Reference · Legal limits
How to count Schengen’s 90 days in a rolling 180-day window
For travelers subject to the usual Schengen short-stay limit, count the day you are checking and the 179 days before it. The combined number of days in the Schengen area must be 90 or fewer, including both entry and exit days.
Sources checked
Ninety days is the ceiling in these examples. Ninety-one exceeds it.
The reference window moves every day
A 180-day window ending on the date being checked starts 179 days earlier. On the next day the window moves by one day. Add every covered day of presence within that window across the area. A trip through several Schengen countries uses the same day count. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3
Count the entry and exit dates
A visit beginning on 1 April and ending on 30 April uses 30 days. A same-day visit uses one day. The examples count each calendar date once and include the day being checked when the traveler is present. Source 1 Source 2
One day outside can change the count
After a stay from 1 January to 31 March 2026, returning on 29 June makes 91 days inside the window. On 30 June, 1 January falls out of the window, so the same hypothetical return counts 90 days. Each subsequent day has its own check. Source 2 Source 3
Check your document before using the examples
If your short-stay visa authorizes fewer than 90 days, use the shorter period on the sticker. The Commission also provides different instructions for holders of residence permits or long-stay visas. Use its calculator and current travel rules for your itinerary. Source 1 Source 3