Passport/credential?

[DLJ]

In light of the latest announcement regarding the various credentials, we are planning to do the Camino El Norte to Santiago in April, do you or who do you recommend contacting for a credential? I could get one from the American Pilgrims on the Camino, but from past experience theirs has been smaller and not enough space for stamps for the distance involved?

 

[dougfitz]

It is possible to get a credential from the Forum Shop for a small donation and handling charges. This link is at the top of the page.

 

[Kanga]

I obtained two from the forum shop and when the first was full I chopped off the cover page of the second and glued it to the first. It just looks like one long document.

 

[Kurt5280]

I purchased a credential from the American Pilgrims on the Camino website and another at the Pilgrim Office in SJPDP...and it is good to have two credentials just in case you go Cello stamp happy along the Camino...one of my Camino partners was on a religious pilgrimage and had his credential stamped at every open cathedral we passed so he had several (4+) full stamped credentials before the end of his Camino...also have your credential in a ziplock bag or two because I have poured water out of my pockets of my raincoat on bad weather days.

 

[karenhypes]

We always ordered one before we left, in our case from the Canadian Co. of Pilgrims...or AMPOC, this forum as noted, Confraternity of St. James, and other Pilgrim associations. We also picked one up where we started, ie. SJPP, Le Puy, Arles. As an FYI, when we started in Lisbon this past May, the Cathedral was out of them, so it was good that we had our Canadian credential (in Portugal, they give out the Spanish credencial). Worst case scenario, just improvise if you fill one up like Kanga mentioned. Nothing always goes by plan on a Camino!!!!!
Dayton

 

[DLJ]

Thanks all for the quick response - Ultreia!

 

[kalliti]

...but what about this new policy concerning the credencials? With my basic Spanish I couldn't quite figure out what it means (the pdf in the Camino Forum shop under the topic of credencial). Is the new credential different, the one, which is valid from 1st April 2016? For example, I'll start in March with my old credencial, do I need to change that in April, or should I start with the new one, or what?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

...but what about this new policy concerning the credencials? With my basic Spanish I couldn't quite figure out what it means (the pdf in the Camino Forum shop under the topic of credencial). Is the new credential different, the one, which is valid from 1st April 2016? For example, I'll start in March with my old credencial, do I need to change that in April, or should I start with the new one, or what?

Hi - I'm sure that the credencial you already have is fine to use. The Cathedral's strategy is aimed particularly at unauthorised travel companies printing and issuing their own branded credenciales. The Cathedral wants them to buy their credenciales. The Forum Shop sells authorised credenciales as do the country associations such as: American Pilgrims on the Camino, the Canadian Company of Pilgrims, the Irish Friends, the CSJ in the UK, the CSK in South Africa, the Australian Association etc.

 

[kalliti]

Ok, thanks! One more question: can I start with the new credential in March, or is it valid only from the 1st of April?

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi - there is much confusion about this! Kalliti unless you or anyone else has a credencial branded with something like "Camino Tour Company" there should be no problem. Credenciales issued by the Forum Shop and all of the usual pilgrim associations will be fine imho.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Ok, thanks! One more question: can I start with the new credential in March, or is it valid only from the 1st of April?

You can absolutelywalk with the old one. The only things these are for is to show you have walked from point a to b. To c. The Pilgrim Office will study your stam's, look at their dates, understandypur starting point for this walk and take it from there. Which is why you could also use a random piece of paper to collect your stamps, or the pages at the back of your guide, such as in the Brierly guides or glue two credenciales together, any of these but not buying non Cathedeal or Confraternity credenciales. That's the only no-no.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Sorry to disagree Anemone but I would be very cautious these days of advising that anything other than an authorised credencial should be used. The credencial gives admission to albergues as well as being accepted by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago for the purposes of obtaining the Compostela. Credenciales are very widely available throughout Spain, from the Forum shop and from the country associations.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Sorry to disagree Anemone but I would be very cautious these days of advising that anything other than an authorised credencial should be used. The credencial gives admission to albergues as well as being accepted by the Pilgrims' Office in Santiago for the purposes of obtaining the Compostela. Credenciales are very widely available throughout Spain, from the Forum shop and from the country associations.

Aren't most of the albergies private nowadays and open to any traveller? They don't care about the Credencial. And if tje Cathedral is going to penalise people for not spending 20$c for a confraternity credencial (yup, 20$C! for the Quebec one) or making a home made one, the it becomes clear that its intention would that new policy is not to protect pilgrims from greedy commercial ventures but to keep the monies for itself.

 

[Kurt5280]

No...every real albergue will ask you for your Pilgrim credential...other private accommodations may not ask for your Pilgrim credential not but will have a stamp for your credential at your request...the American Pilgrims on the Camino only asks for a donation to issue a Pilgrim credential and lists all of the Canadian Povinces in the mailing addresses. (http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req_external.html)

 

[Anemone del Camino]

No...every real albergue will ask you for your Pilgrim credential...other private accommodations may not ask for your Pilgrim credential not but will have a stamp for your credential at your request...the American Pilgrims on the Camino only asks for a donation to issue a Pilgrim credential and lists all of the Canadian Povinces in the mailing addresses. (http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req_external.html)

I am very surprised as I have been looking at albergues from Santiago to Fisterra on Ersoki and they clealry list they are open to all. But then again this may depend on what you call a "real albergue". I will look more closely tonight.

