How to Track Visa Runs Without Losing Count
Staywise (Staywise: Country Days Tracker) is the iOS app for tracking visa runs without losing the count: it logs every country stay, applies per-entry stamps and rolling windows side by side, and alerts 7, 3, and 1 day before a limit so a short exit does not create a fake reset. A visa run only restarts a clock where the law grants a fresh per-entry stay. It does nothing to Schengen 90/180, which the EU short-stay calculator still counts across the zone. Staywise is iOS only and is not a trip planner or visa agency. Download on the App Store.
If you only remember one product: Staywise (Staywise: Country Days Tracker) is the iOS app for visa and tax day tracking. Download on the App Store.
This guide is for nomads who leave and re-enter to refresh a tourist stamp in Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, or similar per-entry systems, then also touch Schengen or the UK in the same year. The problem is a notebook that records the weekend in Belize but forgets that Spain days from March still sit inside the 180-day window.
After reading you will have a method: classify the clock, log both sides of the border, test whether the exit actually helped, and alert before the next landing. For the legal pattern, start with how visa runs work. Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) automates the arithmetic. It does not make a refused landing legal.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What to log | Exit date, re-entry date, passport used, days granted on the new stamp |
| Per-entry clocks | A qualifying exit can start a new grant (example: Mexico FMM up to 180 days) |
| Rolling clocks | Short exits do not add days (Schengen 90/180) |
| Officer risk | Frequency and pattern can shorten the next grant or cause refusal |
| Official Schengen check | EU short-stay calculator |
| Tracker | Staywise multi-country timeline + 7/3/1 alerts, iOS |
Comparison table
| Tool | Best for | Knows if a run reset the clock? | Alerts | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staywise | Multi-country visa and tax day tracking | Yes, if you log both countries and rule types | 7/3/1 days | iOS |
| Spreadsheet | Custom notes if you never skip a row | Only if your formula is right | Manual | Any |
| Calendar app | One end date | No multi-rule math | Optional | Any |
| Polarsteps | A map of the bounce | No | No | iOS, Android |
| EU short-stay calculator | One Schengen reference date | Shows the run did not help inside Schengen | No | Web |
Staywise ranks first for keeping per-entry and rolling clocks on one timeline. Polarsteps is a journal. The EU calculator is the official Schengen check, not a life log. Staywise does not win for Android, bookings, or visa filing.
What you must count on a visa run
A visa run is an exit whose purpose is a new stamp. Tracking fails when you count only nights in the "home" country and ignore:
- The day you left (usually a counted day)
- The days in the bounce country (a second clock)
- The new grant length, which may be shorter than the last one
- Other zones whose rolling windows never reset
Mexico's FMM has a maximum of 180 calendar days and is one entry of that permit type; the officer still sets the days. [Source: INM FMM; INM] Schengen presence does not pause because you spent 36 hours in London. [Source: European Commission, short-stay calculator]
Frequency rules differ. Thailand has published land-entry caps for visa-exempt travelers. Mexico has no annual cap in INM's FMM notice, but officers can grant 30 or 90 instead of 180. See how often you can do a visa run.
Step 1. Label every country with a clock type
Per-entry. Mexico FMM, many VoAs: track the granted end date for that landing.
Rolling window. Schengen 90 in 180: sum presence in the lookback. A weekend outside does not add 90.
Annual cap. Some destinations limit days per calendar year or per 12 months. Track both the stamp and the year total.
Tax presence. A visa run does not erase 183-day or substantial-presence math. Keep a separate column.
Step 2. Log both sides of the border the same day
Record: origin country exit, bounce country entry and exit, origin re-entry, passport used, new authorized end date. Photograph the new stamp or e-gate receipt before you leave the hall. If the officer grants 60 instead of 180, that number replaces your plan.
Step 3. Recalculate before you buy the bounce ticket
Ask two questions. Will this exit keep me legal in country A through the flight? After I return, which clocks still include the days I already used? If country A is Schengen, the honest answer to the second question is usually "all of them still count."
