Can US Citizens Stay in France for 6 Months? (2026)

The short answer is no, not without a visa. As a US citizen you can visit France visa-free, but only within the Schengen 90/180 limit, which is well short of six months. To stay longer you need a French long-stay visa. Here is exactly how the rule works, sourced to the official authorities.

How long can you stay visa-free?

The US Department of State states it plainly for US citizens:

"You can enter the Schengen area, including France, for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business purposes."
— U.S. Department of State, France Travel Advisory (accessed 4 June 2026)

That 90 days is not per calendar year, nor per entry. The European Commission defines it as a rolling window: visiting the Schengen area you are:

"usually allowed to stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period."
— European Commission, Short-stay calculator (accessed 4 June 2026)

So on any given day, you look back over the previous 180 days and count your days in the Schengen area; the total cannot exceed 90. Six continuous months is roughly 180 days, double the visa-free allowance, so it is simply not possible on the visa waiver.

What if you want to stay six months?

For a stay longer than 90 days you need a French long-stay visa (visa de long séjour), which you apply for before you travel through France's official visa portal, France-Visas. The type depends on your purpose (study, work, visitor, retirement). Because this is a formal application with its own requirements, start it well ahead of your trip via the official portal: france-visas.gouv.fr.

Note that France's 90 days are shared with every other Schengen country. Time you already spent in Spain, Italy or Germany in the trailing 180 days counts against the same 90, which is why people miscount and overstay.

Track your days so you never overstay

Whether you are stringing together short stays or counting down to a long-stay visa, the safe move is to track your Schengen days precisely. Use the free Schengen 90/180 calculator to see exactly how many days you have left across all Schengen countries, or track them automatically with the Days Monitor iPhone app.

Sources

• U.S. Department of State, France Travel Advisory (accessed 4 June 2026)
• European Commission, Short-stay calculator (accessed 4 June 2026)
• France-Visas, official French visa portal (accessed 4 June 2026)