Staying in Europe Over 90 Days: How I Do It

This post was last updated on December 16, 2024.

So you want to be a digital nomad in Europe. Great! Me too. But for Americans and most other non-EU citizens, this move comes with complications. Staying in Europe over 90 days is tricky without an EU passport.

That’s because of the rules of the Schengen Zone – you can only stay in most of the EU on a tourist visa for 90 days within a 180-day period. So if you spend three months in Greece, you can’t hop over to France, or Germany, or the vast majority of EU countries. 

That’s a big cramp in the digital nomad lifestyle! So how can you stay in Europe over 90 days? There’s not one easy answer, and it gets pretty complicated to figure out the first few times you do this (legally, anyways). But with some careful planning, it can be done and you’ll have a great time doing it too. 

Here’s my strategy. 

What is the Schengen Zone?

Americans and citizens of many non-EU countries, like Canada and the UK, can come to the Schengen Zone of Europe for 90 days in a 180-day period without having to apply for a visa if you’re a tourist. Sound simple? 

Well, it’s not. Figuring out what countries are in the Schengen Zone is not intuitive. It comprises most EU countries, but not all of them. And a few non-EU countries are in there too.

Schengen Zone Countries

AustriaBelgiumBulgariaCroatia
Czech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFinland
FranceGermanyGreeceHungary
IcelandItalyLatviaLithuania
LiechtensteinLuxembourgMaltaNetherlands
NorwayPolandPortugalRomania
SlovakiaSloveniaSpainSweden
Switzerland

The big things to note are that despite being in the EU, Ireland and Cyprus are not in the Schengen Zone. Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland are not in the EU, but they are in the Schengen Zone. 

I know. It’s a lot. But don’t worry, after a few months as a border hopper, you will have the Schengen Zone map memorized! 

Related: What to Pack as a Digital Nomad

Pros and Cons of the Schengen Zone

The Schengen Zone is great in many ways. It offers border-free travel within many parts of Europe.

That’s why you can hop from Spain to Portugal without ever pulling out your passport, which is fabulous when you’re on a short vacation. It’s also easy if you’re an EU citizen or resident.

And Americans and many others are eligible for an automatic 90-day stay upon arrival, no other requirements needed. We’re very fortunate in that way. 

Digital nomad on the Scotland-England border at Coldstream
Why go back home when you can go to England instead?

But if you’re an American who wants to live long-term in Europe without applying for a country-specific visa or residence, it’s a pain.

That’s because it limits your options for staying—since you can’t just head to another EU country to reset your time after chilling in Amsterdam for three months. You need to leave the whole zone for a full 90 days, which limits your European options. 

Related: How I became a digital nomad – and what I wish I’d done differently

What Not to Do to Overstay Your Schengen Visa

Are you thinking about just hopping over to a non-Schengen country for a few days to reset your visa time, also known as a border run? That won’t work.

The Zone operates on a rolling 180-day period. That means if you stay in Greece for 60 days and head to Albania for 10 days, you can only come back to Greece for 30 days and have to be out of the Zone for 90 total days before you can return.

If trying to do this math on a rolling basis—it’s not in a calendar year—makes your head spin, you are not alone. Just use the excellent Schengen Zone calculator, which will soon become one of your most-visited websites as a European digital nomad. 

You also might be tempted to try your luck in a place known as being lax on overstays, like Greece, Spain, or Italy. And sure, on departing from one of those countries you might get away with it, or just get a small fine.

But remember, the Schengen Zone is big and other member countries might notice that overstay on a subsequent visit and turn you away. 

Please note: I am not a lawyer or immigration official and I have no advice on how likely that is. But you can definitely get barred from the Schengen Zone for years if you overstay. And since the Schengen Zone is 29 countries, that would REALLY suck for you. So I’d caution against it, especially when legal methods are available to you. 

Related: The Basics of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

How to Stay in Europe Over 90 Days 

Well, what are those legal methods, you ask? Again, I am not a lawyer and I honestly know very little about the options for non-Americans because, well, I’m American and I don’t work in immigration. But these strategies are what work for me. 

