Immigration documents in Belgium
There are three most important documents related to immigration and residency in Belgium:
Passport
A passport is an identity document that provides information about a specific person. In the context of immigration and residency, a passport proves that a person holds the citizenship of a certain country, Belgium for example.
Belgium's passport is considered to be one of the strongest in the world. It allows its holder to travel to almost any country in the world either visa-free or allowing to receive a visa on arrival.
Residence permit document
The residence permit of Belgium is a document that allows a person from outside Belgium to reside in the country. An example of such a document would be the 'Carte A: Certificat d’inscription au registre des étrangers – séjour temporaire'. It is usually either limited in validity length (temporary RP) or or provides an unlimited right to reside (permanent RP). As a document, most of the times it is a card similar to an ID-card or a driver's licence.
In Belgium, there are 7 main types of residence permit documents with a number of possible variations, such as specialized documents for the family members of an original document holder.
Visa
The visa of Belgium is a document that allows a person who is not a resident of Belgium to enter the country. There are several types of visas, e.g. Airport transit visa, Tourist visa, etc. They are usually distinguished by the purpose, for which the applicant wishes to enter the country. There 8 major types of visa in Belgium.