The Schengen Zone is an agreement between 27 European countries that allows free movement between them. Which countries are part of the Schengen Zone? How can one calculate the stay, and how long can one stay there? Which countries do not require a Schengen visa? We will answer all these questions below.

Contents:

  1. What is the Schengen Zone?
  2. Which countries are part of the Schengen Zone?
  3. Residents of what countries do NOT need to apply for a Schengen visa?
  4. How long can I stay in the Schengen area and how do I calculate my stay?

What is the Schengen Zone?

The Schengen area includes most of continental Europe, namely 27 countries. Many of these states are part of the European Union, but not all. Therefore, it is worth remembering right away that the Schengen Zone and the EU are not the same things.

The main conceptual characteristics of the Schengen area: it has a unified visa policy, abolished passport control, and most other types of border control. That is, having obtained a Schengen visa, you can visit any of its member countries. There are also countries whose residents do not need to obtain a Schengen visa — details on this are below.

Your passport is usually checked only when you first enter the zone through one of its member countries. So in terms of the entry/exit regime and other checks, the Schengen zone is essentially one big territory.

Which countries are part of the Schengen Zone?

Here is a list of current Schengen member countries: 

In addition, there are Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican, which are not members of the Schengen Zone but act as part of it. Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania are expected to join the Schengen Zone in the near future. Also, Montenegro is expected to join the EU in 2025 and probably sign the Schengen Agreement. 

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Residents of what countries do NOT need to apply for a Schengen visa?

To understand whether you need to apply for a Schengen visa, you can resort to the method of exception and understand what countries are exempt from such a need. Here is their list:

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominica
  • El Salvador
  • Northern Macedonia
  • Georgia
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Vatican City State
  • Honduras
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Malaysia
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • East Timor
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States of America
  • United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

There are also special territories (for example, Hong Kong and Macau), which also do not need to apply for a Schengen visa.

All the nuances, as well as a list of countries whose residents must be to make Schengen, can be found on the official website of the European Commission.

By the way, the Schengen will soon be possible to draw up online. We wrote here about the plans of the European Parliament.

How long can I stay in the Schengen area and how do I calculate my stay?

You can stay in the Schengen Area on a short-term visa or on a visa-free basis for 90 days out of each 180-day period.

You can spend all 90 days at once or divide them into several trips. The main rule here: you cannot stay in the area for more than 90 days during the previous 180-day period. So, if you have been in the zone for 90 days, you must leave the zone for 90 days in order to enter again.

To make calculations easier, there are special apps that will calculate your days of stay for you. You can find such applications here and here.

An important point. When you enter or leave the Zone, passport control is required to put a special stamp on you. Make sure that it is exactly put—otherwise, you will not be able to prove that you have been in the Schengen area for a certain number of days.

And, of course, overstaying Schengen is undesirable if you are interested in continuing to visit Europe.

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