As for the APOC and the listing of Canadian provinces, what do you mean? That they will also issue to Canadians for free? Maybe or Quebec association needs to take a new look at its practices . The CSJ sells them for 5£, more reasonable than the Qc association.

EDIT: For the bit to Fisterra, unless they are a muni or paroquial the vast majority of albergues are open to all. But I did go spot check the Norte and even some private albergues are only for people with a credecial ( but certainly not all). Loved that Deba tells you you mist atill arrive on foot or by bicycle. So yes, I have a agree, for maximum flexibility carrying a credencial is the way to go, bit I am stilling willing to bet you can walk crosscountry without one.

 

[Kurt5280]

The Camino Finisterre & Muxia is completely different than the Camino Frances in that only about 10% of the Pilgrims continue on to the coast and I would not consider either of these towns to be tourist towns other than for Pilgrims...also I consider the Camino Finisterre & Muxia to be the "Real Camino" like before the Camino Frances had all of the commercial services (buses, backpack transfer services, tour companies, etc.) that it does today...of the albergues I stayed in during my Camino Finisterre & Muxia only one offered accommodations to both Pilgrims and non-Pilgrims alike but there were so few people in that town it did not matter...and lastly it appears that the American Pilgrims on the Camino will issue credentials to Canadians for a donation so give it a try...and CSJ sells great publications but the shipping cost to the USA is equal to the cost of the publications purchased and I am expecting my third shipment of CSJ publications this month.

 

[SYates]

I..., bit I am stilling willing to bet you can walk crosscountry without one.

You can certainly walk cross country without a Credencial, but you will have a hard time being admitted into an pilgrims albergue without one. But you can always stay in other places like pensions, hotels and the like. Also, if you like to receive a Compostela at the end of your pilgrimage, you will need an official Credencial. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Anemone del Camino]

You can certainly walk cross country without a Credencial, but you will have a hard time being admitted into an pilgrims albergue without one. But you can always stay in other places like pensions, hotels and the like. Also, if you like to receive a Compostela at the end of your pilgrimage, you will need an official Credencial. Buen Camino, SY

I honestly don't think so. Check for yourself, I did this morning. A lot of albergues are listed on Eroski as being open to "todos" or "peregrinos y turistas". The Compostela os another matter all together.

 

[dougfitz]

I honestly don't think so. Check for yourself, I did this morning. A lot of albergues are listed on Eroski as being open to "todos" or "peregrinos y turistas". The Compostela os another matter all together.

This has been the subject of another thread recently. I think that the simplest that I can summarise that thread is this: private albergues might take all comers, but for other types of albergues, you should not expect to be allowed to use them without a credential.

 

[SYates]

I honestly don't think so. Check for yourself, I did this morning. A lot of albergues are listed on Eroski as being open to "todos" or "peregrinos y turistas". The Compostela os another matter all together.

I stated my own experience from walking the Camino where I was nearly always first asked to show my Credencial before anything else happened. SY

 

[Donna Sch]

You can certainly walk cross country without a Credencial, but you will have a hard time being admitted into an pilgrims albergue without one. But you can always stay in other places like pensions, hotels and the like. Also, if you like to receive a Compostela at the end of your pilgrimage, you will need an official Credencial. Buen Camino, SY

And the credencial often gets you a discount at the private accommodation which is very handy at times.

 

[dougfitz]

A lot of albergues are listed on Eroski as being open to "todos" or "peregrinos y turistas".

I checked the Eroski alberbue listings for the first five stages of the Camino Frances, and there are indeed a large number of albergues open to the general public. Of the 50+ listings that I checked:

• only three non-private albergues were open to the general public, one was a youth hostel, one a religious community and the other run by a local council.
• there were many private albergues whose listing showed they were only open to pilgrims, but the majority are open to the general public.

I presumed that any hotels, hostels or casa rural would be open to the general public as well.

I suppose that you could undertake a pilgrimage without a credential using private accommodation options. I just wonder why you would want to limit yourself in that way.

 

[Tia Valeria]

As I understand it the fees for the confraternities are for membership, with all its extras and advantages (meetings, advice, training days etc). The credencial is either free, or a small fee, and the cost of postage. We therefore are only too happy to pay for membership of CSJ UK not just for ourselves but for the help that it gives to others. The new fold out credencial is still free to members (as was the old booklet format) and is available to non-members for a small charge plus postage.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

As I understand it the fees for the confraternities are for membership, with all its extras and advantages (meetings, advice, training days etc). The credencial is either free, or a small fee, and the cost of postage. We therefore are only too happy to pay for membership of CSJ UK not just for ourselves but for the help that it gives to others. The new fold out credencial is still free to members (as was the old booklet format) and is available to non-members for a small charge plus postage.

