The Schengen Calculator – How to Calculate Your Stay With The 90/180 Rule
If you are thinking about traveling to Europe, you may or may not need a Schengen visa which will allow you to remain in any of the Schengen countries.
There are different types of visas you can apply for, but if you are traveling as a tourist, the maximum period you can stay is 90 days in any 180-day period.
Whether you are a first time visitor to the Schengen Area or you have been to any of the countries within the Schengen Area before, this article will explain how you can calculate how many days you are eligible to stay for.
In a nutshell, you can remain in the Schengen Area for short stays up to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. This 180-day period starts from the first day in the Schengen Zone. If you stay in the Schengen Area for 90 days, you will not be able to enter again until a new 180-day period begins. If you go to more than one country, the number of days you remain will be the total for all countries visited. For example, if you visit Austria for 30 days, then Spain for another 30 days, you will have 30 days remaining.
The 180-day period is calculated by going backwards to your entry and/or exit dates. This calculation will determine the total number of days spent in the Schengen Area, how many days remain, and the duration of any new visa being granted. For example, if you enter the Schengen Area on 01 January 2023, you would then count 180 days backwards from this date and work out how many days you have already spent in the Schengen Area. If it’s been 30 days, you will have another 60 days left. If this is your first time traveling to any of the countries in the Schengen Area, you will have the full 90 days.
In order to help you calculate how many days you are eligible to stay in the Schengen Zone, especially if you have traveled there before, the European Commission has developed a handy Schengen calculator. There are many websites which have similar calculators, but we recommend using the official one.
Schengen-calculator (europa.eu)
How to use the calculator
The first thing to note is the date of entry which will be prefilled as the date you are using the calculator. If you wish to use an earlier date to check the 90 days / 180-day rule, you cannot go any further back than 22 April 2013.
The calculator has two options:
- Control – for calculating the length of previous or ongoing stays and provides an answer whether the stay exceeded the 90-day limit within the 180-day period. If not, the results will say “No overstay in the registration period.” It will also state the date you are permitted to stay until. If the stay exceeds 90 days, the results will give the total number of days spent in the 180-day period and will state the dates of the overstay
- Planning – this option will provide the maximum number of days allowed from a future date. The date of entry should be entered into the date of entry box. The results will state “The stay may be authorized for up to: x day(s)”
How to enter the dates
The calculator uses the following date format: ddmmyy (e.g. 010114 for 1 January 2014).
There are 3 columns under “Enter previous stay(s) in the Schengen area:”
- Entry dates – from the entry stamp in a passport within the previous 180 days
- Exit dates – from the exit stamp in a passport
- Length of stay – you don’t have to complete this as it will be filled in automatically when you click the calculate button
There is also a “Passport” button which will match entry and exit dates for you and is mainly used by border authorities, so just add the entry and exit dates yourself.
From your passport, add the entry and exit dates within the last 180 days and press calculate and your results will be revealed.
Examples
The following examples show the different results you get by using the calculator depending on your situation and whether you have complied with the 90 / 180-day rule.
Example 1
You entered the Schengen Area on 20th November 2023 and left on 25th December 2023 – a total of 36 days. As you are allowed to stay for a total of 90 days, this means that you have not overstayed and have complied with the 90 day / 180-day period. Furthermore, if you are planning on entering the Schengen Area once again on 1st March 2024, you may be authorized to stay for up to 54 more days. This is because you are still within the current 180-day period which began on 4th September 2023.
Example 2
You went to the Schengen Area and entered on 1st July 2023 and left on 30th September 2023. This means that the number of days of stay in the 180-day period from 4th April 2023 – 30th September 2023 is 92 days – a total of 2 days over the limit of 90 days which means any future stays could be jeopardized.
Example 3
You previously entered France on 1st January 2023 and left on 15th January 2023 – a total of 15 days meaning there was no overstay in that particular 180-day period. Because you were outside the last 180-day period, if you are planning on visiting France again, you may be authorized to stay for the full i0 days.
This calculator does not apply to stays longer than 90 days. It should only be used for short stays to the Schengen Zone and it does not give you the right to enter a country – you should still be in possession of a valid Schengen visa.
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