Understanding travel regions and entry requirements is often a crucial part of pre-trip preparations. For those planning a transatlantic trip, one term you’ll want to be familiar with is “the Schengen Area.” Knowing the extent of this zone is important, particularly for frequent travelers, holders of passports that require a visa to visit Europe, and those planning a multicountry itinerary or longer stay. Let’s take a deep dive into the Schengen Area and see how it could impact your travel preparations.
What Is the Schengen Area?
Established in 1985, the Schengen Agreement gets its name from the village in Luxembourg where officials met to sign it. The agreement was originally signed by five European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands all agreed to remove border controls, allowing for the free movement of people between them. Over time, the framework’s agreements and laws were formalized, becoming part of EU legislation.
Today, 25 EU member states and four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries — Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein — are part of the Schengen Area. Bulgaria and Romania are the two most recent signatories and have been full Schengen members since January 1, 2025. According to the EU, “Every day around 3.5 million people cross internal borders for work or study or to visit families and friends, and almost 1.7 million people reside in one Schengen country while working in another.”
However, the distinction between the EU itself and the Schengen Area is an important one. For example, the Republic of Ireland is an EU member state but not part of the zone, so the border and travel rules between Ireland and Schengen countries are different.
What Does the Schengen Area Mean for U.S. Travelers?
To a certain extent, the Schengen Area takes away the border formalities for travelers who visit more than one country within the zone. Entry into one Schengen country usually means that there are no border controls between that country and other nations within the Schengen Area. If you don’t require a visa for one member country, it’s the same for all. For those who do, a one-time Schengen visa makes travel simpler.
For instance, you might land at an airport in Italy, complete border formalities there — either with a Schengen visa or a visa waiver, whichever applies — and then travel overland into France or Switzerland without further checks. In some cases — if, for example, you are traveling on an international train such as the Bernina Express — you might not even realize you have crossed a border.
Exceptions Within the Schengen Area
Under the agreement, individual countries are allowed to carry out document spot checks by police, but as a consequence of certain concerns, such as a heightened threat of terrorism or an increased incidence of illegal migration, some governments have chosen to temporarily reintroduce border checks. These aren’t universal, nor do such regulations always affect every land border. Nevertheless, if you are planning any cross-border travel, even for a day out, you should always carry your passport with you.
For instance, as of early 2025, if you travel to Austria and intend to cross a land border into Hungary or Slovenia, you’ll need to show your passport. The Netherlands has instigated the same policy for air and land borders with Belgium and Germany. Such rules are in place for fixed periods of time, and the situation changes frequently. For a current list of exemptions to Schengen practice, take a look at the official EU website.
How Long Can U.S. Passport Holders Stay in the Schengen Area?
Third-country nationals (the term the EU uses to refer to those holding passports from outside its borders, such as those from the U.S.) need to pay close attention to the length of time they spend within the Schengen Area. For those who qualify for a visa waiver for tourism purposes, travel is permitted for a maximum of 90 days out of a 180-day period.
This figure is calculated according to all travel that takes place in any Schengen Area country, starting with the current day and working backward. You’ll need to tally up separate trips within that 180-day period in the same way as you would count one single vacation. Rack up more than 90 days and you’ll run afoul of immigration, just as you would in a country where you overstay a visa.
Visiting Non-Schengen Countries
For travelers lucky enough to be able to visit Europe for more than 90 days, there’s a workaround if you can’t face the prospect of going home just yet. Remember that original distinction we made between the EU, the Schengen Area, and Europe as a whole? There’s no reason why you can’t extend your vacation in European countries that aren’t part of the Schengen Area, such as the U.K. or Ireland.
Other non-Schengen countries that you could consider include Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Travel to any of these countries doesn’t count for your 90-day allowance within a 180-day period, though it’s wise to check specific entry requirements before finalizing your plans.
Featured Stories
More from our network
Daily Passport is part of Optimism, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.
