How to count the days of stay in the Schengen area? Calculation rules

For what cases should I calculate the period of short-term stay in the Schengen area?

A short-term stay in the Schengen countries is defined as a stay that does not exceed a total of 90 days in every 180 days.

We will look at these concepts in more detail later. For now, let's take a look at cases that are not short-term stays:

• Stay in the Schengen country on the basis of a residence permit.
• Staying on a national visa in the country that issued this visa.

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Why is it important? Because both the residence permit and the national The visa allows not only to stay in the countries that provided them, but also to enter (for tourist or shopping purposes) other Schengen countries for the same 90 days every six months . Such entry will be included in the concept of short-term stay.

For example, a person has a work visa to Poland. If he does not travel to other countries of the Zone, then not a single day of his short-term stay is used. If he visited other states, for example, for 10 days, then these days should be deducted from a possible short-term stay in this half-year.

Let's look separately at staying on a single-entry Schengen visa . Further calculation is not relevant for her, because this permit requires only one entry, and the possible interval of stay is precisely indicated on the visa itself. There should be no difficulties with this document.

So, all further calculations are suitable for the following cases:

1. Stays on a multiple-entry Schengen visa.
2. Staying on a national visa or residence permit in Schengen countries that did not issue .
3. Visa-free entry (for citizens of Ukraine).
4. Staying in some countries while awaiting a decision on a residence permit (more on this below).

All possible cases of short-term stay are summed up and the allowable period is reduced by this total value.

How long can you stay on a multiple visa?

Often, different sources contain conflicting methods for calculating these notorious 90/180. And in some of our old materials/comments you can find methods that are not entirely adequate for today.

The fact is that some time ago the rules changed . If previously the date from which a six-month period was calculated (“date of first entry”) was calculated, now it is a floating 180-day period, the stay within which should not exceed 90 days.

According to EU officials, they have “significantly simplified and clarified the calculation process.” This is their subjective opinion, which can be argued with. However, they did reduce one rule to maximum simplicity: a continuous ninety-day absence allows a new short-term stay of up to ninety days .

If this calculation is sufficient, you can safely use it. If not, read on.

Time scale

For better visualization, imagine the time scale as a straight line with dates. A certain frame moves in a straight line, spanning 180 days. All days of stay within this frame must not exceed 90.

It is physically impossible to create such a scale - it will be too long, but - again, for ease of understanding - you can roughly imagine it like this (rounded values):

Calculation of stay time from departure date

Another way to count days of stay is to calculate from the departure date. If it is known, then we subtract 180 days from this number and calculate the actual stay during this period (using the stamps in the passport).

Now subtract from the number 90 days of actual stay on a Schengen visa, visa-free travel and other reasons described above. The resulting value is the number of short-stay days you have available.

Example: A citizen of Ukraine, on the basis of a visa-free regime, was:

• in Germany from January 1 to January 10;
• in Spain from June 1 to June 15;
• in Greece from July 15 to July 20.

He has planned another trip to Poland, which he plans to finish on September 1st.

We calculate: September 1 minus 180 days equals March 6. That is, the 180-day period we are considering: from March 6 to September 1. This means that a trip to Germany is not taken into account in this period, and the total stay in Spain and Greece is 20 days.

90 minus 20 equals 70 — this is the total number of days that this citizen of Ukraine will be able to stay in the territory of the Schengen zone during the period under review.

Counting 90 days using a calculator

For those who are not good at mathematics, there is the so-called. Schengen calculator. It is provided by the European Commission, but the website states that this is only an auxiliary tool that does not provide any guarantee of stay .

The calculation is made for the maximum possible period of 90 days, while a Schengen visa can be issued for a shorter period. In this case, visa data is taken into account.

Visa-free travel and other bases of stay generally require a maximum of 90 days. Therefore, for them this calculator is completely objective.

The calculator operates in two modes:

1. Control . To calculate current or previous stays (how long you can stay in the Schengen area).
2. Planning . That is, how many days can you stay, when will you need to leave the zone, taking into account previous periods.

Next, let's see how to use the calculator.

