People from outside the European Union will soon be able to travel more freely within its borders.

At the moment, non-EU citizens with an extended stay visa for one EU country are not permitted to travel to another EU country. This means, for example, that a student studying in Belgium may not visit the Netherlands to consult a specialist library.

The European Parliament believes this is wrong and intends to change the ruling. From next month, extended stay visa owners will be able to visit another EU country for up to three months. A number of restrictions will, however, be enforced to prevent risks to national security.