Time limit reset for travel in Europe.

No, it doesn't reset. You can't stay longer than 90 days in any 180 day period, so you can't stay more than 90 days from when you enter in July, and you also can't stay more than 90 days from when you enter later in the year.

Thanks for the reply!

but wait, I got confused, supposed I'm going to travel on 1 Dec.
What is the longest period I can stay there? 28 days, 65 days, or 90 days?
I'm confused with the "in any 180 day period", because to me, before 28 Dec is still within the 180 days period since 1 July.

Question 1: are you a citizen of a country which is granted visa waiver status under the Schengen agreement? You profile says nothing, and your avatar suggests nothing about your name. Yes: proceed. No: You need a visa.

Question 2: Do you know the difference between Europe and the Schengen agreement member states? There is a massive difference. Yes: proceed. No: You need to research this until you do.

Question 3: Was your entire time last month spent in a Schengen country, including arrival and departure days? Yes: proceed. No: Please calculate how many days in July were not spent in a Schengen area and subtract it from your 25.

Now... For each proposed date in your second trip, count back 180 days including the day in question. Within that 180 days, how many were - even for one minute, midnight to midnight - within the Schengen area? Less than 90? Yes: look at the next date. No: You are illegal.

Check each date and if you have less than 90 for each you're ok. If 90 or more for any date you need another plan.

90 days, because after Dec 28, your previous trip is no longer within the 180 day period. Think of time as a big line, like yards on a football field and a 180 period as the sideline chains. Slide the chains up and down the field. Is there ANY 91 days when you are in the Schengen zone? If so, you are in violation, if not, you're fine.

@replying to Nigel.

Thanks for the detailed information!
I'll move to the last point there since my answers are yes for the 3 questions.

A little bit of calculation.
I left my country on 1 July and arrived on 2 July. Taking my departing plane on 25 July. So to be precise, I spent 24 days in Schengen countries (Belgium, Italy, France in my case).

So say I'm arriving on 1 Dec in Paris, counting back 180 days will be 4 June.
"count back 180 days including the day in question" will be 25 days.

Moving to next day,
2 Dec 2014 will be 26 (180days before- 5 June 2014)
3 Dec 2014 will be 27 (180days before- 6 June 2014)
4 Dec 2014 will be 28 (180days before- 7 June 2014)
... (so on)
28 Dec 2014 will be 52 (180 days before- 1 July 2014)
29 Dec 2014 will be 53 (180 days before- 2 July 2014)
30 Dec 2014 will be 53 (180 days before- 3 July 2014)
31 Dec 2014 will be 53 (180 days before- 4 July 2014)
1 Jan 2015 will be 53 (180 days before- 5 July 2014)
...(so on)
21 Jan 2015 will be 53 (180 days before- 25 July 2014)
22 Jan 2015 will be 53 (180 days before- 26 July 2014)
23 Jan 2015 will be 54 (180 days before - 27 July 2014)
...(so on)
..
28 Feb 2015 will be 90 (180 days before- 1 Sept 2014)

So to the extreme, I can stay until is 28 Feb 2015. Am I right?

@replying to Sam

"because after Dec 28, your previous trip is no longer within the 180 day period."

Yeah, this is easy enough to understand.

90 days.

But another, new 180 period started on Oct 23(?, whenever you came back), so you will have only 90 days from then until that 180 day period is over next July.

@Nigel,

Do you know if they go by calendar days or 24 hour periods. In other words, if I enter Schengen at 6 o'clock in the evening and leave Schengen at noon the next day, is that 1 or 2 days? IOW, does the clock start when you enter or at midnight (0000) the day you enter?

@replying to Lee

Sorry, I don't see where you get the Oct 23 and I couldn't understand what you wrote. Do you mind rephrase and add in more details?

You can stay up to 66 days between now & 12/28/14.

You then will reduce from 90 the number of days you spent in a Schengen country between now & 12/28/14 from the 6 month period that began when arrived on you 2nd trip:

You arrive for your 2nd trip on 12/1 - your 180 begins there - you have 28 days until your old 180 ends. you can then stay up to 62 days in the 180 days counting from 12/1. I think 6/29/15 or 6/28/15 - I just did a quick count.

@replying to Christi

Hmm, Christi, your comment seems to be different from Nigel and Sam. Can you check if theirs are right, or simply I have a wrong understanding on their replies?

I did a calculation myself on a comment above too but I am not sure about it.

After doing that, it seems to me that I am applying a concept "Counting 180 days from your last day of trip, as long as you're 90 days or lesser in Schengen countries, that's fine". That's why I got 90 days from my calculation whereas your understanding on 90/180 rule tells I can only have 62 days.

Let me know please :) Thanks.

I believe the 90 days is correct. I see a lot of questions here regarding Schengen rules and I thought to myself that somewhere out there a calculator has to have been created. I did a google search and found this. It's published by the European Commission and looks legit.

When I entered your dates of 2 July (2/07/14) and 25 July (25/07/14) with the date of entry date as 1 Dec (01/12/14) it says that you have 90 days.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/border-crossing/schengen_calculator_en.html

There's a user guide button that you can click on that brings up a .pdf file with an overview and instructions.

I did a little playing with the calculator and read the directions. Here is a nugget I have not seen before:

"Among others, it means that an absence for an uninterrupted period of 90 days allows for a
new stay for up to 90 days"

So it appears if you leave for 90 days or more the 90/180 day clock resets - that simplifies it.

I was under the impression that it was a "moving" 180 days but not always.

So since the arrival date of 12/1 is more than 90 days from your departure date of 7/25 you will have a new 90 days in 180.

Whereas if you planned to return say October 1st - which is less than 90 days after you left in July - you would only have 65 days.

That is according to the user guide for the calculator which is on the official European Commission website

Ugh! They certainly don't make it easy!

Thanks to all.

Thanks guys! I think it's clear now. 90 days is the answer.

Just sharing, I did a little searches on AppStore, there's an app called "Schengen 90" that could help to calculate. This can be convenient to people that concern. It is based on the EU calculator Dawn shared.

I'm happy to know I can stay maximum for 90 days, starting from entry date : 24 October, to be accurate.

"Among others, it means that an absence for an uninterrupted period of 90 days allows for a
new stay for up to 90 days"

OK, that works for an absence for an uninterrupted period of 90 days, but what about an absence of 25 days, or 75 days. Some people, like Zisian, want to come back sooner than 90 days after they leave.

On the other hand, the "moving 180 day period covers everything.

Lee - if the traveler returns in less than 90 days they are still in their original 90/180 period:

"So since the arrival date of 12/1 is more than 90 days from your departure date of 7/25 you will have a new 90 days in 180.
Whereas *if** you planned to return say October 1st - which is less than 90 days after you left in July - you would only have 65 days."*

I guess that Lee either had a crystal ball or a PM as this is the only post from the OP.

I enjoy helping but a lot of the fun goes out the window when the goalposts keep moving.

So instead of December 1, as you have been saying all along, you now say you are returning on 24 October. Is that correct? Are the dates you used in July accurate?

If you come clean and tell us exactly what you are trying to accomplish we can be dramatically more accurate.

Were you in Europe any other time this year?

If you first touched Schengen soil on 2nd July then it is only 114 days until 24 October. Those July dates will still be hanging over you until 180 days from 25 July, if that date is accurate - 21 January, 2015. Until 21 January 2015 you must continue to account for those July days, if those are the only days you were there.