Schengen 90/180 days rule: how do you count your days?

Aug 02, 2023

Schegen Visa: how do you count your days?

Your total stay in the Schengen area (the Schengen area is a border free zone that includes the following states: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) must never exceed the 90 days in every 180 days. The 180-day period is a ‘rolling’ period.

This rule applies only to short-term visitors, that is to say non-EU/EEA citizens who can enter visa-free in the Schengen area (US, UK, Canadian, Australian citizens, etc.) and foreign nationals holding a multiple-entry Schengen visa.

Periods of stay authorised under a residence permit or a long-stay visa shall not be taken into account in the calculation of the duration of stay on the territory of the Member States.

To check if your stay is within the 90 day limit, you can use the following steps:

• Check the date you plan to leave the Schengen area on your upcoming trip.
• Calculate the starting point of the 180-day period by going back 180 days from that date.
• Sum up the total days you have previously spent in the Schengen area to this 180-day period (using the entry and exit dates stamped in your passport).
• Estimate the number of days you will spend in the Schengen area during your next trip. Add this figure to the days calculated in step 3.
• Verify that the overall number of days does not exceed 90.

Calculation is often not easy and the EU has created an online CALCULATOR

Related articles

• How to count your Schengen 90 days
• Frequently Asked Questions on the Schengen visa-free system
• Can you enter the Schengen area if you have past criminal convictions?

Giuditta Petreni

Giuditta Petreni has over 10 years of experience in assisting companies and business investors with relocation of managers and staff to Italy. Giuditta has extensive experience advising corporate and private clients on a full range of Italian immigration categories. She is fluent in Italian and English.

Related posts:

How can I count my 90 days in the Schengen area? How to count your Schengen 90 days Can I re-enter Schengen if I am listed in SIS (Schengen Information System)? When can an application for a Schengen visa be filed?