How the 90/180 rule applies here
If you are visa-exempt, you can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen Area as a whole, not to France: days spent in Spain or Italy count towards the same 90-day limit.
- The 180 days are a moving window, not a calendar period. For any given date, count back 180 days, including that date, add up the days you spent in the area, and the total must never exceed 90.
- The day you arrive and the day you leave both count as full days, even if you are only there for a few hours.
- Crossing from France into another Schengen country changes nothing: the days are part of the same shared count.
- Only the passage of time restores your allowance. The European Commission states it plainly: an uninterrupted absence of 90 days gives you a fresh 90 days.
Staying longer than 90 days
For stays beyond 90 days you need a long-stay visa, applied for before you travel through France-Visas, the government visa portal. The residence card that follows depends on what you came to do, and the two routes people ask about most differ above all in one respect: whether you are allowed to work.
Long-stay visitor visa (visa de long séjour « visiteur »)
For living in France on money you already have. You must sign a handwritten statement that you will not work in France in any capacity — as an employee, a trader, a self-employed person or in a liberal profession — and hold health insurance for the whole stay. The residence card that follows is valid for up to one year and can be renewed.
Money: at least €1,477.93 net a month, or €17,735.19 a year for one person, according to Service Public (checked June 2026). Pensions, rental income and support from family all count.
Entrepreneur or liberal profession residence card (« entrepreneur/profession libérale »)
For running a commercial, craft or liberal-profession activity in France. The activity must be economically viable, match your qualifications and be registered with the official one-stop shop for business formalities, and you need a long-stay visa first. The first card lasts up to one year; after that you can apply for a four-year card, which requires French at A2 level and passing the civic exam, unless you are over 65.
Money: the activity must bring in at least €1,867.02 a month, according to Service Public (checked June 2026).
The mistake worth avoiding
Assuming France has a digital nomad visa. It does not. The visitor route rests on a signed pledge not to work in France in any capacity, and the official guidance does not say that remote work for an employer abroad is exempt. If you plan to keep your remote job, raise it with the consulate before you apply, not after.
Common questions
Do days spent in other Schengen countries count against my time in France?
Yes. There is no separate French allowance; there is one Schengen allowance. A week in Barcelona and a week in Paris count towards the same 90-day limit.
Does leaving and coming back reset the count?
No. Only the passage of time does. Each day drops out of the 180-day window 180 days after you spent it, and an uninterrupted absence of 90 days restores a full 90-day stay.
Does a French residence card change how the rule applies to me?
Once you hold one, your stay in France is governed by that card rather than by the 90/180 rule. Travel to other Schengen countries is still subject to limits, so check the terms of your card before planning long trips elsewhere.
Check it at the source
Immigration rules change, and the financial thresholds change most often of all. These are the official pages this guide is based on.
Count your Schengen days
Open the Schengen 90/180 calculatorThis guide is a planning aid, not legal advice. The final decision on entry and length of stay rests with the border officer or the consulate. Confirm the rules with the official sources above before you travel.