Press Release: Freedom for third-country nationals to travel within the European Union: Commission wants to simplify the rules

On condition that they have a valid travel document and, where appropriate, a visa or residence permit, third-country nationals will be able to travel within the Schengen area for three months under a proposal for a Directive presented by the European Commission on 10 July 2001. The Commission is also proposing a specific authorisation enabling third-country nationals to travel for up to six months provided they do not spend more than three months in any single Member State. In both cases, third-country nationals must have sufficient resources to cover the costs of their stay. Equally, they must not be the subject of an alert for the purposes of non-admission or be regarded as a threat to public order in a Member State.