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Unofficial credencial

OzAnnie

Veteran Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Oct/Nov 2022_Mozarabe from Almeria
I'm volunteeribg as hospitalera at the moment (donativo Albergue 'Villa de Grado ) on the Primitivo route.
I've seen a fair number of pilgrims arrive with 'free' credentials received from turismo in Oviedo or Grado.
As Grado can be day 1 for many starting in Oviedo we do have a supply of official credentials if they need one at a cost (we collect 3 euros for each).
There is also a supply of free credencials.
We explain the difference but many don't care and some only want it for a week or so and not going to claim a compostela.
I am concerned though at what may happen to those arriving at the pilgrim office to claim a compostela with the unofficial version.

Would someone on the forum please advise.
Annie
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The pilgrims office only accept official credencials when it comes to issuing a Compostela! Theoretically you could use any credencial until 100km before Santiago and then switch to an official one and collect 2 stamps/day from there to Santiago. Also theoretically, an albergue might refuse you staying if a Credencial looks too unofficial.

Hope that helps and Buen Camino/albergue, SY
 
The pilgrims office only accept official credencials when it comes to issuing a Compostela! Theoretically you could use any credencial until 100km before Santiago and then switch to an official one and collect 2 stamps/day from there to Santiago. Also theoretically, an albergue might refuse you staying if a Credencial looks too unofficial.

Hope that helps and Buen Camino/albergue, SY
Thanks
I had a pilgrim drop by for a stamp this morning with the free one issued by Asturias turismo. He does want a compostela when he reaches Santiago de compostela. I have given him exactly that info. To make sure he picked on up before he reached to 100klm mark.
He was good with that but they are under the assumption that because it is from the tourist office it's official.
Tks
Annie
 
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For obtaining the Compostela is quite clear that you have to collect sellos in official (Cathedral or Association) credencial. But with unofficial one you can also be refused at some albergues. I think that depends on hospitaleros more or less. I had some minor quarrels about that on Camino de Madrid because I couldn't get official credencial in Madrid and was collecting sellos in my guidebook. Solved problem in Nava de la Asuncion and all was well from there on. So better buy official one and be on the safe side I'd say.
 
It really bugs me that these regional toursim offices are printing these. It's not as if tje Cathedral gets much else from those walking this route other than the € for the tube and distance certificate. And I am assuming this money can help towards the restoration of the cathedral, as the money from the flying botafumeiro may also do. Why do they do this?
 
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I was Registering a batch of Spanish pilgrims yesterday in alburge Villa de Grado /a few had the Asturias turismo free credential. One had no credencial and didn't want one. I told her that she could not stay in the Albergue without a credencial so I got a shrug when she agreed to a free one. I mentioned they are not official. She said they were only walking for a few days and didn't care as they didn't want a compostela.
I know I'm not here to judge but it didn't feel good for me.
Annie
 
I was Registering a batch of Spanish pilgrims yesterday in alburge Villa de Grado /a few had the Asturias turismo free credential. One had no credencial and didn't want one. I told her that she could not stay in the Albergue without a credencial so I got a shrug when she agreed to a free one. I mentioned they are not official. She said they were only walking for a few days and didn't care as they didn't want a compostela.
I know I'm not here to judge but it didn't feel good for me.
Annie
This should tell you that they are just looking for a bargain holiday. I have shown them the door. Eroski says that your albergue is only for pilgrim with credenciales. She was not a pilgrim, nor had a crendencial. There are other albergues who are open to anyone (juveniles, some on the way to Fisterra/Muxia, etc.), but not most of them.

Would you really be volunteering to keep this albergue spotless, cook, welcome people looking for an inexpensive holdiday not willing to pay for a pension/hotel. Should people leaving generous donativos be subsidising these holidays? No Santiago = no bed in my book, at least as an eventual destination, if not on this outing, im a second or third, as not everyone has the time to walk all the way to Santiago.

I am surprised you were not given clear guidelines about who you could admit and who not to admit.
 
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This should tell you that they are just looking for a bargain holiday. I have shown them the door. Eroski says that your albergue is only for pilgrim with credenciales. She was not a pilgrim, nor had a crendencial. There are other albergues who are open to anyone (juveniles, some on the way to Fisterra/Muxia, etc.), but not most of them.