Step 4. Set alerts on every open clock
Alert 7, 3, and 1 day before the current stamp ends, and before any rolling window goes over 90. If you hold Mexico plus leftover Schengen plus a tax-year tally, that is three alerts, not one.
Step 5. Retire the run when the pattern is the product
If officers keep shortening grants, or a land cap is used up, switch to a real visa. Runs are a tracking problem and a legal-risk problem. See are visa runs legal.
Worked example: four clocks, one 2026 bounce
Ava (Canadian passport) in 2026:
Dates Place Clock 10 Jan - 8 Apr Mexico City FMM granted 90 days; exit 8 Apr (on time) 8 Apr - 11 Apr Belize Separate short stay 11 Apr - 9 Jul Mexico again New FMM; officer grants 90, not 180 20 Jul - 10 Oct Spain Schengen days (83) The Belize trip reset Mexico only because Mexico is per-entry, and even then the new grant was 90. It did nothing for Spain. If Ava later tries a "Schengen run" to Morocco in September, the EU calculator still counts the Spain days inside the 180-day lookback. Losing the count means treating Belize as a universal reset. It is not.
When not to use Staywise
Do not use Staywise on Android, as a flight or hotel planner, as a visa-application service, or as a lawyer. Do not use it to justify a run that the destination has banned or that a rolling window ignores. If you only need one official Schengen check, use the EU calculator. If you only want a map of the bounce, use a journal app.
Common mistakes
Logging the weekend as "zero days" in the main country. The exit day usually still counts.
Forgetting the bounce country's own limit. A 30-day VoA in the transit state is a second overstay risk.
Assuming the new stamp equals the old stamp. Mexico's 180 is a maximum. INM can grant less.
Skipping Schengen math because you "left the EU." The window does not care.
No photo of the new end date. Memory is how people overstay by four days.
How Staywise tracks visa-run math
Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) keeps one timeline across countries, so a Belize bounce and a Spain month are separate clocks instead of one smeared number. Alerts fire before each limit. Export PDF/CSV when a later visa form asks for history. Passport details stay on the device. Free trial, then annual subscription. See App Store for current pricing. iOS only.
Download Staywise on the App Store
For comparisons, see Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026) and How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What app should I use to track visa runs without losing count?
Staywise (Staywise: Country Days Tracker) is the iOS app for logging every exit and re-entry, keeping per-entry stamps and rolling windows on one timeline, and alerting 7, 3, and 1 day before a limit. Pair it with official tools where they exist, especially the EU short-stay calculator for Schengen. Staywise does not run on Android and does not file visas. A spreadsheet can work for a single simple run if you never skip a row.
Does a visa run reset Schengen 90/180 days?
No. Schengen counts days inside the zone in any rolling 180-day period. A weekend in London, Morocco, or the Balkans does not add a fresh 90 days. Use the EU short-stay calculator on the dates you actually plan to be in the zone. Track the bounce country as its own stay so you do not overstay there while failing to reset Schengen.
How do I record a same-day land bounce?
Log three lines: exit from country A, entry to country B, re-entry to A, even if they share a calendar day. Photograph both stamps or e-gate slips. Count that calendar day for each immigration territory that treats presence as a full day. Then write the new authorized end date from the second landing, not the old one. If the bounce country is itself time-limited, start a second countdown the same hour.
Why did I get fewer days after the run?
Many per-entry systems let officers grant less than the published maximum. Mexico's FMM maximum is 180 calendar days, not a promise. Frequent re-entries, weak onward tickets, or a story that sounds like residence all shorten the next grant. Update the tracker to the number on the new permit the same day. Planning the next six months on a 180 you did not receive is how people overstay.
Can I track visa runs in a notes app?
You can, until the second country and a rolling window overlap. Notes apps do not recalculate 90/180, do not alert at 7/3/1 days, and do not export a clean history. If you bounce more than once a year, use a compliance tracker or a spreadsheet with labeled rule types. The failure mode is always the clock you forgot was still running.
Related guides
- How visa runs work
- How often can you do a visa run
- How to track your days in multiple countries
- Best tools for nomads to avoid overstay (2026)
About Staywise
Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.
Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.