(2) · EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words the date of entry shall be considered as the first day of stay on the territory of the Member States and the date of exit shall be considered as the last day of stay
  4. European Commission, Schengen area · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words The Schengen area is composed of 29 countries: 25 EU Member States and 4 non-EU countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
  5. European Commission, short-stay calculator · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words If you hold an EU residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not subject to the 90/180-day rule, as these documents allow you to stay longer than 90 days.
  6. European Commission, Entry/Exit System · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words The system became fully operational on 10 April 2026.
  7. European Commission, Entry/Exit System · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words As of 10 April 2026, the EES replaces the stamping of passports allowing the automatic detection of overstayers
  8. European Commission, Entry/Exit System · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words The EES is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries using the system.
  9. Travel to Europe, EES questions · European Commission and eu-LISA (travel-europe.europa.eu) · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words The length of the entry ban shall be determined with due regard to all relevant circumstances of the individual case and shall not in principle exceed five years.
  10. Travel to Europe, ETIAS · European Commission and eu-LISA (travel-europe.europa.eu) · read 25 Oct 2026
    Exact words ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point. The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.
Checked against Schengen Borders Code, Art. 6 on 25 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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