The Schengen 90/180 rule, explained

The 90/180 rule lets you stay up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period in the Schengen Area. On every single day the border looks back exactly 180 days and counts how many of them you were present — and that total must never exceed 90.

Pick a single date if you are still there.

Schengen 90/180

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What “rolling 180 days” actually means

The 180-day window is not a fixed calendar block that resets on a date. It moves with you. Pick any day — today, or a future arrival date — and count back 179 days. That 180-day window is what matters, and it slides forward one day at a time.

Because the window keeps moving, the days you spent in the Schengen Area gradually “fall off” once they are more than 180 days in the past, freeing up allowance again.

How to count your days

Add up all present-days inside the current 180-day window. If the total is 90 you must leave; if it is below 90, the difference is how many more days you may stay right now.

A quick example

Suppose you spent 60 days in Spain in spring, left, and want to return in autumn. If your spring trip is now more than 180 days in the past, those days no longer count and you have the full 90 again. If only part of it has aged out, only those older days free up.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Border officers make the final decision and some national rules differ.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 180 days reset all at once?

No. The window is rolling, so days free up one at a time, exactly 180 days after each day of presence.

Can I stay 90 days, leave for a day, and come back for 90 more?

No. Because the window looks back 180 days, your recent 90 days still count. You generally need to spend around 90 days outside for the allowance to rebuild.

Do entry and exit days both count?

Yes, both the day of arrival and the day of departure count as full days of presence.

Track it automatically

Daybound detects your country by GPS, counts days per country and warns you before you hit the limit.

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More guides

What happens if you overstay in Schengen Overstaying the Schengen 90/180 limit can lead to fines, deportation, an entry ban recorded in the Schengen Information System, and refusals of future visas. The consequences vary by country and by how long you overstayed. Does the day of entry and exit count in Schengen? Yes. In the Schengen Area both the day you enter and the day you leave count as full days of presence, even if you were only in the country for a few hours. How long can you stay in Europe without a visa? If you travel visa-free or on a short-stay visa, the Schengen 90/180 rule lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Europe is bigger than Schengen, though — non-Schengen countries count their days separately, so careful planning can extend a European trip well beyond 90 days. Do Schengen visa runs actually reset your days? A visa run — leaving the Schengen Area for a day or two and coming straight back — does not reset your 90/180 count. Because the 180-day window is rolling, your recent days still count until they are more than 180 days old. Schengen countries: the full list The Schengen Area has 29 member countries where the 90/180 limit is shared. Your days in any of them add up to the same 90-day allowance — crossing an internal border does not reset anything.