Spain, Cantabria, Passports - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains copies of original passport register books and passport application files housed at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cantabria in Santander, Spain. Some of the passports were issued for internal use in Spain (salvoconductos or pasaportes para el interior), and others were issued to travel from Spain to other countries (pasaportes para el extranjero or ultramar).

This collection is being published as images become available.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Passport records may contain the following information:


 * Name of the traveler
 * Date and place issued
 * Destination
 * Family members also traveling
 * Age
 * Birth place
 * Physical description of traveler

The date of the register will be on the first page of the register.

Passport registers may contain the following:


 * Name(s) of traveler(s)
 * Nationality/country of origin
 * Where passport was issued
 * When passport was issued
 * Date and place of arrival
 * Date and place of departure

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View The Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select Type and Year to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors
 * Before you move on – Get a copy of the citation of exactly where you found your ancestors record for further reference.  The image citation is available by clicking on the information tab at the bottom left of the screen where you’ve found your ancestor
 * Use these records to document your ancestor's movements from place to place. Keep in mind that your ancestor may have been traveling on business, vacationing, or, in fact, moving
 * Use the age to calculate a birth year.
 * The location of where a passport may be close to that person's original home province.
 * Use the birth date/year and the nationality/departure location to search for civil Spain Civil Registration - Vital Records and/or church records Spain Catholic Church Records
 * Check other immigration records for more information regarding your ancestor's movements Spain Emigration and Immigration
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate other church and land records
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify

I Can’t Find The Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added
 * Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not
 * There may be more than one person with the same name
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring area. Search the records and indexes of neighboring cities, provinces, and regions
 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby countries or immigration/emigration records
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Spain.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation: "España, Cantabria, Pasaportes, 1785-1863." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cantabria, Santander (Cantabria Province Historical Archives, Santander).