Ireland, Cyprus and other places that do not count

The EU members outside Schengen: Ireland and Cyprus

The European Commission states it plainly: "Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area." Days you spend there are not Schengen days. When you fly from Paris to Dublin, your exit from the Schengen area is recorded; when you come back, a new entry is recorded.

• Ireland forms the Common Travel Area with the UK and sets its own visitor rules.
• Cyprus applies its own short-stay limit. For British visitors, the UK government notes a separate 90-in-180 allowance that is not reduced by time in Schengen.

The rest of Europe outside Schengen

These countries are not in the Schengen area and have their own entry rules:

Albania · Armenia · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Cyprus · Georgia · Ireland · Kosovo · Moldova · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Russia · Serbia · Türkiye · Ukraine · United Kingdom

Many long-term travellers spend time in the Western Balkans, Türkiye, Georgia or the UK while their Schengen days come back. That is legal as long as you follow each country's own rules. Check the official government website of each country for your nationality; the limits differ.

Traps

• Microstates. Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City can only be reached through France or Italy and have no border checks with them, so in practice those days are Schengen days. Andorra is not a Schengen member, but you can only reach it through France or Spain.
• Overseas territories. French overseas regions such as Martinique or Réunion, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen area, but some entry rules there are linked to Schengen. Check before you assume.
• Leaving does not reset. A weekend in London does not give you a new 90 days. Only time does: each day you spent in Schengen comes back 180 days later.