The Schengen 90/180 rule for UK citizens
Since Brexit, British passport holders can spend at most 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area. Here's what that means in practice — and a calculator that does the counting for you.
You can enter the Schengen area today — and stay up to 90 days in a row.
Your trips
Past stays and future plans in one place — the analysis is automatic.
No trips yet. Add your first stay — the counters update instantly.
What changed after Brexit
Until 2021 a UK passport meant unlimited time in the EU. Now the UK is a 'third country': you can still travel visa-free, but short stays are capped at 90 days within any rolling 180-day window. The limit applies to the Schengen area as a whole, and since April 2026 every entry and exit is recorded electronically by the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) instead of passport stamps.
It's 90 days across all Schengen countries combined
A common and expensive mistake is counting per country. Sixty days in Spain followed by sixty in France is not two separate allowances — it's 120 days against a single 90-day limit. The only neighbouring exceptions are non-Schengen countries: days in Ireland, the UK itself, or (for now) Cyprus don't consume your allowance.
ETIAS is coming — but it's not a visa
From the last quarter of 2026 the EU plans to switch on ETIAS, an online travel authorisation similar to the US ESTA. It's a short form with a small fee, valid for up to three years — and it does not change the 90/180 limit. There will also be a six-month transitional period after launch, so nobody is turned away on day one for not having one.
Second homes and longer stays
The 90/180 limit cannot be extended by leaving for a weekend and coming back — the window keeps rolling. If you winter in Spain or spend summers in France, the legal route to more time is a national long-stay visa or residence permit of that country; days spent under such permits are counted outside the 90/180 rule.
Frequently asked
Do days in Ireland count towards my 90?
No. Ireland is not in the Schengen area, so time spent there doesn't consume your allowance — and the same goes for the UK itself and, currently, Cyprus.
Can I reset the clock with a short trip home?
No. There is no reset: the 180-day window rolls forward every day, and each day you spent inside only stops counting 180 days after it happened.
What happens if I overstay?
Since the EES went live, overstays are detected automatically at the border. Consequences range from fines to entry bans — if the calculator above shows you're over, leave as soon as you can.