The Credential is a document which goes with the pilgrim along the journey to verify their route in The Way of St James, walking, on a bike or on a horse. It is considered as the Identification Pilgrim’s Card
Where can I get the Credentials for The Way of St. James.
This document can be applied in many offices and accommodations such us:
- Associations of The Way’s Friends
- Parishes on The Way
- Some Public Accommodations
- The Way’s Offices
If you want to plan Your Way with us, we’ll send you the Pilgrim’s Credential in advance as well as all the relevant info and doc about the way you will performed.
Credentials’ Price
The costs varies between 0.50 € and 2.00 €.
It’s an official document and
The only available certificate to obtain the Compostela, once you arrived to Santiago
This piece of cardboard is the identification card for every pilgrim. This card has two important aims:
- Allows you to rest on The Way Public Accommodations.
- And will be the compulsory and previous accreditation to get the long-awaited “Compostela”
The Credential is a folded card with many pages containing gaps to be sealed on Public Accommodations, monuments or establishments where the pilgrim has stop.Must be sealed twice a day at least.
In the Pilgrim’s Office, they will only checked the dates and the distance that should be at least 100 kms / 62.13 mi hiking or on horse. ( See Map) and 200 km / 124.27 mi on a bike (See Map)
So, in case you lose your Credential, your pilgrimage could no be verify being impossible to acquire the Compostela
Where to seal The Credential
You can seal it along the Way on the following places:
- Hostels
- City Halls
- School and Colleges.
- Churches, parishes and Cathedrals.
- Monuments.
- Tourist Information Points
- Even some pubs and cafeterias are authorized to stamp them.
How to seal it
To control the Credentials, these documents must be sealed twice a day at least. For those pilgrims who want to walk just the minimum km/mi required to obtain The Compostela or for those who walk on odd days, should be clarified that it’s only important The chronological and geographical order of the stamps, It’s not required to walk all the stages on the trot.
The Pilgrim’s Accreditation, has no expiration date. If you quit or you follow the Way on odd days (even it takes you years) you keep on using the same document.
Both expiration date and minimum age are not applicable for obtaining this document, so even children could get their Credentials
Its triptych shape, folded as an accordion has turned to be very comfortable and easy to carry along The Way.
Other Credentials of The Way of St. James.
We can found different Credentials all along the The St Jame’s Way. To name some we can find:
- Lebaniega’s Credential:This Credential touch upon a specific route with its own Jubilee Year and with a proper history. This is The Lebaniego’s Way This Way has its own both Credential and Compostelana called “Liebaniega”
- Salvadorana’s Credential: In this route called The Savior’s Way, you can stamp the Santiago’s Way Credential as well, but in addition it has its own Credential called “Salvadorana”.
- Canine Credential : If you will, you can walk The Way with your dog. It can stamp its Credential as the same time you stamp yours.