Where to get a credential (pilgrim passport)

[DurhamParish]

I am asking this question for a couple of friends. They have unexpectedly gotten the opportunity to walk some of the Camino Frances (something they have wanted to do for some time). They are leaving the US on the 21st of April to visit family in Ireland. On the 27th of April they will fly from Dublin to Santander and then make their way to Pamplona. They will walk for a couple of days from Pamplona, then, due to time constraints, move on to Sarria and walk the last 100 or so kilometers into Santiago.

Since they are leaving so soon, they don't have time to order credentials from the American Pilgrims On the Camino. The questions are:

a. Is there some way to pick up credentials from the Irish Society of the Friends of St. James while they are in Dublin??

b. Is there anywhere to get credentials in Pamplona so they would be admitted into Pilgrim Albergues??

c. If the above questions are no, is there somewhere to get credentials in Sarria??

d. Does anyone have any other suggestions??

Help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[fraluchi]

They can obtain a "credencial" in most albergues/hostals of Pamplona, as well as the Cathedral (nice for a first stamp - but check opening hours - if not changed from 10 am)

 

[RobertS26]

Is there anywhere to get credentials in Pamplona so they would be admitted into Pilgrim Albergues?

Credentials can be easily obtained on the Camino. The Jesus y Maria albergue just a couple of blocks from the Cathedral in Pamplona will have them. Rest assured. Literally tens of thousands of pilgrims start their pilgrimage every year in Pamplona. The locals are prepared to point anyone in the right direction. When in doubt, pop into a hotel for a map and directions (almost all desk clerks are bilingual). I have said this before, and I will say it again, the Camino is virtually idiot proof.

 

[Mark Lee]

Also, I believe I saw credentials available in the tourist office. You can get your credential stamped there as well.

 

[roving_rufus]

The Irish Soceity of Friends of St James have a really lovely credential but getting one is normally done through the post and costs 10euro - (though there maybe a possiblity according to website if one wants one at short notice) -details about it can be found at
http://www.stjamesirl.com/?page_id=9
But I would say in the case of your friends it is probably easier to pick one up in Pamplona- unless they really want to fulfill the Irish tradition of getting a stamp at St James Gate in Dublin - fulfilled by Guiness

 

[David]

These can be posted to any address - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Camino-Sa...s_ReligionSpirituality_EH&hash=item258b8a6f40

 

[JohnnieWalker]

The recommendations range from buying a credencial from the Irish Friends for 10€ or on the internet for £3.75. There are many other sources with prices such as these or higher.

The Official Credencial of the Cathedral of Santiago is sold by the Pilgtrims' Office for 1.5€ to individuals and to groups and other distributors for 1€.

In the UK the Peterborough Pilgrims fundraise through their own efforts so they can purchase credenciales direct from the Pilgrims' Office and supply them to pilgrims worldwide for a donation.

Avoid paying more than you need to and either get your credencial in Spain or in advance from:

http://www.pilgrims-to-santiago.com/freecredential.html


pilgrimpeterbros@gmail.com.


Include your postal address so that we can send the credential
to you.
Or you may send an S.A.E to:

Rev Ian Holdsworth,
St Mary's Vicarage,
Towcester Road,
Northampton
NN4 8EZ

Edited with less strong language!

 

[Peadarmac]

Hello Folks,

A lovely credencial 'passport' can be obtained from the Presbetery Office at St James's Church in James's Street,Dublin for a donation of €10.
If you click on the link below you will find contact details for the Church and directions etc.

http://www.dublindiocese.ie/guidebook/parish/111

I work very near the Church and if your friends need further directions or information please feel free to drop me a PM and I would be more than happy to offer any further assistance.

rgds,

Peadar

 

[Jochen-Schmidtke]

Hello Folks,

A lovely credencial 'passport' can be obtained from the Presbetery Office at St James's Church in James's Street,Dublin for a donation of €10.
If you click on the link below you will find contact details for the Church and directions etc.
http://www.dublindiocese.ie/guidebook/parish/111
I work very near the Church and if your friends need further directions or information please feel free to drop me a PM and I would be more than happy to offer any further assistance.
rgds,
Peadar

Pilgrims can also obtain their pilgrims pass (Credencial) in the cosy pilgrims shelter Casa Paderborn near the old town and in the pilgrims refuge Jesús y María right in the old town and in the vincinity of the cathedral in Pamplona.
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[DurhamParish]

Thank you, everyone. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[David]

Hmmmm - the recommendations range from buying a credencial from the Irish Friends for 10€ or on the internet for £3.75 - frankly this is simply ripping off pilgrims.

