Camino pilgrim passport and Compostela: documents and stamps

By Hito · Published 6 September 2026

Your pilgrim passport travels with you and collects stamps. The Compostela is requested at the end and has its own conditions. Knowing the difference makes the paperwork much less confusing.

Three documents you will hear about

Credencial, or pilgrim passport

The document in which you collect stamps along the route. The Pilgrim Office lists recognised places to obtain one, including outside Spain.

Compostela

A certificate issued by Santiago Cathedral when its pilgrimage requirements are met. Having a pilgrim passport does not automatically qualify you.

Distance certificate

A separate document recording details such as your start, route, distance and arrival. The Pilgrim Office explains its conditions separately.

Arrange your pilgrim passport before walking

Look up authorised distributors on the Pilgrim Office website. If you plan to collect it at your starting point, check the location and opening arrangements. Do that before the morning you intend to leave.

Keep it somewhere you can reach easily and protect it from rain. Check the date when collecting a stamp. If you stop walking for a while and return later, read the official instructions for documenting that journey.

What the Compostela requirements say

Checked on 6 September 2026: the Office requires 100 continuous kilometres towards Santiago on one recognised route for walking or horse riding, and 200 for cycling. Further conditions cover the final section, starts outside Spain, stamps and religious or spiritual purpose. Collection is in person and individual.

This is a short overview, not a decision about your itinerary. Read the full requirements before choosing your start, particularly if you plan to combine routes or modes of travel. Ask the Office about anything that does not fit your plans. Hito does not issue or approve the certificate.

Allow time when you arrive

Finishing the walk, finding your accommodation, eating and visiting an office all take time. If you have a flight or train booked that day, avoid building a schedule that only works if everything happens immediately.

Check the Office's current opening hours and arrival procedure shortly before reaching Santiago. Keep your pilgrim passport handy and your travel confirmations easy to find. Include time for a certificate application if that matters to you.

Before you settle the itinerary

• I know where I will get my pilgrim passport.
• I have read the conditions for my way of travelling.
• I know how to record the walk if I take a break and return.
• I have allowed time for what I want to do in Santiago.

Return to the stage planning guide if you are still dividing your days. The packing list will help keep your documents and bookings to hand.

Keep preparing your Camino