First, keep careful track of your time in the Schengen Zone and know when you need to leave. Once your time is up, you can take the easy route and head to other digital nomad hotspots outside of Europe like Thailand, Bali, Colombia, and Mexico. (This is a great winter plan, as European winters are chilly!)

Problem solved—just stay out for 90 days and you’re good to go again. 

Want to stay in Europe over 90 days? Then you need to study that Schengen map carefully. It’s time to find a non-Schengen European country. 

Your Options for EU Countries Not in the Schengen Zone

Personally, in the summer I love to head to Ireland or the UK. Ireland is an EU member, but not in the Schengen zone and it allows Americans and many other 90 days visa-free on entry. That covers your Schengen reset. (And my brother lives there, so I’m very partial to that option so I can cuddle my niece and nephew down in West Cork.)

The UK allows six months without a visa, so you can really go hang there for a while (head to lovely London or gorgeous Scotland). And with Brexit finally complete, it’s no longer part of the EU at all.

As of 2024, the Schengen Zone now covers all of the EU except for Ireland and Cyprus, so options are definitely getting more limited for nomads. Enforcement of border rules is also getting stricter thanks to migration law changes, so I would be careful and adherent to the laws if you don’t want to get banned from the whole zone.

sunset over the Adriatic Sea with an olive tree in Split, Croatia
Head to the Balkans!

You can also head to the non-EU Balkan countries like Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia, which are lovely and inexpensive. Albania is gorgeous, the friendliest place I’ve ever visited, and it offers Americans and others the option to stay for a full year without applying for a visa or residency. 

Or hit up the other options in Europe that aren’t in the Schengen Zone. Georgia is at the intersection of Europe and Asia, and also offers an option for Americans and others to stay for a year without getting a visa. 

Related: How I Make Money as a Freelance Writer

What This Looks Like in Practice

Wondering how this really works? Let me draw you a map of my dream digital nomad life where I’m staying in Europe over 90 days. 

  • I’d live in Belgrade, Serbia for January, February, and March. That’s non-Schengen time. 
  • Now I head to Athens, Greece (my true love) to spend April, May, and June and bask in the sunshine. My 90 days of Schengen Visa Zone time are now up for a while. 
  • It’s time to head out to Ireland, another non-Schengen country, for July, August and September. 
  • I can return to the Schengen Zone now, so I spend October, November, and December in Croatia

Then it begins all over again. 

Note: I prefer to move slowly as a digital nomad, because with working it gets to be a bit much changing countries every month. You can certainly hop in and out of the Schengen Zone more or move around more—just be sure to keep on top of that Schengen Zone calculator so you know you’re set. 

a solo female digital nomad standing on rocks by the sea in Crete, Greece
Trust me, living legally in Greece much of the year is worth the work.

Living in Europe as an American 

Can you stay in Europe for more than 3 months as a digital nomad? Absolutely, if you’re thoughtful about it.

Being an American digital nomad in Europe isn’t simple, at least if you don’t have an EU passport or residency. But it’s really not too complicated to do it legally if you’re careful and stay on top of your visa-free time. 

There are plenty of lovely countries outside of the Schengen Zone, and it can offer you an opportunity to explore them and see a new part of Europe. You can also apply for a long-term visa in several countries (I’ve done it in both Greece and Croatia), but that’s a whole other can of worms. 

Without marrying an EU citizen (kind of a tempting option these days!), this movement pattern is one of the easiest ways to stay in Europe long-term—and didn’t most of us become digital nomads because we like moving around? I certainly did, so I actually enjoy using this strategy for the most part. 

An American Digital Nomad in Europe

I know – this was a lot. I promise it all becomes much simpler once you’ve been doing it for a while. I have the list of Schengen and non-Schengen countries burned into my brain at this point, and you will soon too if you’re doing this a lot. (Also it’s a great bonding point when making digital nomad friends!)

It lets you live in Europe while experiencing corners of the continent you might not have visited otherwise – which is great.

Good luck out there!

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