Recommendations for “digital nomads” and other Americans interested in long-term overseas living and travel in Europe

Do I need a visa to visit Portugal? How long can I stay in Helsinki? Should I bring Euros with me to Switzerland? The table below will tell you. For each of your destination countries, be sure to click on the country’s name, which will take you to the State Department’s international travel page, which has the most detailed and up-to-date information.

European Travel Table

last updated 18 January 2019

Country NameEU?Schengen?Euro?Visa?Max Tourist StayNotes
Albanianononono1 year w/o visa
Andorranoyes (1)yes (2)no90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
No US embassy.
US Consulate in
Barcelona, Spain
covers Andorra.
Armenianononono180 days w/o visa
Austriayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Azerbaijannononoyes30 days w/visa(3)
Belarusnononono (4)30 days w/o visa
(4)
Belgiumyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Bosnia-Herzegovinanononono3 months
w/o visa
(3)
Bulgariayesnonono90 days in a 6-
month period
w/o visa
Croatiayesnonono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
(3)
Cyprusyesnoyesno90 days w/o visa
Czech Republic
(Czechia)
yesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Denmarkyesyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Estoniayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Finlandyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Franceyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Georgianononono365 days w/o visa
Germanyyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Greeceyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Hungaryyesyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Icelandnoyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Irelandyesnoyesno90 days w/o visa
Italyyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Kosovononoyes (2)no90 days in a 6-
month period
w/o visa
Latviayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Liechtenstein (5)noyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
No US embassy.
US Embassy in Bern,
Switzerland covers
Liechtenstein.
Lithuaniayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Luxembourgyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Macedonianononono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
(3)
Maltayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Moldovanononono90 days in a 6-
month period
w/o visa
Monaco (5)noyes (1)yes (2)no90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
No US embassy.
US Embassy in Paris,
France covers Monaco.
Montenegrononoyes (2)no90 days w/o visa(3)
Netherlandsyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Norwaynoyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Polandyesyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Portugalyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Romaniayesnonono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Russianononoyes (6)variesRussian tourist
visas for Americans
are either 3-year,
multiple-entry or
30-day, single entry.
San Marino (5)noyes (1)yes (2)no90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
No US embassy.
US Embassy in Rome,
Italy covers San Marino.
Serbianononono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
(3)
Slovakiayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
(3)
Sloveniayesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Spainyesyesyesno90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Swedenyesyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Switzerlandnoyesnono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
Turkeynononoyes (6)90 days in a 180-
day period w/visa
Ukrainenononono90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
United Kingdom
(UK; Great Britain)
yesnonono90 days w/o visa
Vatican City
(Holy See) (5)
noyes (1)yes (2)no90 days in a 180-
day period w/o visa
No US embassy.
US Embassy in Rome,
Italy covers Vatican City.

Notes

(1) The micro-countries of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City are not parties to the Schengen agreement, but Schengen rules apply here. Time spent in these countries counts as part of the 90-days-out-of-180 limit for visa-free American tourist stays in the Schengen zone.

(2) The micro-countries of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City are not officially part of the Eurozone, but they have agreements with the EU to use the Euro as their currency. Kosovo and Montenegro are not part of the Eurozone, but have unilaterally adopted the Euro as their currency without EU approval.

(3) American visitors to these countries have to register with the local police or immigration enforcement agency within a certain timeframe after they arrive. (In some of these countries, this requirement is waived for very short stays. In some cases, this is a requirement for hotel guests but not for tourists staying in private homes, or vice versa.) Usually your hotel or Airbnb host will take care of this for you. Some hosts will ask you to hand over your passport to them for 24 hours while they get this done. But in my experience, it’s more common for them to photocopy your passport’s photo page, or to ask to take a photo of it, or to ask you to send them a digital copy of it. For details specific to the country you’re traveling to, click the country name in the table above.

(4) Americans can enter Belarus and stay for up to 30 days without a visa only if they both enter and leave the country via Minsk International Airport. Visitors traveling to Belarus overland will not be admitted without a visa. Click the “Belarus” link in the table above for details.

(5) The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs does not have individual pages for these micro-countries. For travel-related information for Liechtenstein, see Switzerland. For Monaco, see France. For San Marino and Vatican City, see Italy.

(6) Cruise ship passengers can generally stay in these countries for up to 72 hours without a visa. Check with your tour operator or travel agency.