Does the 90/180-day Schengen rule apply to me and how do I calculate it?
The short answer
The official EU page says a short stay is a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen Area. For each day of your stay, count back 180 days and make sure the days you spent in the area do not exceed 90.
What the rule says
The European Commission describes a short stay as up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the Schengen Area. It says the Schengen Area has 29 countries: 25 EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Cyprus and Ireland are not part of it.
Who it applies to
The rule applies to visitors on short stays. The page says it does not apply to holders of an EU residence permit or a long-stay (D-type) visa, which allow stays longer than 90 days. If you hold a short-stay visa, check the authorised period on the visa sticker, and if it is shorter than 90 days the page says not to use the calculator.
The page does not list nationalities, so the rule is not described separately for US, UK or EU citizens. EU citizens are not short-stay visitors in the EU, so this page is aimed at third-country travellers such as those from the UK or US.
How to calculate it
The page says that for each day of your stay you count back 180 days, and the total number of days spent in the Schengen Area in that window must not exceed 90. The official calculator has two modes.
- Check mode tests previous and ongoing stays against the rule on the check date, and shows a possible stay until date or the possible overstay dates.
- Planning mode takes a future date of entry and shows the maximum number of days allowed, or warns of a possible overstay.
- Enter dates in dd/mm/yy format, and enter previous stays in the entry and exit columns.
- Leave out any periods covered by an EU residence permit or long-stay visa.
Keep checking
Rules and tools change, so use the official short-stay calculator and check the current page before you travel.
Sources: European Commission: Short-stay calculator. Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
How many days can I stay in Schengen?
The official page says a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.
Is the 180-day period fixed?
The page describes it as a window you count back from each day of your stay, not a fixed calendar block.
Do Ireland and Cyprus count?
No. The page says Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area.
Does a long-stay visa count towards the 90 days?
The page says the rule does not apply to holders of an EU residence permit or a long-stay D-type visa, and tells you to leave those periods out of the calculator.
What if my short-stay visa is shorter than 90 days?
The page says to check the authorised period on the visa sticker, and not to use the calculator if it is shorter than 90 days.