Step 1. Go to the site

Go to the special resource of the European Commission using this link. By default, the interface may open in English. If desired, you can switch to Russian by clicking the corresponding icon.

Step 2. Select a mode

“Planning” (1) or “Control” (2) - you need to set the mode of interest in the upper right part of the calculator.

To the left of these parameters there is “Date of entry/control” (3).

By default, it is filled with current data. The date can be left the same or changed:

• Leave it current if you want to control your stay in the Schengen zone, which is happening now.
• Put a lower date . If you need to check previous periods of stay.
• Set a potential departure date and “Plan” mode if you want to calculate a future stay.

Here and below, dates are entered in the format DD/MM/YY, i.e. two digits each of the day, month and year, separated by a “/”.

Step 3. Previous stay

In the left column it is necessary to list all entries and exits into the Zone that have already been carried out. Here you can also enter the expected periods of stay for planning.

Please note that periods must be entered in chronological order (earlier ones above), however there is a “Passport” checkbox above the table. If you install it, periods can be entered in any order.

Step 4. Results

All you have to do is click on the “Calculate” button and see the results:

• For “Planning” - the beginning of the 90 and 180 day periods and the number of remaining days.

• For “Control” information will be displayed: whether the permissible limits have been exceeded at the moment. And if not, then the date until which you can stay in the Schengen zone.

Let us remind you once again that all cases of short-term stay should be taken into account (summed up): Schengen, visa-free, etc.

How to calculate the days of stay on a Schengen visa?

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The question indicated in the title is relevant for everyone who has a Schengen visa. How to correctly calculate the possible number of days of stay in the Schengen zone?

The easiest way to do this is to use an online visa calculator. Many major travel portals provide this service.

Convenient online visa calculator

But, keep in mind that the data obtained is reference material only for you personally. Border guards are not required to make payments on some website. The only passport control where I noticed programs that immediately give the border guard the exact number of days a given person has been in his country over the past six months is in Terminal 1 of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. And they appeared there not so long ago.

How do border guards count days? Counting is done manually using stamps in the passport. German border guards are never lazy to spend time looking at sometimes difficult to read stamps, writing down all the data on a piece of paper and making calculations. I have not observed such punctuality in other Schengen countries. But this absolutely does not mean that you can treat the issue inattentively. When requesting a new visa, the consulate will take the time to check whether the rules have been violated.

So, what do punctual border guards think?

Example: You enter the visa area on May 10th.

The border guard counts the days of your stay for six months, that is, from November 10 to May 10. The number should not exceed 90.

But you may be denied entry. Why? This depends on the dates of previous trips. If the days of the first of them in the last six months began on November 10 or earlier and lasted for some time during November, then, while in the zone in May, you will not exceed 90 days. They will sort of count back in November. The half-year of May 15th begins on November 15th, and May 20th begins on November 20th, respectively. But, if you made a mistake and your first trip date was later than November 10, then you can exceed 90 days while in the zone in May. Border guards most often do not delve into these subtleties upon entry. They usually only check the number 90 for entry.

When leaving, the check proceeds in the same way. If you leave on May 25th, having stayed in Schengen for 16 days from May 10th, the border guard will count the days of your stay from November 25th to May 25th.

In the first case, the calculation will be as follows: 5 in November + 11 in December + 32 + 26 + 16 = 90

.
And in the second case: 5 + 21 + 32 + 26 + 16 = 100
, which will be a violation with all the ensuing consequences.

The same principle is used to calculate days of stay in countries that are not members of Schengen, but allow stay in their country with a Schengen visa for up to 90 days every six months. And if there is no strict control in most Schengen countries, then, for example, Bulgarian border guards enter all the data into a computer and check the permissible number of days of stay at entry and exit.

Why exactly the number 90? Because if you are in the country for more than 90 days in six months, then you begin to be considered a resident of this country, for which you need to have permission - a residence permit or permanent residence, or be a citizen of this country.

When planning your trips, you should carefully check your possible dates of stay. In any given half-year, the number of days of stay should not exceed 90. But you should not plan a stay of exactly 90 days. After all, the flight departure at the airport may be delayed or cancelled. Or some unforeseen circumstances will not allow you to leave exactly on the scheduled date.

