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France's 90-day rule, explained.
For visitors and second-home owners · Updated 29 October 2026
The short answer
- 90 days in any 180, across all of Schengen. Time in Spain, Italy or Belgium uses the same allowance as France.
- Overseas France doesn't count. Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion and the other overseas territories are outside Schengen.
- A second home doesn't add days. Longer stays need a French long-stay visa, usually the visitor visa.
- From the UK, you register for EES before you leave. At Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras.
The rule in France
France is in the Schengen area, so non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period without a visa. Days in France share one allowance with every other Schengen country, so a week in Spain or Italy comes out of the same 90.
On any date, look back 180 days (including that date) and add up every day you spent in Schengen, counting arrival and departure days. Our 90/180 rule guide has worked examples.
What counts in France
- Mainland France and Corsica count.
- France's overseas territories don't: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte and the overseas collectivities are outside the Schengen area and set their own entry rules.
- Monaco isn't formally in Schengen, but it has no border controls with France, so in practice time there is treated as time in France.
Example: a second home, spring and summer
Spring uses up the summer
You spend 1 April to 30 May 2028 at your house in France: 60 days. You want to come back for all of July and August, from 1 July.
On 1 July the spring stay is still fully in the window, so you have 30 days: you'd have to leave by 30 July. A full 62-day summer only fits if it starts on 29 August or later, once April's days start dropping out.
Check this in the calculatorStaying in France longer than 90 days
Owning a home in France doesn't extend the 90 days. To stay longer you need a French long-stay visa, applied for before you travel. The usual route for people who won't work in France is the long-stay visitor visa ("visa de long séjour visiteur"), which needs proof of income, health insurance and a commitment not to work there.
Days spent in France on a French long-stay visa don't count towards your 90. Proposals for an automatic visa for second-home owners have been discussed in France but haven't become law, so don't plan around one.
Tax residence is a separate test from immigration status; check it if you spend much of the year in France.
At the border
Since 10 April 2026, the Entry/Exit System (EES) has replaced passport stamps. Your first crossing registers your passport, a photo and fingerprints. After that, every entry and exit is logged and your days are counted automatically, so an overstay is flagged when you leave.
Border officers can also ask for a return or onward ticket, where you're staying and proof you can pay for your trip.
If you travel from the UK through Dover, the Folkestone Channel Tunnel terminal or Eurostar at St Pancras, the French border check, and your EES registration, happens before you leave the UK.
Questions
How long can I stay in France without a visa?
If you're a visa-free non-EU visitor, up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting all your time in every Schengen country.
Can second-home owners stay in France longer than 90 days?
Not automatically. Owning property doesn't extend the 90 days. You need a French long-stay visa, such as the long-stay visitor visa.
Do French overseas territories count towards the 90 days?
No. Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, Mayotte and the overseas collectivities are outside the Schengen area and have their own entry rules.
Do days in Spain or Italy count towards my time in France?
Yes. All Schengen countries share one 90-day allowance.
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