Is this a recognized Credencial?

Yoyo · Mar 13, 2023

On a commercial website with camino souvenirs I came across this credencial.
I quite like the design but wonder if it is actually recognized by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago?
Is it issued by any of the official Pilgrim Associations?
Maybe those who have served there could comment please?

dougfitz · Mar 13, 2023

Yoyo said:
On a commercial website with camino souvenirs I came across this credencial.
I quite like the design but wonder if it is actually recognized by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago?
Is it issued by any of the official Pilgrim Associations?
Maybe those who have served there could comment please?

View attachment 142946

Perhaps you should email the Pilgrim Office with this question. Their email is oficinadelperegrino@catedraldesantiago.es. If you get a response it would be interesting to know the answer.

JabbaPapa · Mar 13, 2023

Doubtful, and impossible to tell from that photoshopped image.

JLuis · Mar 13, 2023

No, it’s not.
It’s just a souvenir.
Very nice one though. You can have one and stamp it along the way. But not good for receiving the Compostela.

green_spork · Mar 13, 2023

Yoyo said:
On a commercial website with camino souvenirs I came across this credencial.
I quite like the design but wonder if it is actually recognized by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago?
Is it issued by any of the official Pilgrim Associations?
Maybe those who have served there could comment please?

View attachment 142946

From reading the blurb alongside the item, I can imagine some people purchasing this, believing it would be accepted at the pilgrims office! Surely it should be listed as “ For display/souvenir use only!”
It reminds me of this makeshift credential, I found in the centre of Santiago! Stamped and dated, I wonder if the owner attempted to obtain a compestela with it?

Vacajoe · Mar 13, 2023

Technically, you COULD use this fancy one until 100km, then switch to an official one (2 stamps a day!).

JLuis · Mar 13, 2023

Yes. Sure.

DreamHiker2 · Mar 13, 2023

I guess if you don't intend to actually get the Compostela it would be functional enough to use along the way right? I mean, I would use it to collect the stamps for nostalgia purposes.

Yoyo · Mar 13, 2023

dougfitz said:
Perhaps you should email the Pilgrim Office with this question. Their email is oficinadelperegrino@catedraldesantiago.es. If you get a response it would be interesting to know the answer.

Good idea! I just emailed them with my question and will let you know as soon as they respond.

Yoyo · Mar 13, 2023

Thanks everyone for your replies. I thought it might be a credencial issued by one of the international Pilgrim Associations and recognized by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago.
Anyway, I contacted them directly to find out, as @dougfitz suggested.

David and Theresa · Mar 14, 2023

Why would it not, it documents your travel,

Bradypus · Mar 14, 2023

David and Theresa said:
Why would it not, it documents your travel,

Because some years ago the cathedral made a decision that the pilgrim office would only accept credencials which were issued by the cathedral or by approved groups such as the various national pilgrim associations. Many commercial outfits were making and selling their own versions at the time. Someone who uses an unofficial credencial may be refused entry to some albergues and may not be given a Compostela at the end of the journey.

dougfitz · Mar 14, 2023

David and Theresa said:
Why would it not, it documents your travel,

The pilgrim office has requirements about what credencials it will accept. See https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/the-credencial/.

Rick of Rick and Peg · Mar 14, 2023

Play it safe. Use an official one for lodging sellos and the 100 km extra sellos and use the souvenir one for the other places you want a stamp.

David and Theresa · Mar 14, 2023

dougfitz said:
The pilgrim office has requirements about what credencials it will accept. See https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/the-credencial/.

Thanks for the link, it makes it clear ,

WGroleau · Mar 18, 2023

Bradypus said:
Because some years ago the cathedral made a decision that the pilgrim office would only accept credencials which were issued by the cathedral or by approved groups such as the various national pilgrim associations. Many commercial outfits were making and selling their own versions at the time. Someone who uses an unofficial credencial may be refused entry to some albergues and may not be given a Compostela at the end of the journey.

Seems a silly rule to me. Might be easy to forge a credential, but all the colored stamps and dates in different handwriting? I got all my sellos in my diary, but then I wasn't interested in the certificate.

Bradypus · Mar 18, 2023

WGroleau said:
Seems a silly rule to me.

I agree. I am simply stating what the pilgrim office policy currently is - I am not endorsing it. One of a number of pedantic rules in recent years. I carry an officially recognised credencial on my Camino journeys to avoid any problems with access to albergues but I no longer ask for a Compostela on arrival in Santiago. So I do not pay much attention to the number and dates of the sellos I receive along the way.

Kathar1na · Mar 26, 2023

Yoyo said:
Thanks everyone for your replies. I thought it might be a credencial issued by one of the international Pilgrim Associations and recognized by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago.
Anyway, I contacted them directly to find out, as @dougfitz suggested.

Did you get a reply from the Pilgrim Office in Santiago?

Yoyo · Mar 26, 2023

Kathar1na said:
Did you get a reply from the Pilgrim Office in Santiago?

No, @Kathar1na, they haven't replied, and it's been almost two weeks since I contacted them.

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Is this a recognized Credencial?

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