Guides

Accurate, sourced and dated. Every guide links to the official source and shows when it was last reviewed.

EES and the 90/180 rule: what changed in April 2026 and what didn't

The EU Entry/Exit System now counts your Schengen days from biometrics. Here is what is different for travellers, and what the 90/180 rule still says.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 2

How the rolling 180-day window really works, with worked examples

The 90/180 rule looks back 180 days from every day of your stay. Worked examples from the European Commission show how days are counted and regained.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 3

EES didn't record my exit? How to prove you left and ask for a fix

If the Entry/Exit System has no exit record for you, it can look like you are still in the Schengen area. What proof to keep and how to ask for a correction.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 4

Do entry and exit days count? Schengen day-counting edge cases

Entry and exit days both count as full days. How same-day trips, midnight crossings, transit, leap years and several countries in one day are handled.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 5

Does a new passport reset your Schengen days? No: EES is biometric

Getting a new passport does not give you a fresh 90 days. The Entry/Exit System links your record to you through biometrics, not just a document number.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 6

Non-EU spouse of an EU citizen: when the 90/180 rule applies

Family members of EU citizens who exercise free movement are treated differently at the border, but the exemption is narrower than many people believe.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 7

UK second-home owners in Spain and France: staying longer legally

Owning a home in the EU does not change the 90/180 rule for British visitors. How splitting the year and national long-stay visas can help.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 8

Spain's 183-day rule and 'sporadic absences' explained

Spain treats you as tax resident if you spend more than 183 days there in a year, and short trips abroad can count as time in Spain. How the rule works.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 9

Portugal tax residency: the 183-day and 12-month tests

Portugal counts more than 183 days in any 12-month period that starts or ends in the tax year, and a habitual home can also make you resident.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 10

UK Statutory Residence Test: how the midnight rule counts your days

For the UK Statutory Residence Test a day counts if you are in the UK at midnight. How days are counted, and what a simple counter leaves out.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 11

Schengen days vs tax days: two clocks to track separately

Your Schengen 90/180 count and your tax-residence day counts use different windows and rules. Why one number cannot tell you the other.

Updated 28 Oct 2026

Guide 12

ETIAS: what we know now (status page, kept up to date)

The current status of ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation for visa-free visitors. Whether it has started, what it costs, and what you should and should not do.

Updated 28 Oct 2026