What is the 90-day rule in Europe?

It is the Schengen 90/180 rule. Visa-exempt travellers, including UK, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders, can stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. The 29 Schengen countries share one combined count.

Is the 90-day rule calculated per country or across Europe?

Across the whole Schengen Area. Days spent in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and every other Schengen country add up to the same 90-day allowance. Each country does not give you a separate 90 days.

How is the 180-day window counted?

It is a rolling window. On any given day, border authorities look back at the previous 180 days and count every day you were present in Schengen, including that day. Each day you used expires from the count exactly 180 days later, so your allowance refills gradually instead of resetting on a fixed date.

Can I reset the 90 days by leaving Europe briefly?

No. A short trip to the UK, Ireland, Morocco or any non-Schengen country does not reset the counter, because the window is rolling. Days already used still count until they age out 180 days later.

What happens if I overstay 90 days in Europe?

Penalties depend on the country, but typically include a fine, a return decision and an entry ban recorded in the Schengen Information System that applies to every Schengen country. An overstay record also commonly causes refusal of future Schengen visas and ETIAS authorisations.

90 Day Rule in Europe: How the Schengen 90/180 Rule Works

How many days can you stay in Europe without a visa?

90 days inside any rolling 180-day period. Not 90 days per country. Not 90 days per year. The Schengen Area covers most of Europe and behaves as one zone, so days in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the rest all draw from the same allowance. The window is rolling, which is the part that catches people. On any date, border authorities add up every day you were present in Schengen over the previous 180 days. Each day expires from the count exactly 180 days after you used it.

Last checked 12 September 2026

The rule in numbers

Maximum stay: 90 days in any 180-day rolling period
Area covered: 29 Schengen countries share one combined count
Day counting: Entry day and exit day both count as full days
Reset: No annual reset; each day expires 180 days after it was used
Border hops: Do not reset the count. The window is rolling
Not in Schengen: Ireland and Cyprus count separately

Which countries count toward the 90 days

All 29 Schengen countries share the same 90 days: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Ireland and Cyprus sit in the EU but outside Schengen, so time there does not touch your 90 days. The UK, Albania, Serbia and Montenegro count separately too, each with their own entry rules. A few days in any of them pauses your Schengen count. It does not reset it. That distinction is where most accidental overstays begin.

How to calculate your remaining days

Pick the date you want to check. Count back 179 days. Add up every day you were physically inside the Schengen Area in that window. If the total reaches 90, you cannot legally be in Schengen on that date.

Because the window moves every day, a trip that was fine in spring can put you over the limit in summer. You did not change anything. The maths did.

The Schengen 90/180 calculator does the work for you. Enter your past and planned stays and it returns days used, days remaining and the date your next day frees up. For Spain-specific detail, read the 90-day rule in Spain guide.

What happens if you overstay in Europe

Overstays are enforced under the EU Returns Directive. The specifics vary by country, but the shape is consistent: a financial penalty, a return decision, and an entry ban recorded in the Schengen Information System. That ban does not stay local. It applies to every Schengen country, not just the one that caught you.

The record outlasts the trip. Later Schengen visas and ETIAS authorisations get refused because of an overstay from years earlier. Country by country figures are in the visa overstay penalties guide, including the Schengen Area overstay rules.

The 183-day tax residency question

Immigration days and tax days are two separate counts, and the second one surprises people far more than the first. Many European countries treat you as tax resident once you spend more than 183 days in the country in a calendar or tax year. Different threshold, different window, different authority. The 183-day rule calculator covers it.

How Travl keeps the count for you

Nobody overstays on purpose. They overstay because the count lives in their head, and the head is a terrible database.

Travl is an iOS visa tracker and Schengen days tracker. It detects your border crossings automatically and keeps a running total of your Schengen days, country days, tax-residency thresholds and passport validity. No digging through old boarding passes. The iPhone app shows how many of your 90 days are gone, how many remain, and the date you have to move, with alerts before a limit closes in.

This guide is general information for planning, not legal or immigration advice. Rules and penalties change, and border authorities make the final call. Confirm anything consequential with the relevant consulate or an immigration adviser.

Official sources

Europe 90-day rule FAQ

What is the 90-day rule in Europe?: It is the Schengen 90/180 rule. Visa-exempt travellers, including UK, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders, can stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period. The 29 Schengen countries share one combined count.
Which European countries count toward the 90 days?: All 29 Schengen countries count together: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ireland and Cyprus are not in Schengen, so time there does not count.
Is the 90-day rule calculated per country or across Europe?: Across the whole Schengen Area. Days spent in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and every other Schengen country add up to the same 90-day allowance. Each country does not give you a separate 90 days.
How is the 180-day window counted?: It is a rolling window. On any given day, border authorities look back at the previous 180 days and count every day you were present in Schengen, including that day. Each day you used expires from the count exactly 180 days later, so your allowance refills gradually instead of resetting on a fixed date.
Can I reset the 90 days by leaving Europe briefly?: No. A short trip to the UK, Ireland, Morocco or any non-Schengen country does not reset the counter, because the window is rolling. Days already used still count until they age out 180 days later.
What happens if I overstay 90 days in Europe?: Penalties depend on the country, but typically include a fine, a return decision and an entry ban recorded in the Schengen Information System that applies to every Schengen country. An overstay record also commonly causes refusal of future Schengen visas and ETIAS authorisations.

Stop counting by hand

Travl detects your border crossings automatically and keeps this calculation current for every country you visit — with alerts before a limit closes in.

The 90-day rule in Europe, explained