The Schengen area

The Schengen area is a group of 29 European countries that have abolished checks at the borders between them, so you can travel from one to another without showing a passport. It is made up of 25 of the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Visitors from outside the area, including British citizens, can stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all 29 countries combined.

Why is it called the Schengen area?

The area takes its name from Schengen, a village in southern Luxembourg. France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg signed the original Schengen Agreement there in 1985.

Which countries are in the Schengen area?

The European Commission describes the area as "composed of 29 countries: 25 EU Member States and 4 non-EU countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein)". They are:

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.

The most recent members are Croatia (from 1 January 2023) and Bulgaria and Romania (air and sea borders from 31 March 2024, land borders from 1 January 2025).

Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City have no border checks with the countries around them and are reached through the Schengen area. Andorra is not in the area but can only be reached through France or Spain.

Which EU countries are not in the Schengen area?

Two. Ireland has opted out and keeps its own border and visa policy. Cyprus is a candidate: in the Commission's words, "the integration process into the Schengen area is currently underway", and on the date above it had not yet joined.

Time spent in Ireland or Cyprus does not count towards your Schengen 90 days. Cyprus has its own separate limit of 90 days in any 180.

Is the United Kingdom in the Schengen area?

No, and it never was. The UK opted out of Schengen while it was an EU member. Since 1 January 2021, British citizens visiting the Schengen area have been subject to the same 90-day limit as other non-EU visitors. See the 90/180 rule for UK travellers.

What does being in the Schengen area mean for visitors?

Once you have entered the area, you can move between its countries without further passport checks. The checks happen at the external border, where you enter and leave, and since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System records those crossings digitally in place of a passport stamp.

Whether you need a visa to enter depends on your nationality: see who needs a Schengen visa. Either way, the 90/180 rule limits how long you can stay.

How Schengen Simple helps

The area is one space for the 90-day count, so a weekend in Switzerland and a fortnight in Spain draw on the same allowance. Schengen Simple keeps that single count for you across every trip you log, and shows how long you could stay from any date.