90/180-day rule
The 90/180-day rule is the fundamental legal limit on how long non-EU nationals can stay in the Schengen Area. Violating it results in a visa ban.
How the rule works
In any rolling 180-day window, you may not spend more than 90 days inside the Schengen Area. The 180-day period rolls backwards from any given day — it's not a fixed January–June / July–December split.
Example calculation
If you entered the Schengen Area on 1 March 2026 and want to know your available days on 1 June 2026, count backwards 180 days from 1 June (to 3 December 2025). Count how many days you spent in Schengen during that window. Subtract from 90. That's your remaining allowance.
EES makes overstaying detectable
Since April 2026, the Entry/Exit System records every entry and exit biometrically. There is no longer any way to 'accidentally' overstay without it being permanently recorded against your biometric profile. Overstaying results in: a deportation order, a 3–5 year Schengen-wide re-entry ban, and automatic refusal of all future visa applications across the EU.
Multiple trips in one year
If you hold a multiple-entry Schengen visa, you can make several trips — but the total days across all trips must not exceed 90 in any 180-day window. Keep a diary of your entry/exit dates and calculate before each trip.
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