Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guide to Long-term Travel In Europe
Many people dream of traveling around Europe for months but various visa laws make it
much more difficult if your visit extends past ninety days. It is important to familiarize your-
self with the different visa laws or you could risk being deported and banned from much of
Europe if you overstay. It does take a bit of extra planning but there are still options for de-
termined travelers.
he Schengen Area.
Before you start planning your multi-month trip to Europe, you need
to learn about the Schengen Area. The Schengen Area is a group of twenty-six countries in
Europe that have eliminated passport controls between their shared borders. Basically, you
can travel between two bordering Schengen Area countries without having to go through im-
migration or needing to show a passport. When most travelers mention being able to stay in
Europe for more than ninety days, they are generally referring to staying within the Schengen
Area—this is because the Schengen Area encompasses most of the countries in Europe.
How the Schengen Area affects you.
Americans and Canadians can only stay in the Schen-
gen Area (without a special visa) for a period of 90 days within a 180-day period. If you spend
90 days in the Schengen area during any 180-day period, you must wait another 90 days be-
fore you can apply to enter the Schengen area again without a visa. The clock does not “reset”
if you leave the Schengen Area before your 90 days are up.
Schengen Area Countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxem-
bourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and
Switzerland.
However, not all European countries are part of the Schengen Area and each has their own
rules about how long you can stay without a visa. Notable countries include:
• United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)—180 days
• Republic of Ireland—90 days
• Romania—90 day
• Croatia—90 days
• Cyprus—90 days
• Belarus—30-plus days (need visa but you apply for it in-country. Cost about $35.)
• Ukraine—90 days
• Others—Check the US State Department website (
travel.state.gov
) for updated require-
ments for US citizens.
Note: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania are prospective members, but their entries have
been delayed multiple times so it is unknown when they'll officially join.