We should also not forget that border guards are living people who also get tired, feel bad, may be worried about personal problems, etc., and therefore sometimes make mistakes when making calculations. At the border you must always behave correctly and calmly. Everyone is interested in everything being in order for everyone.

To help travelers: Smart tips on how to get a Schengen visa

Happy travels everyone!

Rules for entry into the Schengen area

In addition to the rules for calculating the time of stay, there are a number of nuances for staying in the Schengen zone that not all travelers know.

Staying on a visa or residence permit issued by another country

This case has already been mentioned above, so let us just remind you: a national visa or residence permit of one of the Schengen countries allows you to stay in any other during the period 90/180.

For example, a foreigner working in Poland on an annual Voivodeship visa can go on vacation to any other country in the Zone for 90 days in every six months of his stay.

Stay in which countries is not counted as short-term?

Of course, we are talking about states in one way or another connected with the EU or the Schengen area. These include countries that are not included in Schengen:

• Great Britain.
• Ireland.
• Bulgaria.
• Cyprus.
• Romania.
• Croatia.

At the same time, to visit Ireland and/or Great Britain you will need a separate visa , and entry into other countries is possible with a Schengen visa (or visa-free for Ukrainians), but for a period of 90/180, and the period of stay in them will not be taken into account as a general Schengen visa!

Example: A citizen of Ukraine entered Germany on a visa-free basis, stayed there for 90 days and moved to Bulgaria, where he also stayed for 90 days. When and for how many days will he be able to enter the Schengen area again?

Solution: Bulgaria is not a member of Schengen, but allows Ukrainians to enter without a visa, not counting this stay as a general Schengen stay. Consequently, having served 90 days in Germany, a foreigner officially has the right to another 90 days of stay in Bulgaria.

The last 90 days will be considered a period of absence from the Schengen area, i.e. During this time, a new 90-day period of stay will open and it will be possible to visit Schengen countries again.

At first glance, it looks like a beautiful picture that allows you to stay year-round either in the Schengen countries or in Bulgaria (Croatia, Romania, Cyprus), but everything is not so simple. To find it, you need reasons, and first of all, funds, which not everyone can find for a whole year (or more). This option does not allow it to work.

We also need to understand something else: apart from the United Kingdom and Ireland, other countries have not yet been accepted into the Schengen zone. But they are planning to join. Once they enter into an agreement, such an option will become impossible.

Residence in which non-EU countries will be taken into account?

There are also states that are not members of the EU, but have signed the Schengen Agreement.

Not only is it possible for them to enter with type C (Schengen) visas, but their stay is also counted in the total periods.

For today it is:

• Liechtenstein.
• Iceland.
• Switzerland.
• Norway.

Visa-free entry for citizens of Ukraine applies to these countries.

More information about multivisas (multiple entry visas)

A multiple entry visa (also known as a multiple entry visa) is the most desirable of all types of Schengen visas. The duration of a multiple-entry visa can be from 6 months to 5 years, and you can visit Schengen countries several times, unlike single and double entry visas.

For multiple visas, either the number of days that can be spent traveling during the specified period of validity of the visa is established, or by default it is indicated that you can stay in the Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a six-month period.

Multiple visa

Let's take a closer look at all the variations of multivisas.

Multiple visa for six months

This multiple visa is easier to obtain than any other. Subject to a number of conditions, a six-month multiple visa can be obtained by an ordinary traveler whose goal is tourism. This multiple visa can be successfully applied for if you have already visited Schengen countries over the past couple of years.

A six-month multiple visa can only apply to category C visas. There are no six-month multiple visas for category D. Therefore, having a multiple visa for six months, you will not be able to work or study at a local university. It is intended only for tourist or business trips, as well as for visiting relatives.

Multiple visa for a year

A one-year visa is the most frequently requested type of multiple visa. This is very convenient: you can visit Europe throughout the year, without having to constantly apply for a visa. However, multiple visas, the duration of which is one year or more, are a special category of visas. To get them, you must have good reasons.

Such a multiple visa can be obtained by a person invited by business partners or relatives. In this case, the invitation must be properly issued. You will have to collect a lot of additional documents confirming that you were really invited.

