Schengen calculator for the 90/180 rule

How the 90/180 rule works

If you are not a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you can usually spend up to 90 days in the Schengen area in any 180-day period. The 180 days are not a fixed half-year. The window moves with you: on any day, look back over the last 180 days, including that day, and count every day you spent in the Schengen area. The total must never go above 90.

The day you arrive and the day you leave both count as full days. All Schengen countries share one counter, so crossing from France to Italy resets nothing. Days come back only when an old stay slides out of the 180-day window, one day at a time.

If you travel on a short-stay visa, also check the period of stay printed on the visa sticker. If it is shorter than 90 days, a Schengen visa calculator like this one does not fit your case.

Who the rule applies to

The 90/180 rule is for people from outside the EU on short stays in the Schengen area, with or without a visa. Citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are not counted.

If you hold a residence permit or a long-stay (national) visa from a Schengen country, different rules apply in the country that issued it. You can stay there longer than 90 days, and that time is not part of the 90/180 count. In the other Schengen countries the 90/180 limit still applies to you. Check your own case with the authorities of the country you are going to.

The Schengen area has 29 countries: 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Cyprus and Ireland are in the EU but not in the Schengen area.

Two examples of counting Schengen days

One long stay

You enter the Schengen area on March 1, 2026 and leave on May 15, 2026. That is 76 days, so on the day you leave you have 14 days left.

Going home does not give those days back. If you return on July 1, 2026, the old stay is still inside the 180-day window and you can stay only 14 days. From August 14, 2026 you can stay the full 90 days again. By the time your 14 remaining days run out, the old stay starts leaving the window, one day for every new day you add.

Several trips, and days coming back

Say you were in the Schengen area from January 10 to February 8, from April 1 to April 30 and from June 1 to June 20. On June 20, 2026 all three trips are inside the window: 80 days used, 10 left.

From July 9, 2026, the days of the first trip start leaving the window, one a day, and you get them back. That is why you can stay up to 40 days if you enter again on July 20, 2026, and not just 10.

What EES and ETIAS change for travellers

The Entry/Exit System (EES)

The EES registers people from outside the EU who travel for a short stay, with or without a visa, each time they cross the external border of a European country that uses the system. It records your entries and exits electronically and is gradually replacing passport stamps.

The first time you cross a border under the EES, officers take a photo of your face, scan your fingerprints or both, and your passport is not stamped. On later crossings they only check them. The EES also has an official online tool that shows how many days you are still allowed to stay. According to the official page, the remaining stay it shows does not reflect time in the Schengen area that began before 10 April 2026.

ETIAS for visa-free travellers

ETIAS will be an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries (the Schengen countries and Cyprus). It is linked to your passport and costs 20 euros, though some travellers are exempt from the fee. It is valid for up to three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. With a valid ETIAS you can enter as often as you like for short stays, normally up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It does not guarantee entry: border guards still check that you meet the entry conditions.

According to the official website, ETIAS is not in operation yet and no applications are being collected. The EU will announce the start date several months before the launch.