Would you really be volunteering to keep this albergue spotless, cook, welcome people looking for an inexpensive holdiday not willing to pay for a pension/hotel. Should people leaving generous donativos be subsidising these holidays? No Santiago = no bed in my book, at least as an eventual destination, if not on this outing, im a second or third, as not everyone has the time to walk all the way to Santiago.

I am surprised you were not given clear guidelines about who you could admit and who not to admit.
Kind of agree with you, Anemone, but...

If you encounter a "tourigrino" without credencial the answer would be very clear for me. As a hospitalero. What if she/he (tourigrino) would have official or non-official credencial? And what to do when you clearly see a pilgrim, all sweaty and dusty, with unofficial credencial? I'm not religious but isn't that a christian thing to let that person sleep in "your" albergue? Also if the albergue isn't full there is a bit more money for keeping it up...

Tough decisions for me although I don't want to be judgmental...
 
If they have the official credencial then they are playing the game well, within the current rules. So be it. (Even if I have seen hospies kindly encourage tourigrinos to go look for a bed elsewhere, where they would be "more comfortable"). And if you see someone that truly needs that bed, well then I suppose we caj leave it to the jugement of the hospy.

But if you tell me you have no credencial, don't care about getting to Santiago to pray over the relics, in an albergue that is reserved for pilgrims with a dredencial. and want to stay in a donativo on top of it and leave coins, I have no problem giving them the boot.

Or wait after closing hours and charge them the same price of the local pension, that way they contribute to the beds for others, and have not given a bed that someone else may need later that evening. :p
 
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But if you tell me you have no credencial, don't care about getting to Santiago to pray over the relics, in an albergue that is reserved for pilgrims with a dredencial. and want to stay in a donativo on top of it and leave coins, I have no problem giving them the boot.

Completely agree!!!

Or wait after closing hours and charge them the same price of the local pension, that way they contribute to the beds for others, and have not given a bed that someone else may need later that evening. :p

You being naughty? ;)
 
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I was Registering a batch of Spanish pilgrims yesterday in alburge Villa de Grado /a few had the Asturias turismo free credential. One had no credencial and didn't want one. I told her that she could not stay in the Albergue without a credencial so I got a shrug when she agreed to a free one. I mentioned they are not official. She said they were only walking for a few days and didn't care as they didn't want a compostela.
I know I'm not here to judge but it didn't feel good for me.
Annie
Hi Annie, what's the official position of your parent organisation not allowing any pilgrim who does not have an official credential? Might be harsh but it seems to me that an albergue such as yours is there to provide accommodation for official pilgrims! ( btw this just an opion, not interested in a full scale argument!)
 
But if you tell me you have no credencial, don't care about getting to Santiago to pray over the relics, in an albergue that is reserved for pilgrims with a dredencial. and want to stay in a donativo on top of it and leave coins, I have no problem giving them the boot.
So in your book, since I had no intention to pray over relics, and Santiago was just a way station on my way to the coast I had no right to a bed?
And BTW, when I stayed in a donativo I donated the same amount (maybe a bit more) as I paid at non donativo albergues.
 
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Hi all
Grado is for many first timers , the first stop and they arrive without a credencial.
I was continuing with guide passed on from previous hospis. (My first time as hospi ).
This is the reason I posted the question and my concern for pilgrims expecting that they can obtain a compostela in Santiago.
Thanks all for your responses. Also may help peregrinos who are unaware .
Annie
 
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I guess that the permission to distribute the "official" credencial does not come free of charge...so many tourist bureaus resort to "unofficial" ones.
 
I'm volunteeribg as hospitalera at the moment (donativo Albergue 'Villa de Grado ) on the Primitivo route.
I've seen a fair number of pilgrims arrive with 'free' credentials received from turismo in Oviedo or Grado.
As Grado can be day 1 for many starting in Oviedo we do have a supply of official credentials if they need one at a cost (we collect 3 euros for each).
There is also a supply of free credencials.
We explain the difference but many don't care and some only want it for a week or so and not going to claim a compostela.
I am concerned though at what may happen to those arriving at the pilgrim office to claim a compostela with the unofficial version.