Owners of real estate or their own business in the Schengen country also receive multiple visas for a year. Some of our compatriots buy cheap houses in remote European villages in order to be able to obtain such a visa.

In what other situations can you get a multiple visa for a year? Employment and short-term study. In this case, the visa will be valid for a full year. And with any other trip (business or tourist), you will not be able to stay in Europe all year. Terms are limited to 3 months per half year. That is, having a visa for a year, you can formally stay in the Schengen countries for up to six months.

Multiple visa for 2 years

It is also issued if there are compelling reasons and only in those situations where you have previously applied for an annual multiple visa at least once. It is simply impossible to get a multiple visa for 2 years.

As in the case of a one-year visa, two-year multiple visas are issued upon presentation of documents confirming the need to obtain a visa for exactly 2 years. This could be an invitation from relatives or business partners. Participants in various events, scientific researchers and medical staff also receive this visa.

Please note that despite the name, this visa does not allow you to stay in the Schengen countries for the entire two years of the visa’s validity. You can stay abroad for up to 3 months per six months.

Multiple visa for 5 years

The most difficult thing is to get a multiple visa for 5 years. Such visas are issued if you have a truly compelling reason. To obtain such a visa, you must obtain a one-year multivisa at least once, which then must be extended to two years, and then to three. And only after this you have the right to apply for a five-year multivisa.

The validity period of such a visa fully corresponds to its name. Of course, in some cases it is issued for five years, but with the possibility of visiting Schengen countries for 3 months in six months. But in most cases, a five-year visa is given for permanent residence abroad.

As you understand, in order to live permanently, you need to be employed by a local company or study at a local educational institution. Citizens whose relatives live in Schengen countries can also count on such a visa. An ordinary tourist is unlikely to be able to obtain such a visa.

A number of countries regularly approve multiple 5-year visas for Russian citizens. Among them are budget Spain, popular France, and distant Finland. You can also get such a visa to other Schengen countries, but the states listed above have the most flexible visa rules.

Applying for such a multivisa on your own is no different from applying for any other visa. You need to collect a set of documents, make an appointment at the official representative office of the country, submit an application and wait one or two weeks until your papers are checked and their verdict is given.

The documents must include papers confirming the purpose of the trip: an invitation from an employer, from an educational institution or from a relative. You will also have to collect a number of additional documents to confirm your intentions.

On our website in the “Documents” section you will find a lot of useful information on how to properly fill out the paperwork when obtaining Schengen visas. Of course, you can contact a private travel agency, which will issue a visa for you for an additional fee. But doing it yourself will save you a lot of money and you will not transfer your documents to third parties.

Recommendations for visiting the Schengen area

In addition to strict rules, there are also recommendations. They do not have the nature of laws, and their non-compliance does not entail direct sanctions. However, their systematic violation may, over time, negatively affect the receipt of subsequent visas.

First entry rule

It is recommended that the first entry with a visa (this does not apply to visa-free travel) is carried out in the country that issued the visa .

For example, a Schengen visa was issued by Poland for 90/180. It is advisable that the foreigner enter Poland first, and only then move (if necessary) to other countries in the Zone.

Preferential stay

This is a rather abstract "rule". It states that a foreigner must primarily stay in the country that issued him a visa. How can this be controlled in the absence of border controls between many EU countries? Only for activities that require registration, such as air travel.

Underwater rocks

There are several points that need to be emphasized. Ignorance or failure to comply with them can lead to difficulties.

Dates of entry and exit

Calendar dates are taken into account, not the number of hours. The first day of stay is the day of entry, the last day is the day of departure.

Example: A foreigner entered on January 1 at 23:59, and left on January 3 at 00:01. How many days did he stay in the Schengen area?

Solution: Dates are taken into account. Therefore, despite the actual stay for 24 hours and 2 minutes, a three-day stay will be counted : January 1, 2 and 3.

No entry/exit stamp

This situation is possible for Ukrainian citizens who have taken advantage of the visa-free regime . The point is that, for example, Poland allows visa-free stay after the expiration of a national visa or residence permit without registration of entry and exit. That is, as soon as the previous stay ends, the visa-free regime is activated automatically.

