Days Allowed

By passport

Schengen rules for Australians

Australians can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Some countries also have bilateral visa waiver agreements with Australia that may allow a longer stay there, each under its own conditions.

Last checked 3 Nov 2026 against the official sources below.

The 90 days

Smartraveller says you can travel to the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for:

  • tourism, holidays, or visiting friends and family
  • business for your Australian employer, such as meetings, conferences or research
  • cultural and sports events, medical treatment and transit

The 90 days are shared by all 29 Schengen countries, and entry and exit days both count. Cyprus has its own separate 90 days. If your reason for travel changes, or you plan to stay more than 90 days, you may need a visa.

Bilateral visa waiver agreements

Smartraveller lists these countries as having visa waiver agreements with Australia:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • Germany
  • Iceland
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Sweden

What Smartraveller says about using them:

  • Combining them with the Schengen 90 days is complex, and each country runs its agreement in its own way.
  • You can use only one bilateral agreement in addition to the 90-day visa-free stay.
  • When you first enter the Schengen area, tell the border guard that you plan to use an agreement to stay longer than 90 days.
  • Most countries need you to use the agreement at the end of your Schengen travel.

The EU also publishes the list of agreements that countries have notified to it, last in 2019. It doesn’t match Smartraveller’s list exactly, which is one more reason to confirm with the embassy of the country you plan to use.

We explain these agreements but don’t calculate them. The calculator counts the 90/180 rule only, and nothing here promises extra days.

Passport and arrival

  • Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave, and issued within the last 10 years.
  • Some countries need you to register within 3 days of arrival.
  • The EES takes your fingerprints and photo on your first visit. Smartraveller notes long delays at some airports. More: EES explained.

ETIAS

Australians will need ETIAS once it starts. There is no confirmed date; the EU will announce it several months before launch. Dual citizens of an ETIAS country will need to enter on that country’s passport. See ETIAS.

If you overstay

The EES can identify overstays, and Smartraveller notes your record is tied to you, not to one passport. You may be fined, detained, removed or prevented from returning. See overstaying.

Questions

Can Australians stay longer than 90 days in Europe?

Possibly, in one country. Smartraveller says some Schengen countries allow Australians to stay beyond 90 days under bilateral visa waiver agreements, each under its own conditions. Otherwise you need a visa for that country. Check with its embassy before you travel.

Can I use two bilateral agreements one after the other?

Smartraveller says you can only use one bilateral visa waiver agreement in addition to the 90-day visa-free stay.

Does the calculator include bilateral agreements?

No. It counts the 90 days in any 180-day period only. It can’t tell you how much extra time an agreement would give you.

How long must my passport be valid?

Smartraveller says at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave, and issued within the last 10 years.

More guides

Sources

Last checked 3 Nov 2026.

A planning tool. Border officials decide.