How long can Australians stay in Europe without a visa?

Plus, in these mostly wealthy countries, infrastructure is usually world-class, and safety is rarely an issue. Of course, that makes Europe an expensive destination to travel in, but it’s worth it.

There’s so much to see in Europe that you could spend a lifetime here without running out. But the immigration authorities aren’t going to let you do that.

Let’s look at how long Australians can stay in Europe without a visa. We’ll also examine some of the ways you can stay a little longer if you fall in love with this continent like I have.

The Official Answer

An Australian passport holder can stay in the European Schengen area for up to 90 days at a time.

It’s a little more nuanced than that, though. The actual rule is that you get 90 days out of any rolling 180-day period.

So, if you stay in the Schengen area for 90 days in a row, you’ll have to leave and wait another 90 days before you can come back. But if you step outside the area for, say, two weeks in the middle of your 90-day stay, you’ll have two more weeks that you can use in that 180 day period.

So technically, you could hop in and out of Europe every other day. I’m not sure why you would want to do that, but you get my point.

Australians and other foreigners visiting the EU on longer visits need to stay aware of how many days they have used and how many they have left. There’s even a handy calculator that can help you keep track of it.

It’s worth noting that this 90-day rule doesn’t require a visa. Your Australian passport is all you need.

What Is The Schengen Area?

Remember up above, when I said that the 90-day rule applied to the Schengen area? This is really important, so pay attention.

The Schengen area is a multicountry zone of passport-free travel. All the countries in the area have agreed to share responsibility for their borders, so once you enter one of the countries in the area, you are free to enter any of the others without any kind of passport control.

The Schengen area covers a lot of the EU, but the two are not exactly the same. Not every country in Schengen is in the EU, and not every country in the EU is in Schengen.

Specifically, while Cyprus and Ireland are both in the EU, they are not in the Schengen area. Meanwhile, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein are part of Schengen, even though they are not part of the EU.

In total, there are 29 countries in the Schengen area. They include France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and most of the other places Australian tourists want to visit.

This matters, because once your 90 days are used up, you need to leave the Schengen area. That means you need to know where its borders are.

If you don’t want to go home after 90 days, you can stay in Europe, but it will have to be in one of the countries that is not part of Schengen. That includes the UK and Ireland, plus some countries in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe.

The Schengen Shuffle

You’ve probably already seen the opportunity here. Being allowed to stay 90/180 days is already pretty generous, and if all you need to do to recharge your 90 days is head to a neighbouring country outside the Schengen area, you can stay in Europe indefinitely without a visa.

The UK is a popular option, for several reasons. It offers some of the cheapest flights anywhere in Europe, and it’s easy for English speakers to navigate. It’s also one of the more culturally similar countries to Australia, and Australians are allowed to stay in the UK for 180 days without a visa. That makes it technically possible to hop back and forth between the Schengen area and the UK every three months if you want to.

However, that can be a tricky lifestyle to maintain. Unless you’re a remote worker who can take their job with them, you’re going to struggle to earn money or build long-term connections with the community.

Luckily, there are other ways Australians can stay even longer in Europe.

Longer-term Stays in Europe for Australians

Most of the time, if you want to stay longer in the EU, you’ll need to apply for a visa.

Visa types are available for:

• Students
• Remote workers
• Employees
• Retirees
• Family reunification
• Working holidays

Note that even within the Schengen area, every country controls its own visa requirements and application process. That means you’ll have to choose the country that you most want to visit, or that best suits your situation.

Special Agreements

This is where things get even more complicated.

Australia had existing immigration agreements with several European countries before the Schengen area was introduced. In some cases, these rules are still in effect, and they can allow for a longer stay.

For example, Austria gives Australian passport holders an extra 90 days to stay visa-free after their initial 90 day Schengen period expires. Note that during that extra 90 days, you can’t travel elsewhere in the Schengen area beyond Austria. Also, staying in Austria does not restart your 90-day Schengen visa-free period.

Similar agreements exist between Australia and Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Iceland, among other countries. However, it’s always best to check with the immigration authorities in these countries before you go. These agreements are subject to change, and can be interpreted differently by immigration personnel.

Having a phone with you helps you track the days you spent and check up on the latest immigration rules. An eSIM from ZenSim helps you stay connected across Europe and beyond, so that you can connect to your local network wherever you go. Say goodbye to expensive roaming fees and stay connected like locals do.

Dual Citizens

32% of Australians were born overseas. That gives Australia an unusually high proportion of the population who qualify as dual citizens.

Thousands or potentially even millions of Australians could have a parent or grandparent who came from Ireland, Italy, Germany, or some other EU country. If that’s your situation, you might be eligible for an EU passport.

Take Ireland as an example, because it’s a slightly unique case. Although it’s not in the Schengen area, it is in the EU, and Irish passports are EU passports.

That means if you hold an Irish passport, you’re eligible to live and even work anywhere else in the EU for the rest of your life, if you want to. No visas, no immigration hassles.

Around 9% of the Australian population claims Irish ancestry, which is pretty significant. Add in all the Italians, Germans, Greeks, and other European nationalities who moved to Australia through the years, and there’s a pretty good chance that you might qualify for an EU passport.

What if you have a passport for another country that’s not the EU and not Australia? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can go to Schengen for 90 days on one passport, leave, then come back on the other.

That might have worked once upon a time. But these days, passports are linked to you by biometric data, so they’ll know what you’re trying to get away with. It’s not worth the risk of getting banned.

Staying Long Term in Europe for Australians

Immigration details can get complex, but the simple answer to the question of how long can Australians stay in Europe is 90 days out of 180. While it’s possible to stay longer than that, you’ll need a visa, or, even better, an EU passport.

It’s a pretty generous allowance, really. Technically, you could spend half your life in Europe without ever having to fill out a visa application form. But if you want to stay longer, or work, you’ll need a more complex visa.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, ZenSim makes travel easier. With electronic SIM cards that cover almost the whole of Europe, you can stay connected while you explore this fascinating continent.