For Americans planning a longer stay in Europe, France has an interesting exception to the standard Schengen 90-day rule.
France and the United States have a bilateral visa-waiver agreement dating to 1949. French government guidance published in connection with Europe’s new border system has described the agreement as allowing U.S. citizens with ordinary passports to spend up to 90 days in metropolitan France independently of a previous stay in the Schengen Area.
That could potentially allow an American traveler to spend up to 90 days under the normal Schengen allowance, followed by as many as 90 additional days in France.
There is an important catch, however. Current French government information is not entirely consistent about how Americans should rely on the agreement, making it important to verify eligibility before planning a stay beyond the normal Schengen limit.
How the France-U.S. 90-Day Agreement Works
Under the normal Schengen rules, U.S. citizens can generally visit the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days during any rolling 180-day period.
France also has older bilateral agreements with several countries that predate the modern Schengen system.
France Diplomatie guidance identifies seven countries whose citizens can benefit from bilateral agreements allowing a 90-day visa-free stay in metropolitan France independently of previous time spent in the Schengen Area.
The United States is specifically listed. The French government guidance gives an effective date of April 1, 1949, an authorized stay of 90 days and states that the provision applies to ordinary passports.
The European Union’s published list of bilateral agreements also lists the France-U.S. agreement with the same April 1, 1949 effective date, 90-day authorized stay and ordinary-passport requirement.
Could an American Really Spend Up to 180 Days in France?
Potentially, but it is more complicated than simply arriving in France and staying for six months.
France’s bilateral-agreement guidance explains that the additional French stay is added to the standard Schengen short-stay allowance.
Using Canada as its example, France explains that an eligible traveler can spend up to 90 days in one or more Schengen countries, including France, under the normal Schengen visa exemption and then spend an additional 90 days in metropolitan France under the applicable bilateral agreement.
The United States appears in the same French government list of countries with a 90-day bilateral agreement.
Importantly, France says the bilateral period must come after the normal Schengen stay. The arrangement should not be interpreted as two interchangeable blocks of 90 days.
The Extra 90 Days Are for France, Not All of Europe
This is probably the most important limitation for travelers to understand.
The bilateral agreement does not provide another 90 days to freely travel throughout the Schengen Area. The additional allowance described by France applies to metropolitan France.
Metropolitan France refers to European France, including mainland destinations such as Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Provence, as well as Corsica. It does not mean that the same rules automatically apply to France’s overseas territories and departments.
France’s guidance also warns that the bilateral stay cannot simply be followed by another Schengen stay. In its Canadian example, France says a traveler who uses the bilateral stay first and then travels to another Schengen country without a comparable agreement would be considered to have exceeded the permitted stay there.
In practical terms, an American who has already exhausted the standard 90-day Schengen allowance should not assume that the additional French period allows side trips to Spain, Italy, Germany or other Schengen countries.
EES Makes the Border Procedure Especially Important
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational on April 10, 2026.
EES electronically records the entry and exit of short-stay travelers from non-EU and non-Schengen countries and helps authorities track compliance with the standard limit of 90 days within a 180-day period.
That creates an obvious question: What happens when a traveler is legally relying on an older bilateral agreement that permits additional time in France?
France Diplomatie has addressed that situation in its bilateral-agreement guidance. It says nationals of the seven listed countries who want to benefit from the agreements must identify themselves when crossing the French border. Their EES record can then be manually adjusted by a French border officer to account for application of the bilateral agreement and the authorized length of stay.
That makes speaking with French border authorities particularly important. Travelers should not assume that an additional bilateral stay will automatically be recognized by EES without taking the steps required by French authorities.
Current French Government Guidance Isn’t Entirely Consistent
There is an important complication for Americans considering using the agreement.
France Diplomatie guidance addressing bilateral agreements specifically lists the United States among the countries whose ordinary passport holders can receive a 90-day stay in metropolitan France independently of a previous stay in the Schengen Area.
However, France’s general France-Visas guidance for U.S. passport holders currently says Americans do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period but states that American passport holders are required to obtain a visa to spend more than 90 days in France.
The general France-Visas long-stay guidance similarly says travelers staying in France for more than 90 days are normally required to obtain a long-stay visa in advance.
That creates a notable discrepancy between France’s general visa guidance and its more specific published guidance covering pre-Schengen bilateral agreements.
It does not, by itself, establish that the underlying France-U.S. bilateral agreement has ceased to apply. The agreement continues to appear in both French government guidance and the EU’s published list of bilateral agreements. But travelers should not interpret it as an automatic right to spend 180 consecutive days in France without first confirming how French authorities will apply the agreement to their individual stay.
What Americans Planning a Longer Stay Should Know
- The normal Schengen allowance remains a maximum of 90 days within any rolling 180-day period.
- France and the United States have a bilateral visa-waiver agreement dating to 1949.
- France Diplomatie guidance lists the United States as having a 90-day bilateral arrangement for ordinary passport holders.
- The bilateral period is intended to follow the normal Schengen stay.
- The additional stay applies to metropolitan France rather than providing another 90 days throughout the Schengen Area.
- French guidance says travelers using the bilateral arrangement should identify themselves when crossing the French border so their EES record can be handled appropriately.
- France-Visas separately states that American passport holders staying longer than 90 days require a long-stay visa.
- Because of the conflicting guidance, Americans considering the bilateral provision should confirm the current requirements with French authorities before relying on it for a stay beyond the standard Schengen allowance.
The Bottom Line
For Americans who regularly bump up against Europe’s 90-day Schengen limit, the decades-old France-U.S. bilateral agreement is worth knowing about.
French government guidance has recognized a 90-day bilateral stay for ordinary U.S. passport holders in metropolitan France, separate from time previously spent under the normal Schengen allowance. EU records also document the France-U.S. agreement and its 90-day authorized stay.
But this should not be treated as a simple loophole allowing Americans to spend another 90 days traveling throughout Europe, nor should travelers assume that six months in France is automatically permitted without further verification.
With EES now fully operational and France’s general visa guidance still saying Americans staying longer than 90 days require a long-stay visa, anyone planning to rely on the bilateral agreement should confirm the current procedure with French authorities before reaching the end of their normal Schengen allowance.
Traveler Note: Immigration and border rules can change, and individual circumstances can affect eligibility. Always verify current requirements with official French and EU sources before booking travel or relying on the bilateral agreement for a stay beyond the normal Schengen limit.
