How the 90/180 rule works
With a short-stay Schengen visa, or as a visa-free visitor, you may spend at most 90 days in any 180-day period. The 180 days are a moving window: on every day of your stay, look back 180 days and count the days you were in Schengen. That count must never go above 90.
- The day you arrive and the day you leave both count, even if you were only there for an hour.
- All Schengen countries count together. Bulgaria and Romania count too, since 2025. Ireland and Cyprus are not part of Schengen.
- Your visa can be shorter. If your visa allows 30 days, 30 days is your limit, whatever this calculator says.
- Days spent in a country where you hold a residence permit or a long-stay visa do not count towards the 90 days.
Entries and exits are recorded electronically
Since the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started in October 2025, border officers can see exactly how many days you have used. Staying too long can lead to a fine, an entry ban and problems getting visas later.
Frequently asked questions
Do the entry and exit days count?
Yes. Any part of a day spent in the Schengen area counts as a full day, so both the arrival day and the departure day count.
Does the 180-day period reset?
No, it rolls. Each day you look back 180 days. Days from an old trip drop out one by one as they become more than 180 days old.
I have a multiple-entry visa for 5 years. Can I stay 5 years?
No. A multiple-entry visa lets you travel many times, but the 90 days in any 180-day period rule still applies to every trip.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
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