Microstates, Cyprus, Ireland, Bulgaria and Romania: the edge cases
Most of Europe is simple: in Schengen or not. A handful of places aren't, and they're where counts most often go wrong.
At a glance
- Count toward your 90: all 29 Schengen countries, and in practice Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican.
- Count only from 31 March 2024: Bulgaria and Romania.
- Don't count: Andorra, Cyprus, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican
None of the three is formally a Schengen member. But they have open borders with France (Monaco) or Italy (San Marino and the Vatican), and you can only get to them through a Schengen country with no border check in between. So in practice your days there are treated as Schengen days, and we count them.
- You stay in Nice from 2 to 8 June 2026 and spend 5 June in Monaco.
- 5 June is a day inside the area either way: you were in France or Monaco, never outside.
7 days used (2 to 8 June). The day in Monaco doesn't add or save anything.
Andorra
Andorra is outside both the EU and Schengen, so days spent there don't count toward your 90. It keeps its own border posts with France and Spain, but you can only reach it through one of them.
That creates a practical problem. When you drive from Spain into Andorra, your exit from the Schengen area may not be recorded, so the official record can show you as still inside. If you spend real time in Andorra, keep proof: hotel bills, receipts, card payments with dates.
- You're in France from 1 to 10 June 2026 and cross into Andorra on the 10th.
- You stay in Andorra until 14 June, then drive into Spain and stay until 20 June.
- France: 1 to 10 June, 10 days. Andorra: 11, 12 and 13 June don't count. Spain: 14 to 20 June, 7 days. 10 and 14 June count because you were in France or Spain for part of those days.
17 days used, not 20, as long as you can show you were in Andorra.
Cyprus
Cyprus is in the EU but not yet in Schengen. Days there don't count toward your Schengen 90. Cyprus runs its own 90-days-in-180 limit, which MyTravelStatus counts for you separately: if you have any Cyprus trips, a second figure appears on your status page alongside the Schengen one. The two never mix. Cyprus doesn't use the EES either. Our reading of the Cyprus rule comes from secondary sources, so check it with the Cypriot authorities before you rely on it.
Ireland
Ireland is in the EU but outside Schengen. It shares the Common Travel Area with the UK instead and has its own immigration rules for visitors. Days in Ireland don't count toward your Schengen 90. Check the Irish immigration service's guidance for how long you can stay in Ireland itself.
Bulgaria and Romania
Both countries joined Schengen in two steps. Checks at their air and sea borders were lifted on 31 March 2024, and land border checks on 1 January 2025. We count days there from 31 March 2024. Before that date, Bulgaria and Romania each had their own separate counts, and days there didn't add to your Schengen total.
This matters mostly for older trips: if you enter your history in a calculator that doesn't know the date, a spring 2024 trip can be counted wrongly. Since the window only looks back 180 days, trips from before 31 March 2024 no longer affect anyone's current count, but they still matter for a report of your past travel.
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein
These four aren't in the EU, but they are full Schengen members, so days there count toward the same 90. A week skiing in Switzerland uses a week of your allowance, just like a week in France.
Check your own trips
Our free calculator knows all of these: pick the country for each trip and it counts the right days, including the Bulgaria and Romania dates. With a free account each day on your calendar shows whether it counted and why. For the basics, read the 90/180 rule, explained.
Not legal advice. This guide explains the published rules as we understand them on the date above. Rules and how they're applied change, and border officers make the final decision. Check the official sources below, and get professional advice for your own situation.
Try it with your dates
Enter your trips in the free calculator: no sign-up, and nothing is saved. Or create a free account to keep your trips and get an email before you run short.
Sources
Official sources
- Schengen Borders Code, Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (EUR-Lex) (opens in a new tab)
- Council of the EU: land border controls lifted with Bulgaria and Romania (12 December 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- European Commission: Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area (3 January 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- European Commission: Entry/Exit System (which countries use it) (opens in a new tab)
Keep reading
More guides
Does Monaco count toward the Schengen 90 days?
Yes. Days in Monaco count toward the Schengen 90/180 limit, because France handles its immigration. Why, how you get there, and a worked example.
Does Andorra count toward the Schengen 90 days?
No. Andorra is outside Schengen, so days there don't count, but the days you cross do. Border checks, the EES, and a worked example with real dates.
Does Cyprus count toward the Schengen 90 days?
No. Cyprus is in the EU but not in Schengen, so its days don't count. It has its own 90-day limit, which we count separately. A worked example.
Does Ireland count toward the Schengen 90 days?
No. Ireland is in the EU but outside Schengen, so days there don't count. Its own visitor rules, the Common Travel Area with the UK, and an example.
The Schengen 90/180 rule, explained
What the Schengen 90/180 rule says, who it applies to, which countries share the count, and the mistakes that catch visitors out.