At a glance
Your Schengen visa has several separate limits. The validity dates set when it can be used, duration of stay limits the days, and number of entries limits returns from outside Schengen. A longer validity period does not give you that many days of stay.
How to read a Schengen visa sticker
Start with the visa type and the countries shown under “Valid for”. The examples below concern an ordinary uniform Type C short-stay visa valid for all Schengen countries. Airport transit visas, national long-stay visas and visas with restricted territorial validity need different checks. The Dutch government’s sticker guide explains these fields.
- Valid for
- Schengen states
- Type of visa
- C
- From
- 01-11-2026
- Until
- 31-01-2027
- Duration of stay
- 30 days
- Number of entries
- MULT
Validity: the dates between “From” and “Until”
For this fictional visa, travel on the visa must fall between 1 November 2026 and 31 January 2027. “Until” is the last day by which you must leave; it is not a deadline for starting another full stay. Your permitted days can run out earlier.
Duration: how many days the visa authorises
In this short-validity example, the 30 days are shared across your visits during the visa’s validity. Count arrival and departure dates. A trip from 1 December through 30 December uses all 30 days. Staying until 31 December would use 31 days, even though the visa remains within its printed validity dates.
Entries: how many times you can return
MULT allows repeated entries while the other visa conditions still hold. It does not replenish the 30 permitted days every time you cross the border.
Visa validity versus duration: three worked examples
These are separate fictional situations with no other relevant short stays. Dates are inclusive. They illustrate the time and entry limits; other admission conditions still apply.
1. A 30-day allowance inside a longer validity period
A single-entry visa is valid from 1 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, with duration 30 days. Entering on 1 December 2026 uses day one. The thirtieth day is 30 December 2026. You must leave by that day, even though “Until” is a month later.
2. MULT with 30 days: two trips share the allowance
Use the same validity dates, but with MULT entries. A first trip from 1–10 November 2026 uses 10 days. A second trip from 1–20 December 2026 uses 20 more. Together they use the full 30-day allowance. A further entry does not create another 30 days. If the visa showed a single entry instead, leaving after the first visit would use that entry even with days left.
3. A one-year MULT visa with duration 90
A visa valid from 1 January to 31 December 2026, showing MULT and duration 90, does not allow an uninterrupted year in Schengen. For this one-year multiple-entry visa, the 90-day allowance is assessed within each rolling 180-day period; it is not a lifetime total of 90 days for the whole visa.
For example, a visit from 1 March to 29 May 2026 uses 90 days. With no further Schengen visits from 30 May through 27 August, a new 90-day visit from 28 August through 25 November 2026 fits the rolling limit and the stated visa dates. Every day must pass the rolling check. Do not divide the year into fixed half-years.
What do 1, 2 and MULT mean?
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Printed value | Meaning | Planning check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One entry | After you leave Schengen, unused days do not give you another entry on that visa. |
| 2 | Up to two entries | Check how many entries you have already used. |
| MULT | Multiple entries | Check validity, duration and rolling allowance each time. |
A journey from France to Spain stays inside Schengen and does not consume another external entry. A journey from France to the UK and back crosses an external border. Check the entry entitlement before building a side trip outside Schengen into your itinerary.
Check all the limits before booking
- Read the visa type and “Valid for” field.
- Keep the complete visit inside the validity dates.
- Apply the duration-of-stay limit for your visa: total permitted days for the short-validity examples above, and the rolling 90/180 check for the one-year MULT/90 example.
- Check the entries available for the proposed return.
- Check the rolling 90/180 limit using all relevant short stays, including stays under an earlier visa.
A new visa does not erase earlier Schengen days from the rolling window. An acceptable general 90/180 result also does not override a shorter visa allowance. The European Commission specifically excludes shorter visa allowances from its general calculator.
The app’s free Type C checker considers the validity dates, permitted days and entries you provide. Confirm unusual wording or circumstances with the issuing consulate. Visa details entered into that checker are not saved.
Continue planning
Check your visa limits alongside your trip.
The iPhone app’s Type C visa checker is free. Review validity dates, authorised stay and entries together with your 90/180 calculation.
Transit visas and limited territorial validity are outside the checker’s scope.
Questions travellers ask
My visa is valid for 90 days but says duration 30. Can I stay 90 days?
No. For that short-validity visa, the 30 permitted days remain a separate limit inside the validity period. Count entry and exit days, and check entries and the rolling rule too.
Does MULT mean unlimited days?
No. MULT concerns entries. It does not remove the duration of stay, validity dates or rolling 90/180 limit.
Can I leave on the visa expiry date?
The Until date is the last day by which you must leave Schengen on that visa. A shorter duration of stay or exhausted rolling allowance can require an earlier departure.
Does a new visa reset my Schengen days?
No. Relevant earlier short stays still count in the rolling 180-day window. Check the new visa’s own conditions separately.