Applying the Schengen 90/180 rule

Upvote:3

No.

To understand the Schengen rules, imagine doing the following. (It is not practical to do it for real, but it helps to understand how 90/180 works.)

  • Take some squared graph paper, cut it into strips and glue it together to get a really long strip. Take care that the squares match up. Write the dates above a row of squares. Mark the squares so that you write a "+" for every day you were in Schengen, or plan to be in Schengen, and write a "-" for every day completely outside Schengen. This is your calendar.
  • Take a second long strip and cut a "window" one square high, 180 squares wide. This is the 180-day period.
  • Slide the window along the calendar, one day at a time. For each day, count the visible "+" signs. If there are more than 90 "+" signs visible, you are violating the 90/180 rule.

The key thing is that you must shift the window one day at a time. You do not have to check it only on entry. (If you look at the maths, you don't have to repeat the actual counting for each day if you do some extra calculations, but those calculations are just for convenience. Counting 180 days back for every day is the principle.)

There are two principal exceptions to this. One is a National D visa from a Schengen nation, another are bilateral treaties between Schengen nations and other nations which predate Schengen and got "grandfathered" in. Those depend on your citizenship and destination.

More post

Search Posts

Related post