India passport: how many days can you stay in Schengen?
A India passport needs a Schengen visa before travel. Once the visa is granted, you can stay in the Schengen Area up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, or for whatever shorter period the visa itself allows.
Do India citizens need a Schengen visa?
Yes. India is on Annex I of the EU's visa regulation, the list of countries whose citizens need a Schengen visa before they travel.
How many days can you stay?
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, but only once a Schengen visa has been granted. The visa itself may authorise a shorter stay or fewer entries than the full 90 days, so the sticker in the passport is the number that actually governs the trip.
What the 90/180 window means for a India passport
Even with a visa, the 90/180 arithmetic still applies: the visa cannot authorise more than 90 days of presence in any rolling 180-day period, and a multi-entry visa can be used up faster than its printed validity dates suggest if the days are spent unevenly.
ETIAS and EES for a India passport
ETIAS does not apply, because a Schengen visa is already the pre-travel authorisation for this passport. The Entry/Exit System (EES) does apply: it has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 and records every entry and exit biometrically, visa or no visa.
If you hold a residence permit or D-visa
Days spent in the Schengen country that issued your residence permit or long-stay D-visa do not count toward the 90/180 total. That exemption is specific to the issuing country: a trip to any other Schengen country is still a short stay and still draws from the shared 90-day allowance. Our residence permits guide below has the full breakdown, including the trap of assuming the exemption travels with you across borders.
A few places to check next
These country pages walk through the Schengen status, the local specifics and the 90/180 window for some of the most-visited destinations.
Frequently asked questions
Does a India passport need a Schengen visa?
Yes, a India passport needs a Schengen visa before travel.
How many days can a India passport stay in Schengen without a visa?
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period once a Schengen visa is granted, or fewer if the visa itself specifies a shorter stay.
Will ETIAS apply to a India passport?
No. ETIAS is only for visa-exempt travellers; a India passport already needs a Schengen visa, which is a stronger authorisation.
Does the Entry/Exit System (EES) apply to a India passport?
Yes. EES applies to visa holders as well as visa-free travellers, and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.
What if I have a residence permit or D-visa in a Schengen country?
Days spent in the country that issued the permit or D-visa are not counted. A trip to any other Schengen country is still a short stay and still uses up the shared 90/180 allowance. Our residence permits guide below has the details.
Do the day of arrival and the day of departure both count?
Yes. Both the day you arrive and the day you leave count as full days in the Schengen 90/180 total, even for a short trip.
Track your Schengen days with the calculator
Log your Schengen days below to see exactly how much of the 90/180 allowance a India passport has left, and when your oldest days will age out of the 180-day window.
Related guides
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, the EU visa list
- European Commission, Schengen visa policy
- Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, the Entry/Exit System
This calculator is a planning aid, not legal advice. Border decisions rest with the authorities. For anything that matters, check against the official EU short-stay calculator and the Schengen Borders Code, and keep your own records.