The short version
- Visa-free visitors may stay up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, which has 29 member countries (as of 2026).
- The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and was phased in until April 2026; ETIAS is expected in the last quarter of 2026, so check the official EU site.
- A long-stay visa or residence permit is a separate route with its own conditions.
On this page 6 sections
The most common immigration slip among visitors to Prague is arithmetic. Ninety days in Czechia, then ninety in Germany, then ninety in Austria? No. Schengen is one zone, and 90 days is the allowance for the lot.
Here is the rule, how to count, what the new border systems change and what to do if you want to stay longer. It is general information; individual cases differ, so check the Ministry of the Interior.
The rule
If your nationality does not need a visa for short stays, you may spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area. The 180-day window rolls. It is not a calendar half-year. On any day you want to test, look back 180 days and add up your days inside the area. If the total is 90 or fewer, you are within the limit.
Czechia has been in Schengen since 21 December 2007. The area now has 29 member countries (as of 2026; check the European Commission for the current list), and days in any of them count.
How to count
Work backwards from the day you want to check.
- Pick the date, usually the day you plan to be in the area.
- Count back 180 days, including that day.
- Add up every day in that window you spent inside Schengen. Arrival and departure days both count in full.
- More than 90 means you would be over the limit that day.
A worked example. You arrive on 1 March and leave on 30 April: 61 days. You return on 1 June and leave on 30 June: another 30. On 30 June the window holds 91 days, so you are one day over, even though each trip looked modest. The trap is counting trips separately. The window looks at every day.
It also works in reverse. Days drop out as time passes, so a stay that was too long in April may be fine by autumn. The European Commission publishes an official short-stay calculator; use it for any planned trip and keep your own record of entry and exit dates.
The new border systems
The Entry/Exit System (EES) replaces passport stamps for non-EU travellers with an electronic record of each crossing, including fingerprints and a photo. It started on 12 October 2025 and was phased in over six months, until April 2026. Because it logs every day for you, the officer sees your count before you do.
ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, is expected in the last quarter of 2026. Its start has slipped before, so check the official EU site for the current date and the cost before you travel.
What the rule does not cover
The 90/180 rule is for short stays: tourism, business trips and visits.
- Long-stay visas. A national visa for more than 90 days is issued by the country where you intend to live. Czechia issues its own for work, study or family.
- Residence permits. If you hold a Czech permit, your right to stay comes from the permit. The Ministry of the Interior (OAMP) decides these, not the border police.
- EU citizens. Free movement, no day counting, although stays over 30 days bring a registration duty (as of 2026; check the Ministry of the Interior).
If you want to stay longer
Living or working here means a long-stay route, not a chain of short trips. Which one depends on your reason. Our guides to working in Prague as a foreigner and digital nomads in Czechia outline the common ones, and the first-week checklist covers the arrival admin. Couples planning a wedding should read getting married in Prague, because marriage does not itself grant residence.
Don't assume you can switch from a tourist stay to a work permit while inside Czechia. Often you can't. Apply through a Czech embassy or the Ministry of the Interior.
Practical bits
- Carry proof of accommodation and onward travel.
- Check how long your passport must stay valid on the official pages.
- Third-country nationals must report their place of stay to the foreign police within three working days of arrival. A hotel or host normally files it for you; see our note on short-term rentals and guest registration.
- Keep boarding passes, receipts and a simple date spreadsheet. If you ever need to account for your time, a clean record is your answer.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 90 days apply to Czechia alone?
No. It covers the whole Schengen area, so days in Germany, Austria and other member states count towards the same 90.
Is it 90 days per calendar half-year?
No. It is any rolling 180-day period, so look back from each date you want to check.
Can I extend a tourist stay?
Only in limited cases, such as serious reasons or force majeure. Ask the foreign police or the Ministry of the Interior.
Do EU citizens count days?
No. They have free movement, though longer stays bring registration rules.
When does ETIAS start?
It is expected in the last quarter of 2026. Check the official EU site for the current date.
This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.
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