Applying the Schengen 90/180 rule

Question

I've researched loads but still haven't found my answer. So, my question is would this scenario work? Multi visit visa, trigger the 180 days by an overnight stay in my chosen schengen country. Go back home (non schengen), then back to the same country again for the rest of the 90 allowed days. Then go back home again, for a week, (therefore the first 180 days have ended). Can I then go straight back to our chosen country after this week (with a new visa), for 90 days and not return again until after this second 180 day have ended. Ultimately apart from a week back home we would be in the schengen country for the best part of 6 months in a year and 6 months in our own country. Heres hoping!!

Answer 1

No.

To understand the Schengen rules, imagine doing the following. (It is not practical to do it for real, but it helps to understand how 90/180 works.)

• Take some squared graph paper, cut it into strips and glue it together to get a really long strip. Take care that the squares match up. Write the dates above a row of squares. Mark the squares so that you write a "+" for every day you were in Schengen, or plan to be in Schengen, and write a "-" for every day completely outside Schengen. This is your calendar.
• Take a second long strip and cut a "window" one square high, 180 squares wide. This is the 180-day period.
• Slide the window along the calendar, one day at a time. For each day, count the visible "+" signs. If there are more than 90 "+" signs visible, you are violating the 90/180 rule.

The key thing is that you must shift the window one day at a time. You do not have to check it only on entry. (If you look at the maths, you don't have to repeat the actual counting for each day if you do some extra calculations, but those calculations are just for convenience. Counting 180 days back for every day is the principle.)

There are two principal exceptions to this. One is a National D visa from a Schengen nation, another are bilateral treaties between Schengen nations and other nations which predate Schengen and got "grandfathered" in. Those depend on your citizenship and destination.