Stayed 60 days in Italy

The Schengen "clock" never resets. That is not how it works.

For every potential day in the Schengen Zone, ask yourself the following question:= for this day have I spent fewer than 90 days or parts of days (any part of a day) in the Schengen Zone within the past 180 days?

If it is - for every single day - fewer than 90 you are ok. If for any single day it is more, you are or will be an overstayer which is illegal.

Technically the clock never resets. Everyday in Europe you start a new 180 day cycle. It is a 180 days looking backwards. You can be in the Schengen zone only 90 days out of any 180 day periods. If you do 60 days, then 90 days in the US, you are in the 150th day of the original cycle. At that point you could return for another 30 days. Then you will have to be gone for 60 days before you could return. Then you could return for another 60 days.

Don't treat it lightly. Someone here overstayed one day thinking that three months and 90 days were the same. The one day fine was 500 euro and new plane ticket. Another reported over staying two weeks and being banned from returning for two years in addition to the fine.

sya,

You might find this helpful......

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

It will provide an approximate idea based on the information you enter, and the total may be different to that calculated by E.U. authorities.

We basically do 90 days in the Schengen countries, 90 days in the US, then 90 days in the Schengen and back to the US every year. I am however very careful about not exceeding the 90 days in the Schengen (arrival and departures days are considered two days) and I build a cushion of at least a day or two more days to the 90 days of being out of Schengen.

So, as long as you are counting correctly, once you have been out of the Schengen for at least 90 days, you can return for another 90 days. At least that is my understanding and what we have been doing the last few years.

And you can do 30 in and 30 out all year long but that is not the question. Sya wants to stay 90 days after only being out of the zone for 60 days. That doesn't work.

No I been in the zone for 60, out of the zone for 90 which I have 30 days left in the zone, I still don't understand why I have to cone back to the USA for 60 more days after finishing my 30 days left in the zone.

Nigel's post seems to have the info the OP needs, assuming it correctly reflects the rules. For every day in Europe, look back 180 days and see if the time spent in Europe adds up to more than 90 days. If so, that is a violation. From the first post it seems like the OP is ok. He says he's been in the US for 90 days and is staying another 30 in the US. That is a 120 day stretch in the US.

I like to think of this with a physical model. Imagine taking a rod 12" long (each inch is 10 days) to represent the time in the US. Then imagine a 2nd rod that is 18" long, representing 180 days. Put them on a table so they are touching along their length and so that the 12" rod and the 18" rod are aligned on the right. This represents the situation the day the OP flies to Italy for the 2nd visit. The 6" of the 18" rod uncovered on the left represents the 60 days spent in Italy on the 1st trip. Now let time advance, meaning slide the 18" rod to the right. As fast as an uncovered piece of the 18" rod opens on the right it is covered on the left. The net effect is that only 6" of rod is uncovered. Meaning that the time spent in the last 180 days in Italy is only 60. Continue sliding the rod to the right until 6" is open on the right. That is 60 days on the 2nd visit to Italy. Then fly home. At no point was more than 6" of the rod ever uncovered, meaning that the time spent in the last 180 days in Italy is only 60 for every possible day of the 2nd trip.

You have it right :

In out in
60 90 30 = 180

the next day:

59 90 31 = 180

the next day:

58 90 32 = 180

the rolling 180 days makes it possible

Personally I would leave a couple days buffer - out for 92ish

Make sure your passport gets stamped when you enter Italy; our experience is lazy immigration agents that waived us through and then 89 days later upon leaving from Amsterdam we had to prove when we entered. I had read about this on line (too late to fix it on the front end) and so made sure I had documents like hotel receipts, e tickets etc to demonstrate when we entered Schengen. It took over an hour to get this sorted (in a little interrogation room) and for them to retroactively stamp our passports for entry; the guy who got pulled over with us missed the plane as he was unable to document all this in time. So if they waive you through make sure you insist on getting stamped.

If you enjoy traveling for longer periods of time in the Schengen countries, consider getting a long term stay visa. I had no problems obtaining one. I did, however, do extensive research on what documentation is required and appeared at the Italian Embassy with a complete (and thick) packet of documents. I am now going on Monday for my interview here in Orvieto for my 2 year extension. Staying anywhere but the country of your citizenship is not an easy thing these days. Made even more difficult by the recent issues here in Europe.

If you have a passion for travel and want to experience life in another country, there are ways to accomplish that. You just have to follow the rules. And every country (and I do mean EVERY country) has different rules. France and Spain, for example, are not as stringent as Italy. Greece even more flexible.

Enjoy your return to Italy!

Txgirl620 I am curious what you apply for the long term stay? Do you get long term visa to live there a few years or is it school/work related?

I needed help in understanding the Schengen rules. Perhaps the answers given to me will be of some assistance. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/schengen-clarification-please

You apply for a long stay visa in one of the Schengen zone countries. Each country has slightly different requirements as indicated in a previous posting. The visa is for visiting only. You cannot work without a work visa and those are nearly impossible to obtain. The visa will have a time limit and you will need to reapply at later date. In general you will need to document that you have sufficient resources - money, insurance, housing, etc., - to support yourself during the time of the visa and will not work or become a welfare burden to the country. The insurance and money can be a big hoop.

Back to your original question. I am sure why understanding the Schengen zone rules is so complicated for many people. But I don't think some try to find creative ways to get around the rule. But you cannot. It is simple. Take today, look back (count back) 180 days (not six months) and if you have been in the zone for a total of 90 days in that 180 days. You are done. Same thing tomorrow or next week. Just count back. It is not that difficult. Thinking that there is someway to beat the system is when it becomes difficult.