Staytill

How long can I stay in France?

Destination · EuropeChecked Updated

France is the one Schengen country with territory on four oceans, and most of it sits outside the count. A winter split between Paris and the Caribbean uses fewer of your days than the map suggests.

France

As a visitor
90days in any 180

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

Visa
US citizens and British citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.2
In the count
The European territory of France is part of the Schengen area.3
Tax line
As a general rule, more than six months in France in a year makes it your main place of stay.4

CalculatorAdd your trips and see how many Schengen days you have left

Where France stops counting

None of France's territories outside Europe are in the Schengen area: Réunion, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the rest.5

Your passport says France on both sides of the trip. The Schengen count only sees the European side.

Worked example

Paris, a month in Martinique, and back

  1. You spend 1 to 20 December 2026 in Paris and fly to Martinique on 20 December: 20 Schengen days, the day you leave included.6
  2. A month in Martinique adds nothing to that count.51How we count: Only days in the Schengen area count, and Martinique is outside it.
  3. Back in Paris on 20 January 2027, the December days are still in your 180-day window: 20 are used, and 30 March 2027 is your last day.1How we count: 20 January to 30 March 2027 is 70 days; 20 plus 70 makes 90, and every December day stays in the window until then.

Questions people ask

Does the day I fly to Martinique count as a Schengen day?

The day you enter and the day you leave both count as days of stay.6

Does Monaco or Switzerland count toward the 90 days?

29 countries share the count: 25 EU members, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.7

Do my days in Italy count toward my 90 days in France?

The 90 days in any 180 are one count across every country using the system, not one per country.8

Your own count

Island days and Paris days look alike in a calendar. Kept by country, they fall into the right count by themselves.

Staytill, the iPhone app that counts your days in France and how many you have left Schengen 90/180 rule: how to count your daysFrance tax residency: 6 months, home and work tests

Sources

3 laws and 5 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. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Art. 4(1) and Annex II · EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words Nationals of third countries listed in Annex II shall be exempt from the requirement set out in Article 3(1) for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
  3. France-Visas, France in the Schengen area · France-Visas, the French government's official visa website · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words The European territory of France is part of the Schengen Area (pdf), which encompasses multiple European States to form a common space of free movement for persons.
  4. BOFiP BOI-IR-CHAMP-10, § 130 · Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words En règle générale, doivent être considérés comme ayant en France le lieu de leur séjour principal les contribuables qui y séjournent pendant plus de six mois au cours d'une année donnée. As a general rule, taxpayers who stay in France for more than six months in a given year are treated as having their main place of stay there.
  5. France-Visas, France in the Schengen area · France-Visas, the French government's official visa website · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words None of France's territories located outside Europe are part of the Schengen Area, these include :
  6. 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
  7. 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)
  8. Travel to Europe, EES FAQ, one count · European Commission and eu-LISA (travel-europe.europa.eu) · read 26 Oct 2026
    Exact words The period of 90 days in any 180 days is calculated as a single period for all the European countries using the EES.
Checked against Schengen Borders Code, Art. 6 · Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 on 25 Oct 2026 Updated 26 Oct 2026

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