The short version
- Ireland and Cyprus are in the EU but not in Schengen. The UK, most of the Balkans, Turkey and Georgia are outside too.
- Each of them runs its own count. Days there do not use your Schengen 90.
- With a US passport: up to 6 months a visit in the UK (with an ETA), 90 days in most of the Balkans and Turkey, and a full year in Georgia.
- Leaving Schengen does not reset your days. Old days drop off only once they are more than 180 days old.
Which European countries are not in Schengen?
Ireland and Cyprus are the two EU countries outside Schengen. Outside the EU, the UK, most of the Balkans, Turkey and Georgia are not in Schengen either.
The Schengen area has 29 countries: 25 EU members, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, says the European Commission. Bulgaria and Romania were the last to join, on 1 January 2025. So four countries outside the EU are in, and two EU countries are out.
Other European countries sit outside Schengen too. This guide covers the ten below. Each rule comes from that country's own government pages, read between 11 and 26 October 2026.
| Country | In the EU? | US passport, no visa | Own day count? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen area (29 countries) | 25 of 29 | 90 days in any 180 | No, one shared count |
| United Kingdom | No | Up to 6 months a visit, with an ETA | Yes |
| Ireland | Yes | Up to 3 months, set at the border | Yes |
| Cyprus | Yes | 90 days in any 180 | Yes |
| Albania | No | No visa needed (days not confirmed) | Yes |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No | 90 days in six months | Yes |
| Montenegro | No | Up to 90 days | Yes |
| North Macedonia | No | No visa needed (days not confirmed) | Yes |
| Serbia | No | 90 days in six months | Yes |
| Turkey | No | 90 days in any 180 | Yes |
| Georgia | No | One full year | Yes |
Each row is for an ordinary US passport. Other passports get different answers in some of these places. Our passport tool shows the places each passport can visit without a visa. For the Schengen side, see how long Americans can stay in Europe.
Is the UK in Schengen?
No. The UK is not one of the 29 Schengen countries, and it is not one of the EU's 27 members. It sets its own visa rules and runs its own border.
Americans can visit for up to 6 months at a time as a Standard Visitor, under the UK's visitor rules. Before you travel, you need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). GOV.UK says it costs £20 and lasts 2 years, or until your passport runs out.
Your days in the UK do not count toward the Schengen 90. The ETA does not let you into Schengen either. The steps are in the UK ETA for Americans.
Is Ireland in Schengen?
No. Ireland is in the EU, but the Schengen Protocol lets it opt out, so it keeps its own visa and border rules. The European Commission says Ireland has asked to take part in some Schengen work, such as the Schengen Information System.
US citizens need no visa for Ireland. The Irish Immigration Service says you can visit for less than 90 days. The officer at the border decides how long you get, up to 3 months, and writes the date on your stamp.
Ireland also shares a Common Travel Area with the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Inside it, Irish and British citizens travel freely. Visitors still follow each country's own entry rules.
If your passport needs a visa, a Schengen visa does not get you into Ireland. Ireland has its own.
Why is Cyprus not in Schengen?
Because the EU has not yet lifted the border checks between Cyprus and the Schengen countries. The European Commission says Cyprus takes part in Schengen cooperation, but the Council has not yet removed its internal border controls.
So Cyprus is in the EU, with its own border and its own count. The Cyprus foreign ministry lets US citizens in without a visa, and EU law gives 90 days in any 180, counted for Cyprus on its own.
That works both ways. Days in Cyprus do not use your Schengen 90, and Schengen days do not use your Cyprus 90. Cyprus uses the same EU visa list as Schengen, so the passports that need a visa are mostly the same.
Do days outside Schengen count toward the 90?
No. Only days inside the 29 Schengen countries count. Days in the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, the Balkan countries outside Schengen, Turkey and Georgia are not part of your 90.
Two details matter here:
- Border days count. The day you leave Schengen and the day you come back are both Schengen days.
- Leaving does not reset anything. The 180-day window keeps rolling while you are away. Your old days drop off one at a time, once they are more than 180 days old.
Here is how that plays out. Say you spend 1 March to 29 May 2027 in Spain and France. That is all 90 days. Your first day, 1 March, drops out of the window on 28 August 2027, so that is the first day you can come back. One simple setup is to spend the gap somewhere with its own count, like the UK or the Balkans, inside that country's own limit.
The EU now records each crossing at the Schengen border, so the count is checked for you. See how the Entry/Exit System works. The full rule is in how the Schengen 90/180 rule works, and our free Schengen calculator counts your days and shows when you can return.
How long can you stay in the Balkans and Turkey?
Up to 90 days in most of them with a US passport, and each country keeps its own count. Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania are in Schengen, so days there share the 90.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina. No visa for up to 90 days within six months, counted from the day you enter, says the foreign ministry.
- Serbia. No visa for up to 90 days in a 6-month period from your first entry, says the foreign ministry.
- Montenegro. No visa for up to 90 days, under the government's decree on visas.
- Albania. No visa needed. The ministry pages we read give no day count, so check Albania's own rules before a long stay.
- North Macedonia. No visa needed, says the foreign ministry's visa checker. It does not list a day count for each country.
- Turkey. No visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period on an ordinary passport, says the foreign ministry.
- Georgia. Further east, Georgia lets US citizens stay a full year without a visa.
Some of these let in travellers who would usually need a visa. Albania lets in anyone who can visit Schengen without one. Serbia lets in people who hold a valid Schengen, UK, EU or US visa. Montenegro lets in holders of a valid Schengen, US or UK visa, among others, for up to 30 days.
Montenegro's rules change on 1 November 2026. The government says passport holders from Belarus, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will need a visa from that date. US passports are not on that list.