Guide To Schengen Area 90/180 Days Rule: Definition & Test

What Is The Schengen Visa 90/180 Days Rule?

The 90/180 days rule is a rule that applies to Uniform Schengen Visas (USV). According to this EU requirement, holders of a Uniform Schengen Visa are allowed to stay in the Schengen Area for a maximum of 90 days over a 180 days period.  

To have a better understanding of this rule, you should first be clear about the different types of Visas and the difference between the duration of stay and Visa validity.   

There are three types of visitor short-stay Uniform Schengen Visas (USV):

All three of them allow you to stay in the Region for a maximum of 90 days. If you hold a Visa with a 90 days duration of stay, your Visa will be valid for 180 days. 

A Schengen Visa will not automatically allow you to stay for 90 days in the Schengen Area, and is not necessarily valid for 180 days. If you need to stay 12 days in the Schengen Area, your Visa duration of stay will be 12 days and the validity will be 12 days + 15 days of “grace period” (meaning 27 days). 

Hence, the duration of stay refers to the maximum number of days you are permitted to remain in the Schengen Area. The duration of stay includes the first day you enter your Schengen destination country (even if you cross the borders at 11 pm – that day is counted as day 1) as well as the day you exit the Schengen Area. 

For example, you enter France on February 2 and exit it on February 7. In this case, your Visa length of stay is 7 days. 

On the other hand, the Visa validity refers to the period from which you are allowed to use your Visa to enter Europe for the first time using that Visa and exit it for the last time using the same Visa

For example, your Visa duration of stay is 7 days and your Visa is valid from December 10 until December 31. Thus, you can visit the Schengen Countries whenever you want starting with December 10 and exit them whenever you want before December 31 (including this date) – e.g. You can enter the Region on December 10 and exit it on December 16 or enter it on December 15 and exit it on December 21. You can also spend less than 7 days in Europe (e.g. enter the Region on December 12 and exit it on December 15) but you cannot exceed the number of days included in the length of stay.  

The validity period starts with the day mentioned on your Visa (the section on your Visa where it is written “valid from”) and not with the day you enter the Region.

E.g., the validity period mentioned on your Visa starts on June 15 and you enter the Region on June 20. It does not matter that you entered it on June 20, the validity period of your Visa still starts on June 15.

Once you have a clear understanding of the difference between the duration of stay and Visa validity, you should learn how single-entry and multiple-entry Visas work (and then how to apply the 90/180 test for each type of Visa).

Note – As we mentioned previously, the 90/180 test is applicable only for Visas with 90 days length of stay and 180 days validity period. 

Single-entry Visas

A single-entry Visa allows you to enter the Schengen Area only once.

 When you enter the Region and then exit it (of course, without exceeding the number of days included in the length of stay) you cannot re-enter it again using the same Visa. 

How to apply the 90/180 days rule to single-entry Visas

For example, you hold a single-entry Visa for short stays valid from August 1, 2020, until January 27, 2021 (meaning 6 months/180 days). You can enter the Region whenever you want starting from August 1, 2020, and remain for a maximum of 90 days, as long as you exit it before January 27, 2021.

E.g. you enter the Schengen Area on August 30, 2020, and exit it on November 27, 2020 (90 days length of stay). 

Important: It is important to note that if you apply for a single-entry Visa, the Embassy/Consulate will almost always provide a visa that is valid for the dates you requested on your application (the length of your trip based on the supporting documents) and not 90 days.

Double-entry Visas

A double-entry Visa allows you to re-enter the Schengen Area on the same Visa, even after you have already left it once.

As long as you do not exceed the duration of stay and the Visa validity, you can enter the  Region, exit it, and then enter it back.   

How to apply the 90/180 rule to double-entry Visas 

For example, you hold a double-entry Visa valid from August 1, 2020, until January 27, 2021 (meaning 6 months/180 days). You can enter the Schengen Area starting with August 1, 2020, exit it, enter it back and then exit it before January 27, 2021.

E.g., You enter the Schengen Area on August 1, 2020, and then exit it on September 1, 2020 (32 days length of stay). Then, you enter it back on December 1, 2020, and exit it on January 27, 2021 (58 days length of stay). Your total duration of stay in the Region is 90 days (32 days + 58 days).  

Multiple-entry Visas 

A multiple-entry Visa allows you to exit and then enter back the Schengen Area as many times as you want, as long as you do not exceed the duration of stay and the visa validity. 

How to apply the 90/180 rule to multiple-entry Visas 

For example, you hold a multiple-entry Visa valid from August 1, 2020, until January 27, 2021 (meaning 6 months/180 days). You can enter the Region whenever you want starting from August 1, 2020, exit it, and then re-enter as many times as you want, as long as you leave it before January 27, 2021. 

E.g., You enter the Schengen Area on August 1, 2020, and exit on August 21, 2021 (21 days length of stay). Then, you enter it on September 1, 2020, and exit it on September 22, 2020 (22 days length of stay). Then, you enter it on November 15, 2020, and exit it on December 30, 2020 (46 days length of stay). Your total duration of stay in the Region is 89 days (21 days + 22 days + 46 days).

If you travel to the Schengen Area frequently, you may apply and obtain one of the following multiple-entry type C Visas: 

To learn more about the different types of Schengen Visas and the Visa requirements, you can also read this blog post: Schengen Visa requirements: What are the required documents? 

