The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that share one outer border. Once you’re inside, you usually cross between them without passport checks. The catch: your days in all of them add up against one limit, not a separate limit per country.
Rules change. Before every trip, check the official EU travel site, travel-europe.europa.eu, and your own government’s travel advice.
The 29 Schengen countries
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland *
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein *
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway *
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland *
* Not in the European Union, but fully part of Schengen. Bulgaria and Romania are the newest full members: air and sea checks ended in March 2024 and land border checks on January 1, 2025.
Open borders, but not members
Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City have open borders with France or Italy, so in practice you enter them as part of Schengen. Andorra is reached only through France or Spain; plan your Schengen days so you can get back in.
In Europe, but not in Schengen
- Ireland: in the EU but outside Schengen. It has its own passport control and visa rules (and a Common Travel Area with the UK).
- Cyprus: in the EU but not yet in Schengen. It is working toward joining, now expected in 2027.
- United Kingdom: outside both the EU and Schengen, with its own entry rules.
- Others: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine and Türkiye are outside Schengen too. Time there does not count toward your Schengen days.
The 90/180-day rule
If you can visit without a visa (U.S. citizens can), you may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting every day in every Schengen country together. The 180 days roll: on any given day, look back 180 days and count. Your arrival and departure days both count.
Plan longer trips by counting backwards from your last day in Schengen, the way you’d check duty time: if the total over the previous 180 days would pass 90, you need to leave first or have a visa.
New in 2025–2026: EES and ETIAS
- EES (Entry/Exit System): your entries and exits are now recorded digitally instead of with passport stamps. The first time you enter, expect fingerprints and a photo at the border. It started on October 12, 2025 and covers every Schengen border crossing from April 2026. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip.
- ETIAS: an online travel authorization for visitors who don’t need a visa, including U.S. citizens. The EU says it starts in the last quarter of 2026 and costs €20. Apply only on the official site, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. Look-alike sites charge extra. Check whether it’s required for your dates before you fly.