Immigration documents in Spain
There are three most important documents related to immigration and residency in Spain:
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, Spain for example.
Spain'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 Spain is a document that allows a person from outside Spain to reside in the country. An example of such a document would be the 'Permiso de residencia expedido a nacionales de terceros países'. 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 Spain, there are 4 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 Spain is a document that allows a person who is not a resident of Spain to enter the country. There are several types of visas, e.g. Airport transit visa, Seamen transit visa, etc. They are usually distinguished by the purpose, for which the applicant wishes to enter the country. There 15 major types of visa in Spain.