The Schengen 90/180 rule for US citizens
Americans can visit the Schengen area visa-free — but only for 90 days within any 180-day period, counted across all member countries together. This page explains the fine print, with a calculator that does the maths.
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.
How visa-free travel actually works
A US passport lets you enter the Schengen area without a visa for tourism, business or family visits. The catch is the limit: 90 days of presence within any rolling 180-day window, shared across all 29 Schengen countries. Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System records every crossing electronically, so the count at the border is exact.
The two myths that cause overstays
Myth one: the limit is per country. It isn't — Italy, France and Germany all draw from the same 90 days. Myth two: leaving and re-entering resets the clock. It doesn't — the window rolls forward day by day, and a border run to the UK or the Balkans only pauses accumulation while you're outside; it erases nothing.
ETIAS: the new online authorisation
From the last quarter of 2026, visa-free travellers — Americans included — will need ETIAS, an online travel authorisation similar to the ESTA that visitors to the US complete. It's a short form and a small fee, valid for up to three years, with a six-month transition after launch. It doesn't change the 90/180 limit.
Want more than 90 days?
Remote workers and long-stayers have legal routes: national long-stay visas and the digital-nomad visas offered by Spain, Portugal, Croatia and others. Time under such a permit is counted outside the 90/180 rule in that country — but the rule still applies when you travel to other Schengen states.
Frequently asked
Is it 90 days per country?
No — it's one shared limit for the whole Schengen area. The calculator above counts your total across every trip.
Do days in the UK, Ireland or the Balkans count?
No. Those countries are outside Schengen, so time there doesn't consume your 90 days — but it doesn't wind the window back either.
Does ETIAS replace the 90/180 rule?
No. ETIAS is only a pre-travel authorisation; the day limit stays exactly the same.