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Click any country on the map to see whether it’s in the Schengen Area, the EU, and whether ETIAS will apply.
Last Updated: 26 October 2026
The Schengen Area covers 29 European countries with no internal border controls and a single 90-day stay limit shared between them. But Schengen is not the EU, and neither is the same as the countries that will require ETIAS. Toggle between all three on the map below, or use the EU vs Schengen view to see where the two overlap.
The Three Zones
Every country on the map, grouped by what actually determines your entry rules. Verified October 2026.
🔵 In Schengen and in the EU — 25 countries
🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇪🇪 Estonia, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇭🇺 Hungary, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇲🇹 Malta, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇸🇰 Slovakia, 🇸🇮 Slovenia, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden
🔷 In Schengen, not in the EU — 4 countries
🇮🇸 Iceland, 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇨🇭 Switzerland
All four draw from your Schengen 90 days and all four will require ETIAS, because Schengen membership is what triggers it. EU roaming rules apply in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which are in the EEA, but not in Switzerland, so check your mobile plan there.
🏛️ In the EU, not in Schengen — 2 countries
Days here never touch your Schengen 90. The two are otherwise nothing alike: Cyprus will require ETIAS, and Ireland opted out of it entirely. Cyprus is also the next country in line to join Schengen: the European Commission gave a positive assessment of its readiness in July 2026 (Press-reported: EU Perspectives, 15 Jul 2026), and the final decision rests with the Council of the EU. Where Cyprus’s accession stands →
🏰 Surrounded by Schengen, not members — 4 microstates
🇦🇩 Andorra · 🇲🇨 Monaco · 🇸🇲 San Marino · 🇻🇦 Vatican City
None of the four has signed the Schengen agreement, but you can only reach them through a Schengen country, and you never formally leave the zone on the way in. Do not count on a stay here to pause your 90 days: plan as though every day counts.
🌍 Outside both — 11 countries
🇦🇱 Albania · 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina · 🇬🇪 Georgia · 🇽🇰 Kosovo · 🇲🇩 Moldova · 🇲🇪 Montenegro · 🇲🇰 North Macedonia · 🇷🇸 Serbia · 🇹🇷 Turkey · 🇺🇦 Ukraine · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Separate immigration rules, separate stay limits, no ETIAS. This is the group long-term travellers use as bases while their Schengen days replenish. The UK is the exception that catches people out: British days never count against your Schengen 90, but a UK ETA is still mandatory before you board.
Understanding the 90/180-Day Rule
The rule that makes the map matter: you can stay a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across all 29 Schengen countries combined. It is not a fixed calendar period and it does not reset when you cross a border or when the year turns over. Every day in any Schengen country draws from the same pool, whichever country it is.
Time in the countries outside that zone does not count. Many long-term travellers use this deliberately, spending 90 days inside Schengen and then moving to Albania, Georgia or the UK while their days replenish. How the rolling window works →
Since the Entry/Exit System became fully operational in April 2026, every entry into and exit from the Schengen Area is recorded digitally rather than stamped by hand. Some crossings in nine countries were still not taking fingerprints from everyone in September 2026, but your dates are logged either way. Miscounting used to be survivable. It is not any more. Count your days →
🛡️ One policy for both sides of the map
If you are moving between Schengen and non-Schengen countries, you want one policy that covers both rather than booking country by country. SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance covers emergency medical treatment and hospital care abroad on a continuous monthly plan with no fixed itinerary and no long-term commitment, and it meets the €30,000 minimum if any part of your trip needs a Schengen visa. For a full comparison including AXA and Allianz, see our best travel insurance for Europe guide.
Get a Quote from SafetyWing →Affiliate partner — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
What Changes When ETIAS Launches
ETIAS is not in operation yet, and the Commission’s ETIAS page gives no start date. The Commission’s March 2025 timeline expected ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026, and its April 2026 guidance still described the start as scheduled for the last quarter of 2026. Until then, visa-exempt travellers need only a valid passport. When it arrives it will cost €20 for adults aged 18 to 70, be free outside that range, stay valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and cover 30 European countries, the Schengen Area and Cyprus. It does not change the 90/180-day rule. Track the timeline →
Crossing more than one zone?
