Understand the Schengen 90/180-day rule

Start with today and look back 179 days

Today plus the previous 179 calendar days make the 180-day window. Tomorrow, the whole window moves forward by one day.

Arrival and departure days both count

Every calendar day you are inside the Schengen Area counts. Arriving late or leaving early does not create a partial day; a same-day visit uses one full day.

Changing Schengen countries does not reset the count

A trip from Italy to Austria is still one continuous Schengen stay. The count pauses only for full calendar days spent outside the Schengen Area.

Older days stop counting one by one

When a travel day becomes more than 179 days old, it falls outside today’s window. That gives one day back; there is no fixed six-month reset.

Day 91 is beyond the ordinary limit

In the final example, the trips add up to 100 days inside today’s window. The first 90 are within the ordinary allowance; the remaining 10 are over the limit.

What happens if I exceed 90 days?

Consequences depend on the facts and national procedure. They can include refusal of entry, return procedures and, in some cases, an entry ban recorded in the Schengen Information System.

This site exists to help you make sure you never overstay.