How does the 90/180-day rule work for short stays in Europe?

What is the 90/180-day rule?

The European Commission says that if you are visiting any country in the Schengen area, you are usually allowed to stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. This is what it calls a short stay.¹

The EU's common visa rules apply to short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and to transit through the international transit areas of Schengen airports. They apply in 29 European countries, which together make up the Schengen area.² Our page on which countries are in the Schengen area lists them.

Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen area, and EU visa rules do not apply there: they issue visas under their own national rules.¹²

How do you count the days?

The Commission puts it this way: You must count back 180 days from each day of your stay and ensure the total number does not exceed 90.¹

Because the count runs back from each day, stays you made earlier within that 180-day reference period count towards the 90 days; the Commission's calculator works out what is allowed from your previous entries and exits in that period.¹

The Commission's official short-stay calculator has two modes.¹

• Check mode works out the length of previous or ongoing stays and whether they comply with the 90/180-day rule on the day of the check. If they do, it also gives the last day the rule would still be met.¹
• Planning mode works out the longest stay allowed from a future date of entry, based on your entries and exits in the 180-day reference period, or tells you in which period an overstay would occur.¹

Do not enter time spent in the Schengen area on an EU residence permit or a long-stay (D-type) visa: the Commission says long stays are not subject to the 90/180-day rule.¹

Who does the rule not apply to?

If you hold an EU residence permit or a long-stay visa, you are not subject to the 90/180-day rule, because those documents allow you to stay longer than 90 days.¹

Your Europe's page on these rules is written for nationals of countries outside the EU who wish to visit or travel within it.²

What if your visa gives you fewer days?

If you hold a short-stay visa, check the period of authorised stay printed on the visa sticker. If it is shorter than 90 days, the Commission says not to use its calculator.¹

Whether you need a visa at all depends on your nationality: nationals of some countries are exempt for stays of 90 days or less. If you do need one, you apply to the consulate or embassy of the country you are visiting, or in some cases an external service provider, before you travel.²

A Schengen visa automatically allows you to travel to the other Schengen countries, but you may need a separate visa for countries outside the area. The list of nationalities that need a visa for Ireland differs slightly from that of other EU countries.²

How long must your passport be valid?

Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU, and it must have been issued within the previous 10 years on the day you enter.²

Children and minors need their own passport, and a visa if one is required. Border officials may also ask for supporting documents such as an invitation letter, proof of lodging or a return ticket; for the exact requirements, the Commission says to contact the embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit.²

Under the Schengen Borders Code, a country can refuse you entry if you do not meet its conditions: a valid travel document, a visa if needed, and a justification of the purpose of your stay, including proof of sufficient financial means. You have the right to appeal, but an appeal does not automatically suspend the refusal.²

This is not legal advice. Check your own case with the embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit.

What this page cannot tell you

• Dates of the pages. The calculator page is dated 27 October 2025 and the Your Europe page was last checked by the Commission on 19 August 2026; re-check close to travel.¹²
• We do not reproduce the calculator. We describe what the Commission says it does and link to it; it is the Commission's tool, not ours.
• Meeting the rule is not the only condition. Entry can still be refused if other conditions are not met.
• Not covered here: long stays, work and study permits, and the new digital border systems, which have their own page.

Related: EES and ETIAS: what changes at Europe's borders · Which travel rules changed in 2026? · Which countries are in the Schengen area?.