Understanding pilgrim passports and compostelas on the Camino de Santiago

A pilgrim passport is an important part of your Camino experience. While it is not strictly necessary if you are not staying in Albergues, it is a wonderful memento of your journey and, if you continue your pilgrimage to Santiago and meet the requirements, your stamps can be used to obtain your Compostela certificate.

The Camino passport, or credential, is an official Camino document and will be issued with your RAW Travel pre-departure pack. It can also be purchased for a few euros at pilgrim offices along the Camino or from the Australian Friends of the Camino.

The pilgrim passport is a folded card with space for 54 stamps. You can collect stamps, known as sellos in Spanish, tampons in French and carimbos in Portuguese, from accommodation, churches, cafés and other locations along the route.

Why have a Camino passport, or credential?

The passport helps record and verify your pilgrimage and, on some routes, is also required if you choose to stay in Albergues. It is a wonderful memento of your journey and is used to help track pilgrim numbers and journeys into Santiago. Some religious or historic sites along the Camino may also offer discounted entry to pilgrims when you show your passport.

How many stamps do I need each day?

If you are walking into Santiago de Compostela, you need to collect at least two stamps per day for the final 100km of your journey. If you are cycling, you need two stamps per day for the final 200km. This is part of the reason for the popularity of the Sarria to Santiago section, which is just over 100km. You can explore all RAW Travel Camino journeys that meet the distance requirements for the Compostela in this article.

You can collect stamps from accommodation, churches, religious sites, cafés, museums, town halls, pilgrim offices and Albergues along the Camino. Keep your pilgrim passport with you and easily accessible, particularly when checking into accommodation, so you can ask for a stamp. It’s a good idea to keep it safely with your regular passport and other important travel documents.

Can I get a Compostela on any Camino route?

Yes and no. The main rule is that you have to walk the last 100km, or cycle the last 200km, of your Camino into Santiago. So it doesn’t matter which direction you come from or which version of the Camino you walk as long as you abide by this rule of thumb. There are a couple of exceptions, however.

It was recently decreed that if you are using an e-bike that you are not eligible for a Compostela certificate. The enforcement of this is extremely difficult, however, so you would probably still be able to get one, but technically you wouldn’t be allowed one.

Some Camino journeys do not meet the requirements for the Compostela. For example, A Coruña to Santiago on the Camino Inglés is less than the required 100km on foot. Similarly, the Spiritual Variant of the Portuguese Camino includes a boat journey between Vilanova de Arousa and Pontecesures, so it does not technically meet the walking requirements. If you are walking the Le Puy Camino, you can collect stamps throughout your journey, but the Compostela is only issued in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, after completing the final 100km of your pilgrimage.

You can still collect stamps in your pilgrim passport as a record and memento of these journeys.

When will I receive my Compostela certificate?

Once you arrive in Santiago, take your passport to the Pilgrim’s Office to register and receive your QR code. This will also have an approximate time that you should present yourself to the Pilgrim’s office and, once there, they will verify the final 100km of stamps in your passport and issue you with your official Compostela certificate. The pilgrim’s office is usually open from 9am to 7pm. It is still advised to get there about half an hour before your approximate allotted time with your QR code as there may still be a queue. You will be asked some questions about where you started, and your motivation for your time on the Camino. You can also purchase a Certificate of Distance for your exact distance walked on the Camino, and a tube to protect your well-deserved Compostela.

What’s the history of the Compostela?

Historically, pilgrims displayed a scallop shell to prove their pilgrimage but this became more of a commercial practice with many people buying and selling shells en route. Since the 13th century, the ‘Compostela’ became a valuable document to prove one’s pilgrimage and often demonstrate a penance. By receiving a certificate showing they had walked to Santiago they could get back home and show they had paid their penance, ie repented for their sins.  The Compostela also meant pilgrims could stay in the Royal Hospital in Santiago for up to 3 days (now the Parador).

Where else can I purchase a pilgrim’s passport?

• JEAN DE PIED PORT – Office de Peregrino
• RONCESVALLES – Office del Peregrino
• JACA – Iglesia de Santiago
• LARRASOANA – Albergue Municipal de Peregrinos (D. Santiago Zubiri)
• PAMPLONA – Albergue de peregrines
• PUENTE LA REINA – Albergue de peregrinos
• ESTELLA – Albergue de peregrinos
• LOGRONO – Albergue Municipal de peregrinos
• SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA – Albergue de peregrinos de la Cofradia del Santo
• BURGOS – Albergue de peregrinos (Asociacion de amigos del Camino de Burgos)
• FROMISTA – Oficina del peregrino (Monasterio de San Zoilo)
• LEON – Albergue de peregrinos
• ASTORGA – Albergue de peregrinos
• MOLINASECA – Albergue de peregrinos (Alfredo)
• PONFERRADA – Albergue de peregrinos
• VILLAFRANCA DEL BIERZO – Albergue de peregrinos Ave Fanix (Jato)
• O’CEBREIRO – Albergue de peregrinos
• SAMOS – Albergue del Monasterio
• SARRIA – Albergue de peregrinos
• PORTOMARIN – Albergue de peregrinos

Choose from self-guided Camino de Santiago routes

RAW Travel is Australia’s leading walking tour operator for the Camino de Santiago. We offer options for all of the Camino routes in France, Portugal and Spain. Whether you want to start with the classic Camino Frances, walk through France on Le Puy Camino, enjoy the coastal route on the Portuguese Camino, follow the English Way on the Camino Inglés, take on the rugged Camino Primitivo, or experience the coastal Camino del Norte, we have the best self-guided walking holidays for you to choose from. We can also tailor-make the perfect pilgrimage, just for you.

Get in touch with our team today to start planning your hiking adventure.