US passport holders do not apply for a Schengen visa for a normal tourist trip of up to 90 days. They travel visa-free, and ETIAS is expected to begin in the last quarter of 2026. This guide is for non-US citizens who legally live in the United States and hold a passport from a visa-required
You booked a month in Italy, then a week in France, then a long weekend in Spain. Three separate trips over six months. That’s when the border officer at Madrid-Barajas pulls you aside. “You’ve stayed 92 days in the last 180,” he says. “That’s an overstay.” This scenario happens more often than most US travelers