Does time in Portugal, Italy or Greece on a residence permit count toward the 90 days?

In the country that issued your permit, no. The European Commission says permit holders are not subject to the 90/180 rule, and the UK government's Greece advice says time in Greece on a residence permit does not count toward the 90 day limit. How long you may stay in other Schengen countries on that permit is something we have not yet confirmed from an official source.

Do I still need ETIAS once I have a permit?

ETIAS is not running yet and has no published start date. The Commission describes it as applying to visa free travellers on short stays. Whether permit holders need it is not stated on the page we read.

Golden Visa and Schengen 90/180: What a Residence Permit Changes

Direct answer: Before you have a permit, you are a visitor: stays in the Schengen area are limited to 90 days in any 180 day period. Once you hold a residence permit from Portugal, Italy or Greece, the European Commission says you are not subject to the 90/180 rule, because the permit lets you stay longer than 90 days. A valid permit also lets you travel in the Schengen area.

For someone who wants the option rather than the move, this is often the most practical thing the permit buys: a winter in Lisbon or a long summer on an island without counting days against a visitor's allowance. It is worth being exact about what is confirmed and what is not.

Before the permit: the visitor rule

If you are visiting any Schengen country you are usually allowed to stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180 day period. The Commission publishes a calculator for counting them.

Portugal, Italy and Greece are all Schengen members. Whether you need a short stay visa for those visits depends on your passport: EU law lists the nationalities that need one and those that are exempt for stays of up to 90 days in any 180 day period. Our program pages link to the passport specific notes.

Some programs ask you to come in person before the permit is issued. In Greece, for example, adults and children aged six and over must enter the country to give biometrics; if a lawyer files for you first, that is a short trip on visitor terms. Italy works differently: you enter on a two year investor visa and then apply for the permit at the Questura. The Greece and Italy pages have the details.

After the permit: what changes

In the country that issued it. The Commission's short stay page says: "If you hold an EU residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not subject to the 90/180-day rule, as these documents allow you to stay longer than 90 days." The UK government's Greece travel advice puts it the same way for Greece: time there on a residence permit does not count toward the 90 day visa free limit.
Travel in Schengen. The Commission said in 2019 that a valid residence permit gives the holder the right to reside in the issuing country and "to travel freely in the Schengen area".
Stays in other Schengen countries. We have not found an official page that sets the limit in so many words for permit holders staying in a Schengen country other than the one that issued the permit.
Working. A permit to reside is not automatically a permit to work. The Greek permit gives no access to employment at all; Italy's investor permit carries self employment rights. See each program page.

The EES and ETIAS

The EU's Entry/Exit System became fully operational on 10 April 2026 and replaces passport stamping. ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa free visitors, is not in operation and has no published start date.

The Commission says ETIAS will apply to visa free travellers visiting for a short stay, up to 90 days in any 180 day period, and that its fee has been set at €20, a change that was under review by the Council and Parliament when we read the page. How the EES records entries and exits for people who hold a residence permit was not covered on the pages we read.

Keeping count anyway

Even when the 90/180 rule no longer applies, days still matter in two other places: the minimum stay some programs set for renewal (see renewals and minimum stay), and the day counts tax authorities use (see tax residency traps). Keep your own record of travel dates, boarding passes and accommodation in each country.

Portugal, Italy or Greece

Which golden visa fits you?

7 questions · 2 min

Take the quiz Or compare Portugal, Greece and Italy

Talk to us: a free 20-minute call

Tell us what you are weighing. If it helps, we introduce you to a vetted visa or fund partner who handles the application. We do not file applications, and we are paid when we introduce you.

Talk to us Or take the quiz first

Not ready yet? Get rule-change alerts for Portugal, Italy and Greece: when a rule, fee or threshold changes, we tell you what changed and link the official source.

Questions we hear most

Does time in Portugal, Italy or Greece on a residence permit count toward the 90 days?: In the country that issued your permit, no. The European Commission says permit holders are not subject to the 90/180 rule, and the UK government's Greece advice says time in Greece on a residence permit does not count toward the 90 day limit. How long you may stay in other Schengen countries on that permit is something we have not yet confirmed from an official source.
Do I still need ETIAS once I have a permit?: ETIAS is not running yet and has no published start date. The Commission describes it as applying to visa free travellers on short stays. Whether permit holders need it is not stated on the page we read.

Sources

Short-stay calculator (90 days in any 180-day period), European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Investor citizenship and residence schemes in the EU (press release IP/19/526, 23 January 2019), European Commission. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Greece travel advice: entry requirements, GOV.UK, FCDO. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Portugal travel advice: entry requirements, GOV.UK, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Italy travel advice: entry requirements, GOV.UK, FCDO. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Entry/Exit System, European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
EU countries, European Union. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (visa list), Article 4 and Annexes I and II, original 2018 text, EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union. Official source. Last checked 28 October 2026.

This page is general information, not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice. Rules and fees change, so check the sources above and the date we last checked them. No approval, permit or timeline is guaranteed. We are paid for introductions; here is how.