The Official Credencial of the Cathedral of Santiago is sold by the Pilgtrims' Office for 1.5€ to individuals and to groups and other distributors for 1€.

Johnnie, please accept my apologies but I find this offensive. I am the seller of Credentials that you mention for £3.75. I sell them only because I am asked for them by pilgrims who want them before they arrive. On the listing it states
"Please note:
you can buy this credential in various places on the Caminos in Spain for much less, but I have them for sale as I get many requests from pilgrims who want to have their passport with them before they go.
The price I have to sell them at is based upon my buying them from Spain and having them shipped to England, plus an amount to cover the Ebay and Paypal fees
because of this they are not as cheap as one can buy them in Spain at certain places on the Caminos - my apologies"

The costing is this. I have to buy them from Spain and I buy them for £2.25, which includes cost of delivery to the UK
Buying in .................£2.25
Listing fee .............. .10
final & Paypal fees .55
Padded Envelope .11
Waterproof zipseal bag .14
Total £3.15
I also include a free gift of a packet of flower seeds to plant along the Camino (cost to me 20 pence). None of the time involved in listing the crendecials, packing and posting them is accounted for.
Please note, Johnny, that any and all profits from my Ebay 'PilgrimSupplies' shop are put towards my first aid mission to pilgrims on the Camino.

I do not see this as "ripping pilgrims off" but as providing a service to pilgrims who are concerned about arriving on Camino without a credencial.

I have to tell you that I am rather upset and offended by your comment.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola David

I hope everyone tolerates this public reply as this is a serious subject of concern to many pilgrims! I must confess I was unaware of the ownership of the website - I simply looked at the cost. My comments were not personal about you and I am sure that as always you are trying to serve pilgrims' needs. The problem here is that someone has purchased credenciales from the Pilgrims' Office for 1€ and then sold them on to you for almost 3€. Then you have had to bear the cost of postage from Spain.

It seems to me the solution is for you to get credenciales direct from the Pilgrims Office - or better still since you are UK based from the Peterborough Pilgrims. In this way costs are kept to a minimum.

I have sent you a Private Message and perhaps we should continue this conversation there.

Regards

John

 

[bearwithme]

I am asking this question for a couple of friends. They have unexpectedly gotten the opportunity to walk some of the Camino Frances (something they have wanted to do for some time). They are leaving the US on the 21st of April to visit family in Ireland. On the 27th of April they will fly from Dublin to Santander and then make their way to Pamplona. They will walk for a couple of days from Pamplona, then, due to time constraints, move on to Sarria and walk the last 100 or so kilometers into Santiago.

Since they are leaving so soon, they don't have time to order credentials from the American Pilgrims On the Camino. The questions are:

a. Is there some way to pick up credentials from the Irish Society of the Friends of St. James while they are in Dublin??

b. Is there anywhere to get credentials in Pamplona so they would be admitted into Pilgrim Albergues??

c. If the above questions are no, is there somewhere to get credentials in Sarria??

d. Does anyone have any other suggestions??

Help will be greatly appreciated.

Try the American Pilgrim web site. Google it and you can request a credential through them and have it prior to the Camino...if you hurry

 

[David]

"JohnnieWalker, post: 201064, member: 853"]Hola David

I hope everyone tolerates this public reply as this is a serious subject of concern to many pilgrims! I must confess I was unaware of the ownership of the website - I simply looked at the cost. My comments were not personal about you and I am sure that as always you are trying to serve pilgrims' needs. The problem here is that someone has purchased credenciales from the Pilgrims' Office for 1€ and then sold them on to you for almost 3€. Then you have had to bear the cost of postage from Spain.
It seems to me the solution is for you to get credenciales direct from the Pilgrims Office - or better still since you are UK based from the Peterborough Pilgrims. In this way costs are kept to a minimum.
I have sent you a Private Message and perhaps we should continue this conversation there.[/COLOR]
Regards
John

Johnny, my post was a public response to a public criticism - that £3.75 for a credential meant that I was "ripping off" pilgrims.

Actually, I forgot to mention that I offer free uk postage and my international postage is 80 pence less than it costs me. So, rather than ripping pilgrims off I subsidise them by providing the credentials at a loss.