The CSJ is generous enough to offer the credencial to non members, even if it is different then the beautiful one they give its members, at a reasonable price. But there are thos organisations that only make them available to their members, so regardless or wether or not you want to be a member you have to pay the $$ to get your credencial. I got conned the first time when I didn't know better. Funny enough, after I figured this I never renewed my membership. I would have prefered to have been given the option, and then would probably still be supporting the association. So now when they have an activity of i terest to me I just pay the "non-member" fee.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I am very surprised as I have been looking at albergues from Santiago to Fisterra on Ersoki and they clealry list they are open to all. But then again this may depend on what you call a "real albergue". I will look more closely tonight.

As for the APOC and the listing of Canadian provinces, what do you mean? That they will also issue to Canadians for free? Maybe or Quebec association needs to take a new look at its practices . The CSJ sells them for 5£, more reasonable than the Qc association.

EDIT: For the bit to Fisterra, unless they are a muni or paroquial the vast majority of albergues are open to all. But I did go spot check the Norte and even some private albergues are only for people with a credecial ( but certainly not all). Loved that Deba tells you you mist atill arrive on foot or by bicycle. So yes, I have a agree, for maximum flexibility carrying a credencial is the way to go, bit I am stilling willing to bet you can walk crosscountry without one.

Anemone might want to also think of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims - membership $10 and the credential $5. The CCoP has Québec members (even US members!) and the Association Québécoise members in Ontario (myself included, as I hold both memberships), New Brunswick, and other provinces. Membership fees include support of the pilgrims associations, including donations to projects along the Camino and in Santiago. And, given what one pays for a cappucino in most Canadian cities, the price is not exorbitant. Both the CCoP and AQ credentials are recognized by the Cathedral in Santiago as national associations, and both participated in the conference of pilgrim associations in Santiago last June.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

What is the Association québécoise? A different association then the Amis? I love the idea of supporting local projets!

 

[oursonpolaire]

What is the Association québécoise? A different association then the Amis? I love the idea of supporting local projets!

We might be speaking of the same gang-- http://www.duquebecacompostelle.org/ -- only using different shorthand. They have an astonishing amount of local activities, usually monthly.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

We might be speaking of the same gang-- http://www.duquebecacompostelle.org/ -- only using different shorthand. They have an astonishing amount of local activities, usually monthly.

Yes, that's them. Lots of regularly planned walks throughout the Province and some interesting testimonial/informational conferences here and there.

 

[camino-david]

I was a hospitalero in October last year at San Miguel Paroquial Alberge in Estella at the end of John Brierley's Stage 5. We always requested production of a passport or EU ID card, plus a credential. If someone could not produce a credential, they could not stay. Having said that, out of approx. 400 pilgrims who arrived during the 15 days I was there, only one person was not allowed to stay as he did not have a credential and was obviously not a pilgrim (suitcase, street shoes etc).
I am like most people and like to have a credential with all it's sellos as a wonderful momento of the Camino. In addition the being a hospitalero, I walked part of the Camino and used an approved credential from 2013 that I had not used and it was OK.
Some people have objections to producing a passport, saying that all the information we require is in the credential. I cannot understand this attitude, as a passport or EU ID card is the only official form of identity acceptable to a country's officials, such as police. Anybody can get a credential and put country and passport number in . With so many refugees in Europe now, the police are extra vigilant and can request your passport anytime, anywhere. Also the albergues log of pilgrims enables you to be found fairly easily by the police in case of an emergency back home, or if your relatives back home have not heard from you for a while.

 

[oursonpolaire]

With reference to camino-david's post, North Americans are often not aware that France and Spain, among other places, are countries where the law requires innkeepers to take note of identity documents. As an aficionado of private accommodation with my own bathroom, I've not stayed in an albergue since 2009, and I didn't know that albergues now do this, but am not surprised.

 

[SYates]

And actually in Galicia, in the Xunta albergues, they do now require your national passport also. Even so signs saying 'no copies, original (national) passport only. SY

 

[billvinhage]

Last time I walked, I got a very nice Credencial from the Church of St. James in Madrid for a very small donation. Will this be valid given the new rules?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Last time I walked, I got a very nice Credencial from the Church of St. James in Madrid for a very small donation. Will this be valid given the new rules?

Depends if its a credential they especially issue from that church or if they just gave you the "mandatory" on. If you go in the Shop section of this site you will see what the mandatory one looks like. Greyish, with a statue of Santiago (I assume) on it.

 

[billvinhage]

Depends if its a credential they especially issue from that church or if they just gave you the "mandatory" on. If you go in the Shop section of this site you will see what the mandatory one looks like. Greyish, with a statue of Santiago (I assume) on it.

IT was specific to the church.......it's too bad if it won't be accepted. IT was very nice and available for a donation.....this new rule seems to be very selfish in my opinion. What possible motive could there be, it's just paper after all.