Schengen area · 29 countries · 2 rules · 1 calculator · 4 answers
Schengen area countries: the list, and the 90/180 rule
The Schengen area is 29 European countries that have abolished checks at the borders between them: 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Visitors from outside the EU can spend 90 days in any 180 in it — counted across all 29 together, not country by country.
Schengen 90/180 calculatorAdd your stays: see the last day you can stay, or when you can come backWhat is the Schengen area?
The Schengen area is the part of Europe where checks at the borders between countries have been abolished. Its 29 countries share rules on entry and short-stay visas, and anyone legally there moves between them freely — EU citizens, and visitors, students and residents from outside the EU. The project started in 1985, on a boat on the Moselle, where Luxembourg, Germany and France meet. Bulgaria and Romania were the last countries to join, on 1 January 2025.
A Schengen country can bring back checks at its internal borders for a while, as a last resort, when there’s a serious threat to public policy or internal security.
Schengen area vs EU: not the same countries
Not every EU country is in the Schengen area, and not every Schengen country is in the EU:
- 25 of the 27 EU countries are Schengen area countries.
- Cyprus is in the EU and takes part in Schengen cooperation, but checks at its borders haven’t been abolished yet: it’s in the process of joining.
- Ireland is in the EU but has opted out of the Schengen rules, and keeps its own visa and border policies.
- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland aren’t in the EU, but are in the Schengen area.
The 29 Schengen area countries
With the year each joined: when checks at its borders with the others were abolished.
In the EU 25
Outside the EU 4
- Iceland2001
- Liechtenstein2011
- Norway2001
- Switzerland2008
In the EU but not in the Schengen area: Cyprus and Ireland. A linked country has its own page with every rule for it.
Visas and stays
Schengen rules: 90 days in any 180, and EES
How many days can you spend in the Schengen area? 90 in any 180, if you’re visiting from outside the EU — a week in France and a week in Italy are two weeks of the same 90. EES records every entry and exit.
Schengen area: questions and answers.
What does the Schengen area mean?
29 European countries that have abolished checks at the borders between them, so people move between them freely: 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The project started in 1985, on a boat on the Moselle, where Luxembourg, Germany and France meet.
Is Cyprus in Schengen?
Not yet. Cyprus is in the EU and takes part in Schengen cooperation, but checks at its borders haven’t been abolished: it’s in the process of joining. Days in Cyprus don’t count towards the Schengen 90 days.
Is Ireland in Schengen?
No. Ireland is in the EU but has opted out of the Schengen rules: it keeps its own visa and border policies, and days there don’t count towards the Schengen 90 days.
Is the UK in Schengen?
No. The UK isn’t in the EU or the Schengen area, so days there don’t count towards your 90 days in any 180.
Which Schengen countries aren’t in the EU?
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Days there count towards the 90 days in any 180, like days in the 25 EU countries of the area.
Do the 90 days count per Schengen country?
No: 90 days in any 180 across the whole Schengen area. A week in France and a week in Italy are two weeks of the same 90 days.
Count your days in the Schengen area with FlySee.
Track days in every country and know the date you can stay until.
- Counts your Schengen days automatically, in the background
- Shows the date you can stay until, and “Next entry from …” when you’re out
- Rebuilds past stays from your photos, so the count starts with your real history
- Gives you a heads-up before your last day
- Free to download
- free trial
- no account
Did we miss a rule for the Schengen area?
Write to us with the rule you need, and we’ll add it.
Sources
Schengen area
EES (Entry/Exit System)
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs — Entry/Exit System (EES)
- GOV.UK — EU Entry/Exit System: guidance for British travellers
- Swedish Police Authority — The Entry Exit System (children, data storage, days left)
- European Union — Entry/Exit System: check how long you can stay
- European Union — Entry/Exit System: the Travel to Europe mobile app
- Frontex — Travel to Europe app
FlySee counts days; it doesn’t give legal advice. Whether you can stay is the border guard’s call.