Schengen Area Rules for Visa-Free Europe Programs

A number of Education Abroad semester programs are shorter than 90 days. In many cases, this allows students to bypass the visa process, which can save a significant amount of time and money. 

But for programs in Europe, this also comes with certain independent travel restrictions that students should carefully consider before deciding to pursue one of these options.

The Schengen Area and why it matters 

The Schengen Area is composed of 29 European countries and establishes common set of border control rules across the member states. 

• U.S passport holders are allowed to stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within a 180 day rolling calendar period without a visa
• If your program is less than 90 days, you will enter on this visa-free status, but you will use up your 90 day allowance during the dates of your program

What this means for independent travel plans

• As you will use up the majority of your 90 day allowance during the dates of the program, you won’t be able to travel to any Schengen Area country before or after your program dates
• This means you can’t arrive in mainland Europe early or stay later 
• In most cases, you will also be unable to travel to mainland Europe over the summer, Thanksgiving, or winter breaks directly before/after your program 
• You can still travel throughout mainland Europe during your program dates (for example, on weekends)
• You are still able to travel before and after your program dates to countries outside the Schengen Area, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Morocco, etc.

Common questions 

Q: Why can’t I just get a visa? 
Student visas are only available if you are studying in a single country for more than 90 days. If your program is 90 days or less, you are not eligible, and there is no alternative visa that allows extra tourist time. 

Q: Can I leave Europe for a weekend to reset my time? 

No. Leaving the Schengen Area only pauses the clock. Your 90-days won’t begin to reset until 180 days from the date of your initial entry into the Schengen area. Here’s an explanation of the 90/180 rule as well as a handy calculator. 

Q: How have previous students handled this? 

If you have places you know you want to visit within mainland Europe, prioritize those for your weekends during the dates of the program. Save any travel plans for non-mainland Europe locations like the UK, Ireland, Morocco, etc. for before or after your program dates. And know that 90 days flies by, so make sure you devote plenty of time to exploring your host city and country!