Schengen 90/180 Rule

The legal limit governing how long non-Schengen visa-exempt travellers may stay in the Schengen Area: a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the entire Schengen zone. The 180-day window is calculated backward from the day of intended exit, counting every day of presence within Schengen during that window. Time spent under a national long-stay visa or residence permit is excluded from the count. Misunderstanding the rule — in particular treating it as 90 days per country rather than per zone — is the most common cause of overstay penalties. The European Commission publishes a Schengen Calculator to assist travellers.