Would someone on the forum please advise.
Annie
Hi Annie....my understanding about the Official Credencial was that this is The Pilgrim's passport to enable them to stay a night in a Municipal or Donativo Albergue as well as being The Official Document needed to obtain your Compostella, Certificate of distance and? When I was walking, there were many who were turned away because they did not have the official Credencial. I also did my Hospi Training with our Julie Milne and, from memory, this was one of the things we discussed during the training weekend.....:)
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I'm volunteeribg as hospitalera at the moment (donativo Albergue 'Villa de Grado ) on the Primitivo route.
I've seen a fair number of pilgrims arrive with 'free' credentials received from turismo in Oviedo or Grado.
As Grado can be day 1 for many starting in Oviedo we do have a supply of official credentials if they need one at a cost (we collect 3 euros for each).
There is also a supply of free credencials.
We explain the difference but many don't care and some only want it for a week or so and not going to claim a compostela.
I am concerned though at what may happen to those arriving at the pilgrim office to claim a compostela with the unofficial version.

Would someone on the forum please advise.
Annie

As long as the unofficial credenciales follow faithfully the rules and requirements established by the Cathedral -- including particularly the prayer and the Catholic recommendations for the pilgrimage -- they should technically be acceptable ; though given the most recent revision of those recommendations, for an "unofficial" credencial, I'd personally advise getting a personal hand-written recommendation and prayer/blessing from the Catholic PP or Bishop from the Catholic Parish/Diocese or Catholic pilgrim's office of one's place of residence, as the strictures from the Cathedral would seem to suggest as much. They state that a credencial must come from either a valid Catholic Authority or from an other source recognised by the Cathedral. Actually, specifically for a Catholic wanting to go on Camino, I'd advise doing the same if possible even with an officially recognised one, though this is not at all necessary if you're using the official document.

There are also actually some credenciales that might look "unofficial", but have actually been recognised by the Cathedral since the date of the most recent revision of their rules.

Just personal advice, and I'm sure the $0.02 of others will be insightful.
 
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I think there was a bit of a rebellion against the "edict" issued by the Cathedral about a uniform credencial, see for example here . As far as I can make out, the Cathedral wishes to sell their credencial for 1,50 EUR to the Spanish associations who have to sell it for 2,00 EUR to pilgrims. The Cathedral justifies their approach with the need to fund the Santiago Pilgrim's Office, at least that's my understanding.

Actually, a significant motivation on the part of the Cathedral was to clamp down on some credencial businesses that had sprung up and were making some commercial profits from the sale of these documents.

Yes, the basic fee is set in place for the benefit of the Pilgrim Office.

And it's not an "edict" towards a "uniform credencial", it's a reminder that credenciales need to follow the established Catholic requirements, including being no more expensive than cost requires, including the cost of contribution towards the Pilgrim Office.

Multiple models of credencial remain approved by the Cathedral, including the two most common French ones.
 
The Cathedral justifies their approach with the need to fund the Santiago Pilgrim's Office, at least that's my understanding.

PS: When I first looked into getting a credencial, which is quite some time age, I got the impression that you had to join an association first, so that was a lot more than 2 EUR (for me) resp 0,50 EUR (for them).
When I asked "why do they do it" I didn't mean the Cathedral but the refional tourism offices as this doesn't being them any income and can cause a bad surprise to those who use them. I don't see the benefit to them.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I am the person in charge of the hospitaleros at Grado. I communicated with one of them early today about this issue, I am sorry I evidently didn't give a clear enough answer.

The Fraternidad Internacional del Camino de Santiago (FICS) contracts with the municipality of Grado to staff and run the publicly funded albergue. Both organizations agreed going in that the facility is for the exclusive use of credential-bearing pilgrims traveling the Camino de Santiago. We did not go into deep detail on whose credentials were legitimate or acceptable, but we do expect people who want to stay with us to either Have One Already, or be prepared to identify themselves as pilgrims and get one from us.

The Oviedo Turismo credential is a tourist souvenir, meant to promote the caminos in Asturias. We accept those, and we give them out, too -- the municipality asked us to. We accept other non-cathedral credentials, but we warn the pilgrim that his document may not get him a cathedral-issued Compostela. A lot of them don't care. If they do, they can buy one of our "official" cathedral-issue credentials -- our friendly hospis will even fill in his name and address, free of charge.

I don't think hospitaleros should be Credential Police. I don't have detailed written policies on this because it's not come up before, and most hospis have enough common sense to deal with it on their own. (But if it was me, and that "pilgrim" was so clear about abusing the system, I'd have quietly showed her the way to alternative lodgings.)
 
