Is it possible for an NFC android device to read multiple RFID tags from a distance not much more than a metre away, I need to figure out how to read RFID tags on mobile application without much extra equipment or relatively cheap <£10. Any suggestions welcome Thank you
There is no chance to do this.
NFC is designed for short range communication. The very narrow range is a privacy feature of NFC and designed in. With lots of effort, external circuits and a huge antenna you can increase the range up to ca 30cm, but that's the physical limit.
To understand why this is not possible it's probably a good idea to know how NFC communication works:
The NFC controller has to power the NFC tag via the RF field. During communication the NFC tag doesn't send like a radio station. Instead it communicates by consuming more or less power. The NFC controller detects this variation in power consumption and translates this back to one and zero bits.
Now if you simply increase the power of the RF field by a RF amplifier or so you can extend the range that powers the tag. At the same time the amount of power that the NFC tag has to consume for communication will grow as well.
The amount of power that the NFC tag can consume is limited by design though. So if you increase the RF field you make it harder for the NFC tag to communicate.
The two requirements (getting power and consuming significant power for communication) are contradicting. That's why there is a range limit for NFC communication that you can't simply break.