A trip mixing Schengen, the UK and the Balkans can need more than one entry document. iVisa checks what your passport requires for each leg, flags the mistakes that cause refusals, and tracks each application to a decision. A flat service fee applies on top of the government fee.
Check What You Need →Affiliate partner — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sources
- European Commission: Schengen area
- European Commission: History of Schengen
- European Commission: Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen Area
- European Commission: Short-stay calculator
- European Commission: Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational
- European Commission: European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)
- European Commission: Revised timeline for the EES and ETIAS
- European Commission: Main differences between the EES and ETIAS: What travellers need to know
- Your Europe (European Union): Roaming: Using a mobile phone in the EU
- GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK: Overview
- Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Visa Information For Foreigners
Checked 26 October 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many countries are in the Schengen Area in 2026?
There are 29 countries in the Schengen Area as of 2026. Twenty-five are EU member states; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are Schengen members without being in the EU. The most recent additions are Bulgaria and Romania, which became full members on 1 January 2025 after joining for air and sea travel in March 2024. Croatia joined in 2023.
Is the Schengen Area the same as the European Union?
No. They overlap but neither contains the other. 25 countries belong to both. Ireland and Cyprus are EU members outside Schengen. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are Schengen members outside the EU. For travel, Schengen membership is what determines your 90/180-day allowance, not EU membership.
Which countries appear on the map but are not in Schengen?
The United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Time spent in any of them does not count toward your 90-day Schengen limit. Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not formally in Schengen either, but you reach them without leaving the zone, so plan as though days there count.
Which countries will require ETIAS?
Thirty countries: all 29 Schengen members plus Cyprus. Ireland is the only EU member that opted out entirely. ETIAS is not operational yet, and no start date has been announced.
Does Cyprus need ETIAS if it is not in Schengen?
Yes. Cyprus is an EU member that has not joined the Schengen Area, but it will still require ETIAS. It is the one country that breaks the rule of thumb that ETIAS follows Schengen membership, and it catches people out regularly.
Is Norway in the Schengen Area?
Yes. Norway is part of the Schengen Area despite not being an EU member, and ETIAS will apply there. The same is true of Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. One practical consequence: EU roaming rules apply in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein but not in Switzerland, so check your mobile plan there.
Did the Schengen map change recently?
Yes. Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen Area for air and sea borders in March 2024, and became full members when land border checks ended on 1 January 2025. Both now show as Schengen members on the map and days spent there count toward your 90-day limit. Cyprus is next in line: the European Commission gave a positive assessment in July 2026 (Press-reported: EU Perspectives, 15 Jul 2026), and the decision now rests with EU member states.
Are Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City in the Schengen Area?
Not formally. All four have open borders with the Schengen countries surrounding them and function as de facto Schengen territory, but none is a signatory. You reach all four by passing through a Schengen country, which is where the entry rules actually apply. Because you never formally leave the zone to get there, do not count on time in any of them pausing your 90 days.
Is Turkey in the Schengen Area?
No. Turkey is partly in Europe geographically but sits outside the Schengen Area with its own entry rules, and time spent there does not count toward your 90 Schengen days. Ordinary passport holders from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the EU enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
What do the grey countries on the map mean?
Grey countries are European countries outside the zone shown in the active view. In the Schengen view, most grey countries have their own immigration rules and their own stay limit, and time there does not count toward your 90-day Schengen limit. The exceptions are the four microstates, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City, which you reach without leaving the zone.
🌍 Check entry rules for your nationality
See whether you need a visa, an ETIAS or nothing at all for every country on this map, generated for your passport and your specific route.
Open the Travel Planner →📚 Related Guides
- Schengen Area Countries: Full List — all 29 member states in detail
- Non-Schengen Countries in Europe — visa-free bases and nomad hubs
- The 90/180-Day Rule — how the rolling window works
- Schengen Day Calculator — track days across all 29 countries
- Splitting Time Schengen and Non-Schengen — the classic 90/90 loop
- What Happens If You Overstay? — fines, bans, EES detection
- ETIAS: Complete Guide — €20 authorisation, not yet in operation
- Best Travel Insurance for Europe — the €30k Schengen visa requirement
Last updated: 26 October 2026. Schengen Traveler is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the European Union, the European Commission, eu-LISA, or any government agency. Schengen membership can change — always confirm with official government sources before you travel.