Doesn't the linked article shed some light on this? I included the bit about what the money is used for because you had earlier said that you are "assuming this money can help towards the restoration of the cathedral".
I can see why local associations would get their panties in a knot, but why is the tourism office giving their own? What is in it for them? Surely this not in solidarity with the little volunteer associations.
 
I don't think hospitaleros should be Credential Police. I don't have detailed written policies on this because it's not come up before, and most hospis have enough common sense to deal with it on their own. (But if it was me, and that "pilgrim" was so clear about abusing the system, I'd have quietly showed her the way to alternative lodgings.)

It's perhaps that the most recent norms established by the Cathedral remain confusing to some ...

La credencial del peregrino, por tanto, sólo puede expedirla la Iglesia a través de sus instituciones (Obispado, Parroquia, Cofradía, etc. o, en todo caso, a través de instituciones que estén autorizadas por la Iglesia)

This is the only exception in the norms concerning credencial models not expressly approved by the Cathedral (of which there are many). ALL credenciales therefore that are not one of the approved models, or have otherwise not been provided for the pilgrim by an Institution of the Catholic Church, or by some Institution that has been approved by the Church for that purpose, are ineligible for the obtaining of the Compostela at the end of one's pilgrimage.

Bottom line though, one cannot assume that hospitaleros will have the whole catalogue of approved credencial models readily available for easy consultation, nor that those with only a passing notion of what the above means in canon law terms might always understand when an exception to the accepted models might actually be valid.
 
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I can see why local associations would get their panties in a knot, but why is the tourism office giving their own? What is in it for them? Surely this not in solidarity with the little volunteer associations.
Tourism offices get given money for publications and promotional materials. They produce all kinds of glossy, fact free rubbish with it. I got given some quite odd postcards on the Primitivo last year. I could have taken better photos with my phone, yet they came as a set in a custom envelope with multiple logos and whatnot. You also see piles of their glossies in albergues sometimes, booklets with no purpose.
 
Jabba Pappa: No matter what fund-raising scheme the cathedral comes up with regarding the much-vaunted souvenir "Compostela," the cathedral does not control the entire Camino de Santiago. Thousands of pilgrims travel the holy path every year without involving themselves in Official doctrinally-approved paperwork. And dozens of albergues, operating on goodwill and donations, manage to lodge and feed the pilgrims without toeing the Cathedral line.
It's always been that way, and I hope to God it remains so.
 
Jabba Pappa: No matter what fund-raising scheme the cathedral comes up with regarding the much-vaunted souvenir "Compostela," the cathedral does not control the entire Camino de Santiago. Thousands of pilgrims travel the holy path every year without involving themselves in Official doctrinally-approved paperwork. And dozens of albergues, operating on goodwill and donations, manage to lodge and feed the pilgrims without toeing the Cathedral line.
It's always been that way, and I hope to God it remains so.

Yes indeed, Bekkah, and the development of this aspect since the 1990s has returned the Camino back to its original Mediaeval commercialism -- and the Church in response has returned to some stricter rules. The to-and-fro has been going on for centuries.

The Compostela is not of course just a "souvenir" item for a Catholic pilgrim, though of course it's that too, but even so, just personally, my credenciales are more prized as souvenir items than my Compostelas are.

It's still worthwhile to detail the conditions that pertain to a credencial acceptable by the Cathedral as being coherent with the Episcopal decrees regarding the attribution of the Compostela certificate, for those who seek one (and if, God help me, I can get back on to the Camino one day, I'll certainly queue for mine).
 
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Slightly 'off-topic' (forgive me).
We passed through Grado in May and parked our car just below the albergue. We took the opportunity to call in and were offered a look around. So many pilgrims were arriving that we felt it unfair to 'get in the way' of the hospitaleras so declined. Lovely welcome though and the albergue looks great with a garden behind.

On topic - Maybe those with obviously commercial credenciales could wait until after a given time for a bed! Some of these have just 'spaces' for restaurants so are easy to spot. We were given one in Ribadasella, a year or two back, and it was obvious it was simply advertising.
 

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... Maybe those with obviously commercial credenciales could wait until after a given time for a bed! ...

