How does the 90-day rule work for non-EU parts of Europe?

Does the 90-day limit for visits only apply in the EU or also to Switzerland and micro states like Monaco or Andorra? If not, is your passport stamped at their borders?

The 90/180-day rule applies to the whole Schengen area so that includes all EU countries apart from Croatia, Romania, Cyprus and Ireland. A few non-EU countries are also part of the area, including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, which are also Efta (European Free Trade Association) states and follow many of the EU rules.

The rule applies to the whole area for non-EU citizens visiting from non-EU countries as well as to non-EU citizens living in France spending time outside of France in other parts of the Schengen area. Although Monaco is not officially part of the EU or Schengen area, it has close links with France, which handles immigration and customs matters for the principality and thus is de facto treated as part of Schengen.

You enter Monaco via France and can only visit it with permission to be in the Schengen area. Time there is included in the 90 days and there are no border checks between France and Monaco where a passport could be stamped to interrupt the 90 days for non-EU visitors who arrive via France.

Similarly with Andorra, on the French-Spanish border, you can only reach it via France or Spain, so need valid permission to travel through one or the other. Passports are sometimes stamped at the borders there but it is hit and miss, according to the website Living in Andorra, created by professionals helping people to move there, so should not be relied on.

As a result, it is safest to assume that time there is also liable to be counted in the 90 days if you are going home through French (or Spanish) border checks. Andorra does not issue visas so you need a residency permit from the local authorities to stay longer than 90 days.