The EU/Schengen area's '90-day' rule is a complicated one that causes much confusion for travellers - here we answer some of the most common questions from readers of The Local.

The EU/Schengen area's '90-day' rule is a complicated one that causes much confusion for travellers - here we answer some of the most common questions from readers of The Local. The Schengen '90-day' rule applies to non-EU/EEA citizens, including Brits, and limits access to the EU's Schengen zone to 90 days in every 180 day period. Anyone who wants to stay longer than this will need to apply for a national visa of the country they are visiting. Not all citizens of non-EU/EEA countries benefit from the visa-free 90 days. Some nationalities must apply for a visa for any visit to an EU country, even just a one-week holiday. But non-EU citizens including the British, Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders do benefit from it. The limit of 90 days in every 180 gives you a total of six months per year within the Schengen zone - however the six months cannot be taken as a single block, but must be divided up into 90 days every six months. Even so, for tourists or people who want to visit family or friends it's usually perfectly adequate - the people who tend to have problems with it are second-home owners and those who work on short-term contracts in the EU. The Schengen area includes all EU states apart from Ireland and Cyprus, plus the non-EU states Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland (EFTA). You can find a full explanation of how the rule works HERE, and answers to some of the most commonly asked questions from readers of The Local below. This is one aspect that frequently catches people out - the 90-day limit refers to the entire Schengen area.