I really don't understand the reasoning behind this. Does the type of Credencial indicate the kind of pilgrim there are for you? I am sure some picked up these type of credenciales believing them to be as valid and proper as any other. Buen Camino, SY
 
Besides, I just glimpsed through their 64 page booklet on the Camino de Santiago and they explicitly say that aunque la mayoría de los peregrinos llevan una especie de plantilla con casillas para ir poniendo los sellos, se puede utilizar una simple libreta que se va sellando en los pueblos por donde se pasa, in other words for them and their purposes of accommodating pilgrims in their albergues, anything will do as "credencial", there are no official credencials. So, the question seems to me: can they do this or is there a higher authority (legal, moral or other) who can stipulate otherwise?


Well, that advice seems terribly out of date, even though for those lacking a credencial, pending being able to obtain one you could certainly utilizar una simple libreta que se va sellando en los pueblos por donde se pasa as a stop-gap measure -- as in fact I advised two pilgrims to do myself on the Camino Aragonès last time 'round, as locations where one can obtain a credencial are few and far between on that particular route.

And BTW I myself in 1994 used una simple libreta, until I reached SJPP and could get myself a proper credencial there. I also used una simple libreta on the entirety of my Way to Rome in 2000, and I'm not sure that proper pilgrim passports even existed for that pilgrimage back in those days.

But the notion that "there are no official credencials" is of course wrong, even though, as several people have said already in the thread, Rebekkah's comments especially, if you've no intention of doing the queuing up thing at the pilgrim's office to get a Compostela, the official nature of your credencial is far less important than otherwise.
 
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No official credencials for staying in pilgrims albergues in general, it seems to me.

Well that would have been mostly correct prior to the introduction of the new norms, but as things stand now, as far as the refugios are concerned and what they'll view as being acceptable in practical terms, I'm as much in the dark as you are.
 
I really don't understand the reasoning behind this. Does the type of Credencial indicate the kind of pilgrim there are for you? I am sure some picked up these type of credenciales believing them to be as valid and proper as any other. Buen Camino, SY
The ones we were given, in spite of having had our own credenciales stamped, were just blatant advertising of several restaurants. The idea was to collect their sellos, their names were in the spaces. Maybe these no longer exist, and the present offerings from Asturias turismo look very different in your photo.
 
But if you tell me you have no credencial, don't care about getting to Santiago to pray over the relics, in an albergue that is reserved for pilgrims with a dredencial. and want to stay in a donativo on top of it and leave coins, I have no problem giving them the boot.

Intending to pray over relics is not a requirement. I certainly didn't do it. Having a valid credencial is, though.
 
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Intending to pray over relics is not a requirement. I certainly didn't do it. Having a valid credencial is, though.
Why would anyone walking to Santiago for religious motivation, not visit the crypt? Isn't that what this whole pilgrimage to Santiago is about? Ok, expanded now, to increase the clientele I suppose, to "spiritual reasons". No, it is not mandatory, but why then do any of this?
 
I walk to Santiago in pilgrimage for religious reasons, others walk for other reasons. I am fine with both approaches. As for "this whole pilgrimage to Santiago is about" - not for me to judge/determine. Buen Camino SY
 
Why would anyone walking to Santiago for religious motivation, not visit the crypt? Isn't that what this whole pilgrimage to Santiago is about? Ok, expanded now, to increase the clientele I suppose, to "spiritual reasons". No, it is not mandatory, but why then do any of this?

Not everyone walks for religious reasons. There are many reasons to walk to Santiago. Historical significance of the trail being one of them. I never stepped foot in the crypt. The line was too long and my feet were in too much pain to linger for hours on my feet. Plus I had more important things to do that day and people to meet that were far more important to me. I plan to see it on my next trip. I don't need to see a crypt of someone no one even knows is really there to get something out of my journey. The meaning is in the journey, not the destination.
A lot of people just enjoy hiking and walking across history.

And in the end why did I do it? Because I can and I wanted to.
 
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There are religious reasons for the Camino other than prayers before the relics in the crypt.

There are also non-religious reasons for the Camino, as well as there being non-religious reasons to visit the crypt.
 
Is The CSJ credencial still considered official and accepted by albergues and the Cathedral in Santiago? I've got mine and was going to use it as my credencial for my upcoming Camino, but am wondering if I need to leave it at home and get an 'official' one in Oviedo instead.
 
CSJ credenciel is absolutely fine...it counts as an official one.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

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