01How the 90/180 rule actually works
It is probably the single most misunderstood rule in European travel. Here is the precise formulation: on any given day, you may not have spent more than 90 days inside the Schengen Area in the preceding 180 days. The window rolls — it resets one day at a time, not every six months.
That means the answer to "how many days do I have left?" depends on the specific date you ask. Two weeks from now, days that were inside your 180-day window today will have rolled out of it; you'll have more room. But for any day when you actually are in Schengen, the check applies on that day.
02The math, explained once
Pick a candidate date — call it D. Look at the 180-day window ending on D (inclusive). Count every day in that window on which you were physically inside Schengen. If the total exceeds 90, you're overstaying on date D.
This calculator runs that check for every day across a two-year span, so the chart above shows how your "days used" curve rises and falls as past trips age out of the window. The dashed line at 90 is the ceiling; crossing it means an overstay on that date.
03Counting rules that trip people up
- Entry and exit days both count. Flying in at 11 p.m. and out at 6 a.m. the next morning uses two days, not one.
- Airport transit in Schengen counts if you pass passport control. Connecting through Frankfurt airside doesn't; leaving the international zone does.
- Non-Schengen EU countries don't count. Days in Ireland, Cyprus, or the UK are free.
- Long-stay visa (type D) days don't count toward the 90. If you've been on a student or work visa in Schengen and then want to travel there visa-free later, those earlier days are excluded.
04Worked examples
Example 1. You spent 60 days in Schengen from March 1 to April 29. On May 1 you want to return. Your 180-day window ending May 1 covers November 3 → May 1; inside it you have 60 used days. You have 30 days of capacity before overstaying — but remember, each day you stay adds to the count.
Example 2. Two trips of 85 days back to back in the same 180-day window add to 170 — 80 over the limit. Every day past day 90 is a day of overstay, accruing consequences.
Example 3. Entering on December 1, staying 90 days through February 28, and attempting to re-enter on March 1 fails. You'd need to wait until your earliest December days roll out of the window before re-entering.
05Interaction with ETIAS
ETIAS does not change the 90/180 rule. It authorizes you to apply the rule — that is, it's the pre-travel approval that makes visa-free short-stay travel possible. Once you have ETIAS, the 90/180 counter runs the same way it always has. Overstays are penalized regardless of ETIAS status.
FAQ
Does the clock reset when I leave Schengen?
No. Leaving stops the counter from advancing, but the previous days remain in your window until they roll out after 180 calendar days from each day.
How accurate is this calculator?
It implements the EU's official method: for each day, it counts days spent inside Schengen within the trailing 180-day window. It's the same logic the EU's own calculator uses.
Is my data saved?
Trip dates live only in your browser URL hash. Nothing is sent to any server. Bookmark the page to preserve your data; clear the hash to start over.
What counts as "being in Schengen"?
Time from passport control entry to passport control exit, inclusive of both days. Transit airside through a Schengen airport, without clearing passport control, does not count.
Last reviewed · April 20, 2026