Since Brexit, a UK passport is a non-EU passport — so you're limited to 90 days in any rolling 180 across the Schengen area. Here's what that really means for second homes, long trips and winters abroad, plus a free calculator to keep you on the right side of the line.
Before 2021, a British passport meant unlimited time anywhere in the EU. Not any more. UK nationals are now "third-country nationals" — the same category as Americans or Australians — and bound by the Schengen 90/180 rule: no more than 90 days inside the Schengen area in any 180-day window. Go over, and now that EES logs every entry and exit automatically, you risk fines and a re-entry ban. The calculator below does the counting for you.
| You want to… | Reality under 90/180 |
|---|---|
| Spend the whole winter at your place in Spain | Can't — 3 months (~90 days) is the absolute max, then you must leave Schengen for 90 days |
| Second home in France, visiting on and off | Watch the rolling total — trips add up across the 180-day window; a calculator is essential |
| Two-week holiday, twice a year | Fine — well within 90 days |
| Grand tour: France + Italy + Greece for 10 weeks | 70 days — OK, but little room left for the rest of the 180-day window |
| A ski season in the Alps (French/Austrian side) | Too long — a full season exceeds 90 days |
Want to stay longer — a whole winter, a ski season, or six months at a second home? You'd need a long-stay national visa or residence permit from that specific country (e.g. France's or Spain's long-stay visa). That's separate from the 90/180 short-stay rule and applied for before you go.
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area — the same limit as other non-EU visitors since Brexit. It applies to the whole zone combined, not per country. For longer stays you need a long-stay visa or residence permit from the specific country.
Not on a standard visit — a full winter is around 120–150 days, well over the 90-day limit. Brits with second homes typically either keep visits under 90 days per 180, or apply for that country's long-stay visa (for example a French or Spanish non-lucrative or long-stay visa) to stay longer legally.
No. France, Spain, Italy, Germany and every other Schengen country share one 90-day allowance. Two weeks in France plus three weeks in Spain is five weeks off the same budget — which is exactly why a multi-country calculator helps.
No visa for short visits — Brits remain visa-exempt for stays within 90/180. ETIAS (a €20 online authorization) will eventually be required but is not in force yet. EES biometric checks at the border are live now and need no application.
Overstaying the 90 days can bring fines and a re-entry ban of months or years. With EES now logging entries and exits automatically, overstays are easy to detect — so tracking your days with a calculator matters more than ever.