Long stays and house-sitting: how to spend 30 to 90 days somewhere else

A fortnight is a holiday. A month is a life somewhere else — a market day you know, a bench you return to, a neighbour who says good morning. After 50, a stay of 30 to 90 days is the most rewarding kind of travel there is. It is also the kind where the rules bite, so this article is mostly about rules.

It is general information: entry requirements change and depend on your passport and destination, so check the official pages before you book. This is part of our complete guide to travel after 50.

The Schengen 90/180 rule

Most of Europe belongs to the Schengen area, treated as one territory for short visits. UK and US passport holders can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The wording on gov.uk is worth reading twice: “Visits to Schengen countries in the 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.” It is a rolling window, not a calendar year: a month in Spain in March, a fortnight in Italy in May and six weeks in France from July would break the rule. The State Department puts the US version the same way and says you must wait an extra 90 days before re-entering.

The penalty is real: gov.uk says overstaying can mean a ban from Schengen countries of up to three years. A 90-day stay leaves nothing spare for a delayed flight; sixty to eighty days is the comfortable version.

Passports and the new border systems

Passport validity. For UK passport holders, gov.uk’s Schengen rule is that the passport must have been issued less than ten years before you arrive and be valid for at least three months after you plan to leave. The State Department tells US citizens three months beyond departure from the EU, and its general advice to travellers over 65 is six months beyond the return date — the safer margin anywhere.

The Entry/Exit System (EES). The EU’s digital border system started on 12 October 2025 and replaces passport stamping. On entry you may give fingerprints and a photo at a booth, and again on the way out. Your record is valid for three years. Allow extra time for the first crossing.

ETIAS. The EU plans to launch its travel authorisation system in the last quarter of 2026; gov.uk and the State Department both say UK and US passport holders will then need to apply before entering. Use only the official EU site, never a third-party site that charges.

At the border, gov.uk says you may be asked for a return or onward ticket, proof of travel insurance, evidence of enough money, and your accommodation address.

When you need a visa

To stay longer than 90 days in one Schengen country you need that country’s long-stay visa or residence permit; the State Department’s advice is to apply through the embassy of the country where you will spend most of your time. Countries outside Schengen have their own rules, and some allow longer visa-free stays; the official country page on gov.uk or travel.state.gov takes five minutes to check.

House-sitting: free accommodation, with obligations

House-sitting means living in someone’s home while they are away, usually looking after pets, plants and the post, in exchange for staying free. Several platforms match owners with sitters for an annual membership fee; we do not recommend any one, as they differ in fees, verification and where their listings are.

What matters more than the platform is reading the listing as a job description. A dog that needs walking twice a day, a garden in August, chickens: these shape every day. Before you agree, speak to the owners by video, ask what happens if you fall ill or have to leave early, and get dates and expectations in writing. Start with a shorter sit nearer home. A house-sit is a bed with a job attached, and a very good one if the job suits you.

Renting abroad without being scammed

For most long stays you will rent an apartment through a platform or a local agent. Monthly rates are usually well below thirty times the nightly rate; ask if the discount is not shown.

The US Federal Trade Commission’s rental-scam warning signs apply in every country: premium properties at “super cheap” prices; vague details; pressure to decide quickly; and any landlord who will only take wire transfer, gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency. Its advice is to search online for the property’s address with the owner’s name, and to pay by a method with fraud protection, because with wire transfers, gift cards or crypto “you’ll lose your money, and there’s likely no way to track it or get it back.”

Ask the practical questions in writing before you pay — steps to the door, lift, washing machine, distance to shop and bus — with the cancellation terms in the same email.

Health and insurance for a longer trip

NHS Fit for Travel advises a travel health appointment six to eight weeks before you go, and recommends a risk assessment for older people and anyone with a long-term condition. The CDC’s advice on medicines — enough for the whole trip plus a few days, in original containers, with a copy of the prescription — means asking your prescriber early for a longer supply. UK travellers should carry a GHIC, free and valid up to five years, remembering it is not a substitute for insurance. Check that your policy’s maximum trip length covers the whole stay; see travel insurance after 50.

The long-stay accommodation options, the budget template and the passport and entry checks are all in our Slow Travel After 50 workbook, which was built around this kind of trip.

This week

• Do the Schengen day count for the last 180 days.
• Check both passport dates against your destination’s rule.
• Read three long-stay listings and draft the questions you would send.
• Book the travel health appointment if your trip is within two months.