Immigration documents in Italy

There are three most important documents related to immigration and residency in Italy:

Passport

The image of the passport of ItalyA 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, Italy for example.

Italy'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 Italy is a document that allows a person from outside Italy to reside in the country. An example of such a document would be the 'Permessi di soggiorno con validità da tre mesi a un massimo di cinque anni, recanti l’indicazione dello specifico motivo del soggiorno'. 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 Italy, there are 6 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 Italy is a document that allows a person who is not a resident of Italy to enter the country. There are several types of visas, e.g. Transit visa, Tourist visa, etc. They are usually distinguished by the purpose, for which the applicant wishes to enter the country. There 12 major types of visa in Italy.