Pilgrim’s Credential

A pilgrim’s credential—credencial del peregrino in Spanish and carnet de pélerin in French—is also known as your passport. It’s an accordion-folded document slightly longer than a regular passport. A stamped credential is first and foremost a passport that lets you stay in albergues (and gives discounts in some museums), and also that documents where you began and where you’ve walked. But it also is necessary if you wish to earn a certificate of walking, the Compostela.

Credentials usually cost €2. You can pick up a credential at all the gateway cities and starting points, such as at the pilgrim’s welcome office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
You’ll get your credential stamped every day, usually at the place you stay, but almost every place along the Camino—including shops, cafés, and restaurants—has a stamp they enjoy sharing. Churches also often have a stamp that you will find as you enter. For some pilgrims, their stamped credential is the best souvenir of their walk. If you are walking all the way from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, you will probably easily fill two to three passports before you are done. It’s fine to stamp other things, if you wish, such as in your journal, a map, or whatever other parchment you wish to use to create a document of your journey with these unique imprints.