Credential from your own country- 'unofficial editions'?

[kubapigora]

I have searched the forum and I know that there was few topics on the subject of credentials. My problem is a bit different.
Polish Club of Camino de Santiago (http://www.santiago.defi.pl/index.php?i=en_oklubie have released their own edition of pilgrims passport some 2 years ago. I know that some of the polish pilgrims have used it- some of them without any problems from hospitaleros; some forced to buy official version after 2-3 days when refused a bed in albergue.

Have you know of any other editions of credential used on camino, have you seen any? What is 'legal' side of it? Are we allowed to use our own editions?

I would like to use our polish version, I know how hard some people have been working on it.
Please give some feedback on it!
Thanks.

 

[sillydoll]

Credencials from official confraternities in different countries should be accepted by all the refuges and will be accepted for the Compostela. This was a ruling passed by the Pilgrims' Office last year. The CSJ of the UK, American Pilgrims, Canadian pilgrims, South African Confraternity of St James all issue their own credencial and these are accepted.
The only Spanish credencial that is accepted is the official one issued by the church. These are available for between 1 and 2 euro from most albergues, cathedrals, churches etc.
By last year there were so many organisations, tour groups, travel agents etc in Spain printing credencials that the church decided to disallow them all and only accept the official one at albergues and for the compostela.
And remember, if you are not walking for a religious reason you don't have to accept the Compostela, you can ask for a different certificate.
Here are pictures of the certificate and the Compostela

 

[kubapigora]

That's great. I will use our own credential then (isn't it pretty? http://www.santiago.defi.pl/index.php?i=paszport).
I would like to know what other countries and organisations are printing their own credentials. Maybe some of you would share some pictures or pass the websites links.
Sil thank you for your help. Tomorrow I'm going to print our passports and put it together.
Kuba.

 

[sillydoll]

Kuba, your credencials look very nice. I'm sure you can see photos of the other organisations' credencials on their websites.

American Pilgrims on the Camino: http://www.americanpilgrims.com/
Belgium: http://www.compostelagenootschap.be/
Brazil: http://www.santiago.org.br/
Canada: The Company of Pilgrims: http://www.santiago.ca/
French Canadian: http://www.duquebecacompostelle.org/
Dutch: http://home.wanadoo.nl/petermkuiper/camino/
England: Confraternity of St James: http://www.csj.org.uk
France: Société des Amis de Saint Jacques de Compostelle: http://www.compostelle.asso.fr/
France – Vezelay: "Via Lemovicensis" (La Voie de Vézelay): http://www.amis-saint-jacques-de-compostelle.asso.fr/
Southern France: Association de Coopération Interrégionale les Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle http://www.chemins-compostelle.com/
France – Chartres: Association des Amis de Saint Jacques d'Eure et Loire http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/chartres_stja ... ndex.jhtml
France - Saint Jean: Au coeur du chemin - les Amis de Chemin de St Jacques des Pyrénées Atlantiques http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/
German: Pilgern Auf Dem Jakobsweg http://www.pilgern.ch/
Ireland: The Irish Society of the Friends of St James http://www.stjamesirl.com/
Italy: http://www.confraternitadisanjacopo.it/
Norway: The Confraternity of St James, Norway http://www.pilegrim.no/
Portuguese: Caminho de Santiago http://www.caminhodesantiago.com.br/index.htm
Swiss: http://www.ultreia.ch/

Abrazos,
Sil

PS: If your members have any problems using your association's credencial, it might help if you send a photo of it to the Pilgrims' Office letting them know that pilgrims from Poland will be using your credencial. peregrinos@archicompostela.org

 

[kubapigora]

O my... That's fantastic. A lot of reading and watching for the evening. I will ask someone from the club to post the information about passport to the pilgrims office. I recon they have done it before (probably two seasons ago), but sending the reminder wouldn't hurt.

Kuba, your credencials look very nice

And most important: they are absolutely free of charge and ready to download. It is actually a good way of saving 1Euro ))

Thanks a lot for your help. Take care!
Kuba.

 

[fernando]

Hi Everybody!

The credential must be free but some "asociaciones del camino" or some Churhs and sell them.
There is a lot o credencials kind, but the most usual is that show silly.
Pilgrims Office, told last year that want only one, but it´s impossible above all because there is a lot of credencials kinds out of Spain.

The credentials was an idea from the camino friends asociations but the church apropiate it. Now, a month ago the church,(Pilgrims´s office) view that the most pilgrim walk by other causes that it isn´t religion and think that make it can control better.

Sil Here in Spain only can get a credencial in church, cathedral, some albergues and asotiations but , I think that can´t get it in other organitations like our groups, travel agents. Perhaps, yes, but like a replica thatourists stamp in some places of camino, but only like a souvenir without the idea of getting compostela

I think that credential must be only one kind, but, indifferent if is for religious cause or other.

Perhaps, Pilgrim´s office must aceppt our camino's diary. It´s very nice make your camino´s diary your credential besides our drawing and experiences.i think that this show better that you made the camino. I made it in some caminos, but, also I stamp my credential, because, some pilgrims told me that they had problems in Pilgrim´s Office (though some pilgrim's diary was accepted in that office)

 

[sillydoll]

Hola Fernando,
I don't think there is a problem for tourists or people on guided tours to also have a stamped card so that they can get the tourist certificate in Santiago.
I love looking at the sellos in my credencials - more than the Compostela, because each sello is a memory of a place I visited.

When I walked across England in 2001 we made a 'credencial' (like the pilgrims' passport) to have stamped at each place we stayed in. It is a wonderful record of a happy journey.

 

[fernando]

Hi Sil
Yes, there is a lot of places that have a credential, or a Passport. Here in Spain, I remember de Seville 1992 Universal Exposition, that you can get a passport to stamp in echa pavilion that you visited.

 

[kubapigora]

Sil- great idea! We are moving to Yorkshire this year, so we will be much closer to that walk. We have visited Robin Hoods Bay some time ago- and we loved it.
Here's a teaser:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kubapigora/2002808119/
Take care.
Kuba.

 

[sillydoll]

Kuba - you will LOVE it!!
Two weeks walking through three National Parks - Lake District National Park, Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors National Parks. Beautiful scenery and the largest town is Kirkby Stephen, a market town. There are a number of organisations that carry your bags from one B&B to the next and this makes hiking a doddle!

 

[kubapigora]

You shoud know my opinion on carrying bags by someone else by now) But surely- we will try to find some time (probably spring next year) to walk that way. This years camino will be our last holiday outside the UK for some time, as we are planning to go around the world in spring 2011 (need to save all those pennies now). So coast-to-coast would be a great holiday for a reasonable price
Kuba.

 

[petermk]

Sillydol has referred to my (old) camino page at http://home.wanadoo.nl/petermkuiper/camino/, but it is no longer there. You can now find it at http://home.kpn.nl/petermk/caminoThanks,
Peter Kuiper