Photo: Calvin Hanson on Unsplash

Shorter jaunts to Europe are nothing to sniff at, but what about when you’d like to stay a little longer than a couple of weeks? Have you ever dreamed of taking a few months or even a year off to travel around Europe? Maybe you’ve finally saved up your money and vacation time, and you’re ready for a once-in-a-lifetime jaunt across Europe.

There’s just one big question: Exactly how long can you stay in Europe with a US passport?

Here’s the short answer: It depends. It depends on where you want to go and what you want to do while you’re there.

For the longer answer, read on to see how you can take a long-term trip to Europe.

More articles and tips for traveling in Europe
• Planning a trip to Europe? Avoid these 10 costly mistakes
• How to plan a European travel itinerary that won’t leave you exhausted
• Pre-Trip Checklist: 10 ways to save time and money before you leave for Europe

How long can you stay in Europe with a US Passport?

Most Americans take off to Europe for a week or two for a typical vacation. But sometimes that just isn’t enough time to really enjoy your stay. Spain, Italy, France… these are all places where you could spend months exploring and still need more time.

But how long do the rules allow you stay? We have your answers below.

Schengen countries (in blue) are among the most popular in Europe for tourists. (Yellow countries are members of the EU that have not yet joined Schengen.) Map: Wikimedia

Understanding the Basics of Visitor Visas in Europe

Europe can be divided into three basic categories for American travelers:

1. Schengen Countries
2. United Kingdom
3. Non-Schengen countries

Each of these groups of countries has their own rules. Here is a quick rundown of each region and the different rules that apply.

Schengen Countries 

The list of Schengen countries in Europe includes the following 26 countries:

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Of the 26 countries in the Schengen Zone, 22 are members of the European Union.

American travelers (along with Aussies, Canadians, and Kiwis) can stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. For example, you can travel to France and stay for 30 days, go back home for 60 days, come back and gallivant around Italy for 60 days, then go home for a month and start the cycle all over again.

First, the bad news

If you overstay your limit, you’re subject to a fine and deportation and potentially being banned from future travel in Schengen countries. Northern European countries are notoriously strict on this, while the South and East are known to be a little more flexible if you don’t overstay by more than a few weeks, at most.

Either way, we wouldn’t ever risk overstaying the legal welcome, but it’s totally up to you.

… and the good news

You don’t need to go through any difficult processes or pay a fee to enter these countries as the holder of a U.S. passport.

Some more good news? You can break up your 90 days in 90 days out in a 180-day period however you like. If you prefer to break it exactly into 3-month periods, that’s your prerogative, but you’re also welcome to break it up into whatever size chunks of time you prefer, as long as you respect the 90 days in, 90 days out ratio in any one 180-day period.

Remember, entry and exit dates count as a full day, no matter what time of day you arrive or depart.

Need some help? The folks at the European Commission have a handy calculator that you can use to figure out the numbers as well as a Schengen map to help you visualize the countries.

The best news

The EU is working on something they’re calling a Touring Visa that would last up to a year for travels around the Schengen area and be renewable for a second year.

Need some tips on saving euros in popular Schengen destinations? Head to the links below:

• Budget tips for Spain
• Budget tips for France
• Budget tips for Italy
• Budget tips for Germany

The United Kingdom

Americans can spend up to six months on a visitor visa (automatically bestowed in stamp form in your US passport upon arrival). Note that this includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland–NOT the Republic of Ireland, which declared its independence nearly a century ago.

The bright side is that obtaining this visa is simple. You get off the plane, go through passport control in London (or any other entry point), and get your stamp. Be aware though, that this visa doesn’t allow you to seek employment, so if you’re on the hunt for work abroad, you need to get a work permit.

The not-so-bright side?

The United Kingdom is one of the spendiest places in Europe to travel. But there are plenty of ways to keep your expenses under control, including these articles:

• Budget tips for visiting the United Kingdom
• Visiting London: Avoid these 10 costly mistakes
• Budget tips for exploring Scotland

Double check the travel requirements before jumping on a low-cost flight in Europe. Photo: Riik

Non-Schengen Countries

Regulations for visitor visas in Non-Schengen countries vary widely.

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Republic of Ireland, and Romania all extend 90-day visitor visas to US citizens upon arrival. In Croatia, visitors must register with local police upon arrival. Other countries, like Belarus, only allow visitors to stay five days (including your day of arrival and departure) without a visa.

For up-to-the-minute country-by-country details, go to the passports and international travel section of the U.S. State Departments official website, travel.state.gov.

A few things to keep in mind

Some of these countries require you to have two blank pages in your passport, and six months left before it expires. You may also need to be able to demonstrate appropriate travel insurance for your stay (read our guide about travel insurance); in addition to prove you have sufficient resources to support yourself during your stay.

Need some tips on getting the best deals in Non-Schengen destinations? Check out the following articles:

• Budget tips for exploring Ireland
• Budget tips for traveling in Croatia
• Budget tips for going to Bulgaria

Tips for Americans on how to stay longer in Europe for less

Go by train or budget air

It may sound counter-intuitive, but slow down and travel overland whenever you can. You’ll see more and spend less.

That said, if you’d rather flit around Europe on a plane, fly budget airlines into major cities’ secondary airports. Think London-Luton, Paris-Orly, and Venice-Treviso. Check for affordable flights with CheapoSearch.

Stretch your time limit out as far as possible

Our advice would be to slow down, simplify your travels, and head to more affordable destinations. While the UK is the best option when it comes to how long Americans can legally hang out and tour the countryside, our advice would be to work with the Schengen limitations to stretch your euros the furthest.

A sample itinerary for budget travelers

Remember that you can combine Schengen and non-Schengen countries to stretch out your travels. For example, you could spend 90 days touring Schengen members, then 90 days exploring any one or a combination of the cheaper non-Schengen destinations (Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania) before returning to the Schengen Zone for another 90 days if desired.

A Schengen visa stamp from Iceland. Photo: Matthew B.

Ideas for traveling in Europe for a year or more

If you simply must stay in Europe for a year or more and don’t really want to worry about entering and exiting to hack the visa system, there are a few more options.

Apply for longer stay visas

Travelers who want to spend their travel time in one country can apply for longer stay visitor visas in France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Most require you to be able to prove you have sufficient income so you won’t need to work. You’ll also need insurance coverage, the reason for your stay, and proof of lodging.

Student and self-employment visas

A couple more viable options include a student visa or a self-employment visa. Whenever possible, students should check into schools in the country, and not study through their universities, as European institutions of higher learning are usually substantially cheaper — in the thousands as opposed to the tens of thousands an American school would probably charge you.

Freelancers should check out Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic for self-employment visas, as they’re thought to be among the easiest to obtain.

Cheapo bonus tip for would-be long-term travelers

Always renew your passport early and check the right box to have 52 pages added to your passport instead of the standard 28 pages — there’s no extra cost. It takes up a little more space but it’s way better than running out of room for stamps and visas and having to buy a new passport before it expires. (In case you didn’t catch the update from the State Department, you can’t pay to add pages anymore!)

Your tips for taking long trips to Europe

Have you traveled to Europe on an extended visit? Tell us how you did it and what our readers can do to make their own long European journeys a possibility in the comments section below.