All three of the above visas (1 year, 3 years, and 5 years multi-entry Visa) permit you to enter the  Region as many times as you wish within 1, 3, or 5 years if you do not violate the 90/180 days requirement. Thus, you must not be present in the Schengen Region for more than 90 days throughout that period.

For example, you hold a 3-year multiple-entry Visa valid from August 1, 2021, until August 1, 2024. Your Visa allows you to enter and exit the Schengen Region as many times as you want during this period, as long as you apply the 90/180 days test mentioned above. 

E.g., you enter the Region on August 15, 2021, and exit it on August 30, 2021 (16 days length of stay). Then, you enter it back on September 4, 2021, and exit it on September 20, 2021 (17 days length of stay). Then, you enter it back on November 15, 2021, and exit it on December 5, 2021 (21 days length of stay). Finally, you enter it back on December 23, 2021, and exit it on January 27, 2022 (36 days length of stay). Your total duration of stay in the Region is 90 days (16 days + 17 days + 21 days + 36 days). This means that you can enter the Region back starting with January 28, 2022, and apply the 90/180 test again until your three-year Visa validity expires (because between August 1, 2021, and January 27, 2020, there are 180 days). 

Important: In most cases, this rule is valid even for those visitors who are not required to get a Visa to enter Europe. Nevertheless, bilateral Visa waiver agreements allow some non-EU passport holders to stay in Europe without a Visa beyond the 90-day limit.

According to the official website of the European Commission, a visa waiver agreement is an “agreement between the EU and a non-EU country that provides for visa-free travel for their citizens when travelling to the territory of the other Contracting Party for a maximum period of three months during a six months period.”

However, some nationals who are not required to get a Visa still have the opportunity to remain in certain European Countries longer than 3 months.

How Can You Count The Schengen Visa 90/180 Days Period?

There are two ways you can count the Schengen Visa 90/180 days period:

Draw a table and count your Visa validity

Write down on a piece of paper your Visa validity and the dates when you entered and exit the Region, then count the days you have left before you reach the maximum number of days you are allowed to spend within the Region. 

If you have a 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year multiple entry Visa, you have to count backwards using a calculator or excel to see if you have been present in the Schengen Territory for more than 90 days over the last 180 days. You can draw a table like in the example below:

Visa validity – January 1, 2020 – June 28, 2020


Date of Entry

Date of Exit

Days of Stay
Days of stay starting with January 1, 2020 
January 2, 2020January 23, 202022 days22 days
February 1, 2020February 28, 202028 days50 days
March 5, 2020April 9, 202036 days86 days

This means that you have 4 days left to spend within the Region until June 28, 2020 (90-86=4)

Use our Schengen Visa calculator

You can also use our Visa calculator and find out the exact number of days you are still allowed to spend within the Region using the same Visa. 

Please note that our Schengen Visa calculator was created to provide support and do the calculations for you in a simple way. It does not track or store any personal information concerning your entry and exit dates.

If I Have A Multiple-Entry Visa That Is Valid For 1, 3 Or 5 Years – How Can I Stay For More Than 90 Days?

The short answer to this question is no.

As we mentioned in the example above, you are not allowed to stay in the Schengen Region for more than 90 days within a 180 day period even if you hold a 1, 3, or 5-year multiple-entry Visa. If you hold this type of Visa, the maximum of 90 days you are allowed to stay within the Schengen Region reset each 180 days. 

In order for you to have a better understanding of this rule, please read the example below carefully:

Within a 1 year (365 days) multiple-entry visa, you can actually stay a total of 180 days (90 days x 2) within the Schengen Countries. But you cannot stay for more than 90 days within a 180 day period. From the moment you enter the Region for the first time using your 1-year multiple-entry Visa, you have to count 180 days.

E.g, You enter the Region on January 1, 2021, meaning on June 29, 2021 “expires” your first 180-days period (because between January 1, 2021, and June 29, 2021, there are 180 days). Therefore, you are allowed to stay 90 days within the Schengen Region between January 1, 2021, and June 29, 2021. Starting from June 30, 2021, you have another 180 days period until the end of the year during which you are allowed to stay another 90 days within the Schengen Region.

Therefore, it is important to note that the 180 days is not relevant to a date or to the number of visits, but it relates to a rolling period. 

180 days from the moment you enter the Region for the first time using your multiple-entry Visa (during which you can spend 1, 10, 30 days, etc. – it does not matter as long as you do not exceed the maximum of 90 days) the period resets to 0 and you can use your Visa again to enter the Schengen Zone.

The same rule applies to 3 and 5-year multiple-entry Visas.  

What Happens If A Foreign Citizen Overstays The Schengen Visa?

You must carefully count the days you have left to travel within the Schengen Zone using the 90/180 days test (this is the main reason why we recommend you use our Schengen Visa calculator). 

Any mistake that makes you overstay in the Schengen Zone can lead to negative consequences. 

Thus, it is the responsibility of the visitors to count the days and not to violate the EU requirements and rules.

Officials of each Schengen country apply different penalties for overstaying in Europe. 

Therefore, according to the Schengen State and the number of days you overstay in the Schengen Area, you can expect from the Member States competent border authorities: