Residence permits and D visas: how they change day counting
As a tourist, things are fairly simple: there's a limit and a counter. Once you get a residence permit or a long-stay visa, the rules shift. They don't shift the same way everywhere, and that's where a lot of people get confused.
Days on a permit don't count towards the tourist limit
The basic principle: while you're in a country on that country's residence permit or long-stay visa, those days don't count towards its short-stay limit. You're not a visitor there. You have a different status, with its own terms and conditions.
If you hold a Spanish residence permit, for example, days in Spain don't use up your Schengen 90 days in 180. You're living in Spain under a permit, not a visa-free regime.
The permit itself has requirements, though. Some permits expect you to actually live in the country for a certain part of the year, and long absences can affect renewal or your path to permanent residence or citizenship. These rules depend on the country and the type of permit.
Schengen: a permit from one state, trips to the others
A residence permit from a Schengen country gives you a valuable perk: you can travel to the other Schengen countries without a visa. But not without limits.
- In the country that issued your permit, you're there on your permit, and those days are outside the 90/180 count.
- In other Schengen countries you can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Those days do count.
- A permit from one country generally doesn't give you the right to live or work in another. That requires a separate permit from that country, or a special scheme such as those for some researchers or students.
A national long-stay (type D) visa works in a similar way: while it's valid, it generally lets you travel to other Schengen countries within the 90/180 limit.
Example: you hold a Portuguese residence permit. You spend a month in France, two weeks in Italy and the rest of the time at home in Lisbon. You've used about 45 of your 90 days in the current window in France and Italy. Your days in Portugal aren't part of that count.
Other blocs and regimes
In other blocs, such as the EAEU, MERCOSUR or ECOWAS, the rules for citizens of member states and for residence permit holders differ, and one doesn't replace the other. A permit from one country doesn't necessarily give you any rights in its neighbours, even within the same bloc. Check the rules of the specific bloc and country.
What happens when your permit expires
This is the riskiest moment. When your residence permit or D visa ends, you're back under the general rules for your nationality.
Avoid assumptions:
- Don't automatically count on a fresh 90 days. How the days right after expiry are treated depends on the country's rules and your circumstances. Ask the migration authority in advance.
- If your nationality needs a visa, once your permit ends you may have no legal basis to stay at all.
- A pending renewal application lets you remain while it's processed in some countries, often with a receipt or certificate. That document doesn't always let you travel to other countries and come back without trouble. Check before you book anything.
A grace period to leave is not universal
Many people assume there are a few days or weeks "to pack up" after a permit expires. Some countries do provide such a period for some types of permit. But it isn't a universal rule. In many cases, the day after your permit's last valid day you're already in the country unlawfully.
If you're not sure, treat the last day of validity on your document as your last legal day and plan your departure or renewal with time to spare.
What to keep a record of
So you don't have to reconstruct your history from memory later, note down:
- the start and end dates of every permit and visa;
- days spent in the issuing country and in other countries;
- the dates you applied for renewals and any receipts you got.
How APUS handles it
In APUS you can add a residence permit or long-stay visa with its validity dates. The app won't count days in the issuing country towards the tourist limit, but it keeps counting days in the other countries of the zone under 90/180 and warns you when the permit is about to expire.
A final note
Rules for residence permit and long-stay visa holders vary by country and change over time. Check your situation with official sources such as the embassy, consulate or migration service. APUS can keep track of your days across countries.