The Schengen Area is a group of 29 European countries that have removed the border checks between them. Once you are inside, you can travel from Lisbon to Helsinki without showing a passport. For anyone who needs a visa to visit Europe, it is the reason a European residence card is so useful.
The 29 countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Schengen is not the same as the European Union
- In the EU but not in Schengen: Ireland and Cyprus. In July 2026 the European Commission said Cyprus is ready to join, but the member countries have not yet taken the decision.
- In Schengen but not in the EU: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
This matters when you choose a programme. A residence card from Cyprus does not give travel rights across the Schengen Area.
The 90/180 rule
A visitor may spend up to 90 days in the Schengen Area in any 180-day period. The days are counted across the whole area, not country by country, and the 180 days are a moving window: on any day, look back 180 days and count the days you were there.
The rule applies whether or not you need a visa to enter. Staying too long can lead to a fine and a ban on returning.
Our 90/180 calculator does the counting for you.
What a residence card changes
| You are | In the country that issued your card | In the other Schengen countries |
|---|---|---|
| A visitor with no card | Up to 90 days in any 180, across the whole area | Up to 90 days in any 180, across the whole area |
| A resident of a Schengen country | No limit | Up to 90 days in any 180 |
| A citizen of an EU country | No limit | May live and work there |
Two points are often missed.
- Time spent in the country that issued your card does not count towards your 90 days elsewhere.
- A residence card does not give you the right to live or work in the other countries. For that you need citizenship of an EU country, or a permit from the country concerned.
A residence card gives you one country to live in and twenty-eight more to visit.
At the border today
Two new systems change what happens when you arrive.
- The Entry/Exit System has been fully in use since 10 April 2026. Visitors give fingerprints and a photograph the first time they enter, and their days are counted electronically instead of by passport stamps.
- ETIAS is an online travel authorisation for visitors who do not need a visa. It has not started yet. The EU has said it will announce the start date several months in advance. It is expected to cost €20 and to last three years.
People who hold a residence card from a Schengen country are not registered in the Entry/Exit System and do not need ETIAS.
Which programmes are in the Schengen Area
Of the residence programmes on this site, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Hungary, Italy and Latvia are in the Schengen Area. Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Panama and the United States are not.
Figures are indicative and reviewed on 4 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
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