90 days

Hello again hope you are all well.

can somebody please explain the 90 rule as I'm a bit confused regarding when the 180 day rules starts again after a break in the eu.

thanks

pete

As explained in thelocal.es....

Over a year you could spend 180 days in total in Spain but not consecutively, you would have to spend time outside the EU (such as back in the UK) in between. You can do your 90 days as one block or as several shorter trips, but in every 180 days the total number of days must not exceed 90

Thank you for your reply when does the 180 days start from.

thanks again 

pete

It started on Jan 1st

Think I've got the question right.

The 180 days starts from the first day you enter a Schengen area country. The day arriving and the day leaving counts as part of the 180 days. During the next 180 days you can either visit for 90 days in one go or several visits which mustn't add up to more than 90 days. 

It can get confusing but there is a Schengen calculator where you can enter the dates you come into a Schengen country and when you leave. The calculator lets you enter the dates you are visiting and tells you when you have to leave by or how much time you have left in the area.

The linked site also explains it in detail. Schengen Calculator

The 90 in any rolling 180 days rule has been in place in Spain for some time so there is no real change for this country.  The change is extending it to other EU countries.  I'm not sure how the transition will work, and the clock starts again, but for me it's irrelevant given that I cannot go there anyway!
 

Also, it is still likely that come 1 January 2022, the ETIAS scheme will become operational (it was originally scheduled to start the first of this month).  Under this scheme, the 90 in 180 rule remains but one will have to apply for a visa waiver.

RayinSpain, if you make a few trips in the year it's very difficult to plan without using the Schengen calculator - I know I've tried and failed. 

I've now formed a rolling annual template - starting with the period that I really wish to be in Spain, working backwards.

For me this year should be easier as there's no use of the Jan, Feb March months due to Covid - these can impinge on allowance for the summer months.

In time the Spanish may relax the rules, who knows?  Of course they are bad news all round.