Obtain an accepted credential and understand the stamp requirements before walking. Churches, albergues, bars, and town halls along the route provide stamps. A hotel booking confirmation or a fitness-app track is not a substitute.
Santiago & the Camino · YOUR QUESTION, ANSWERED
What is a pilgrim credential on the Camino?
The credential (credencial del peregrino) is the pilgrim passport used to collect dated stamps along a Camino journey. It is issued by the Pilgrim Office, confraternities, parishes, and many albergues for a small fee of a few euros. It records progress and supports an application for the Compostela when the route meets the official requirements, which include two stamps per day over the final 100 km.
Related questions, answered
Where can I collect the stamps needed for the Compostela?
Stamps (sellos) for the credential are given free at albergues, parish churches, cathedrals, town halls, tourist offices, bars, cafés, and many shops along every Camino route, and each stamp should carry the date. In the last 100 km on foot, or 200 km by bicycle, the Pilgrim Office requires at least two stamps per day, one at the start and one at the end of each stage, so pilgrims from Sarria or Tui collect a stamp at breakfast and another at the overnight stop. Stamps collected over separate trips must appear in chronological and geographical order.
Where can I get a Camino pilgrim credential?
The credential (credencial del peregrino) is issued by the Cathedral's Pilgrim Office in Santiago and distributed through parishes, Camino confraternities, pilgrim associations, and many albergues and cathedrals in the starting towns, for a small fee of about 2 to 3 euros. U.S. pilgrims can order one before departure from American Pilgrims on the Camino, the U.S. confraternity, or collect one on arrival in Sarria, Tui, Ferrol, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, or Porto at the pilgrim office, cathedral, or main albergue. Only credentials recognized by the Pilgrim Office count toward the Compostela, so avoid unofficial souvenir versions. A second credential is needed when the first fills with stamps.
Sources & further readingCathedral’s Pilgrim Office: the credentialCathedral’s Pilgrim Office: the Compostela
Official sources cover institutional information. Suggested pacing and itinerary choices are planning guidance. Check current arrangements for your travel dates.