The problem is that the start of a visa-free stay will not be registered in the passport until the moment of departure, which will not only make it difficult for the foreigner to calculate the stay, but often leads to errors when counting days at the border.

Border guards make mistakes quite often. A foreigner must be confident in the correctness of the calculation of his stay, and be ready to prove that he is right.

Waiting for a decision on granting a residence permit

This already applies to citizens of all countries. Some EU states, for example Poland, allow legal stay in the country for the entire period of consideration of the issue. This period can drag on for a long time, but the most important thing is that it is counted as a short-term stay, i.e. eats up the possibility of all other ways of such a stay (Schengen, visa-free, etc.).

Such a wait may drag on for a period much longer than the permissible 90 days, and the stay will still remain legal. However, the new 90-day period will not begin earlier than 90 days after receiving a residence permit or leaving home.

Law update

Let us remind you that new visa-free rules are being gradually introduced, implying preliminary online approval of entry with ETIAS, payment for such approval, etc. We talked about this in more detail in this article.

Schengen visa with corridor

The validity period of the visa document may not coincide with the number of days that the traveler is allowed to spend in the Schengen area. In this case, they talk about a visa corridor. That is, if the maximum period of a Schengen visa is, for example, 90 days (fields “From ...”, “To ...”), and the period of stay (“Duration of stay ... days”) is indicated as 30 days, this means that in fact the total During the specified period, you can stay in the country for only 30 days, and you are allowed to cross its border several times.

Such a visa is a multiple-entry or multiple entry visa, and is designated by the abbreviation MULT.

How to count the days spent in the Schengen countries?

Let's look at more complex examples that occur quite often in life.

Example 1

Input data: A citizen of Ukraine works in Poland on a six-month visa D05A, valid until May 1. At the same time, back in February he applied for a residence card (residence permit) and received a corresponding stamp about it. The current date is August 1st.

Can a Ukrainian travel to other EU countries? Go home? Return to Poland?

Solution: The basis for staying until May 1 is a national visa. This period is not taken into account for short stays. From this date, the recording of just such a stay begins, and by August 1, the permissible period of 90 days has already been spent.

Hence:

Example 2

Input data: A citizen of Belarus works in Poland on a national visa D05B, issued for 270 days (until November 31). Current date is August 1st.

1. From June 1 to July 1 he had a vacation, which was spent in Germany.
2. In July, he went to Italy on an excursion for 4 days.
3. In the same month - another 5 days to Bulgaria.
4. He spent another 10 days in Switzerland at a ski resort.

How many days can he stay in the EU and/or Schengen countries?

Solution: Staying in Poland is legal for the entire period of the national visa. In other EU countries – up to 90 days per six months. Being in Switzerland is also taken into account here, but is not taken into account in Bulgaria.

Hence:

Rules for obtaining a multiple visa

According to Art. 24 of the EU Visa Code, the conditions for issuing a multiple permit are as follows:

• It is no longer possible to obtain a long-term multi-Schengen the first time.
• First you need to apply for a single-entry visa. They will be issued strictly for the period of travel (there may be rare exceptions). You can apply 3 times in a row within 2 years. And then the validity period of the next document will be 1 year.
• Then registration is allowed for 2 years. The new rules do not provide for a reduction in the duration of a Schengen visa. A 1-year permit issued within the last 24 months must be used without violations.
• At the final stage, it will be possible to obtain a multi-Schengen visa for 5 years. The condition must be met that during the last 3 years the applicant has conscientiously used a 2-year multiple visa.

According to the new standard, it is excluded that a citizen who used a document of a certain duration (for example, 1 year) will receive not the same visa, but with a shorter period (for six months, for example).

According to the end of 2021, documents for long-term stay were issued by France, Finland and Greece. And other EU countries mainly issued stamps with a short period of stay and validity.

You may be interested in: Visa to Denmark for Russians in 2021: application, deadlines, documents and cost

Now each EU state will issue a multi-Schengen visa only after foreigners have fulfilled the established rules, taking into account the visa history of other participants in the Schengen agreement.