What I do with pilgrim supplies isn't based upon me making a profit, it is a non-profit venture.

Shall we end this here? All is well.

Buen Camino

 

[DurhamParish]

Try the American Pilgrim web site. Google it and you can request a credential through them and have it prior to the Camino...if you hurry

Thanks. They tried the APOC, but the site says it takes one month for processing and they don't have that much time before they leave.

 

[roving_rufus]

Hmmmm - the recommendations range from buying a credencial from the Irish Friends for 10€ or on the internet for £3.75 - frankly this is simply ripping off pilgrims.
.

As for the 10 euro for the Irish Society of Friends of St James - it is a beautiful colour booklet of a passport. But they never claim to be the sole provider of credentials for Irish pilgrims.
Unlike the British confraternity (CSJ) which only supplies credentials to members, this Irish society provides them to anyone seeking one - but there is a cost, to which they have added a contribution to the ongoing work of this organisation. For this reason I have no problem contributing to an Irish society that is supporting pilgrimage to Santiago. For those who do not wish to spend 10 euro or contribute to the Irish society of the Friends of St James then there are other options to gain a credential from other sources or when they reach a suitable starting point in France or Spain or Portugal etc

(And if you noted my response above- my advice was for those travelling to pick up one in Pamplona)

 

[november_moon]

American Pilgrims on the Camino also provides them - we filled out the form and had ours in a couple weeks. There is no charge for the credential, but since the organization exists on donations, I sent them some money. I thought it was the right thing to do. And because they are a 501(c) organization, the donation is tax deductible for those who pay US income tax, so double benefit.

http://www.americanpilgrims.com/about/american_pilgrims.html

 

[Anniesantiago]

Anyone starting in SJPP can get their Credential right there in the Pilgrim Office.
I believe I paid €3 last year for each.
They also have shells for a donation.

 

[tpmchugh]

I am asking this question for a couple of friends. They have unexpectedly gotten the opportunity to walk some of the Camino Frances (something they have wanted to do for some time). They are leaving the US on the 21st of April to visit family in Ireland. On the 27th of April they will fly from Dublin to Santander and then make their way to Pamplona. They will walk for a couple of days from Pamplona, then, due to time constraints, move on to Sarria and walk the last 100 or so kilometers into Santiago.

Since they are leaving so soon, they don't have time to order credentials from the American Pilgrims On the Camino. The questions are:

a. Is there some way to pick up credentials from the Irish Society of the Friends of St. James while they are in Dublin??

b. Is there anywhere to get credentials in Pamplona so they would be admitted into Pilgrim Albergues??

c. If the above questions are no, is there somewhere to get credentials in Sarria??

d. Does anyone have any other suggestions??

Help will be greatly appreciated.

They can pick up the Irish credentials from St James church in Dublin. Its up beside the Guinness storehouse tourist attraction so anyone in Dublin can direct them there. While there they can get their first stamps from the church then walk round to the Guinness storehouse, go to the reception desk and they will give them the Irish confraternity stamp and a Guinness one. Dont worry, there is no mention of Guinness on the stamp. If there are queues at Guinness they only need join them if they are taking the tour, otherwise just walk on in to the reception desk

 

[rector]

They can pick up the Irish credentials from St James church in Dublin. Its up beside the Guinness storehouse tourist attraction so anyone in Dublin can direct them there. While there they can get their first stamps from the church then walk round to the Guinness storehouse, go to the reception desk and they will give them the Irish confraternity stamp and a Guinness one. Dont worry, there is no mention of Guinness on the stamp. If there are queues at Guinness they only need join them if they are taking the tour, otherwise just walk on in to the reception desk

Can I add to that great advice by saying that we drove down from Belfast to do just that and we found that you need to go to the sacristy round the side of the church and be advised that it is only open in the morning I think 10-12am. You should also know that as well as a stamp at the church you can get two stamps at Guinness. If you cross the road from the church and walk slowly city-ward keep looking for a plaque on a wall and you will see the place in the ancient walls of Dublin, where the pilgrims left for Spain.

 

[marigold]

Hi,
Does anyone know if the Peterborough Pilgrims still send out Credentials. I sent an email a few days ago but have not had a reply yet.
Thanks

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi,
Does anyone know if the Peterborough Pilgrims still send out Credentials. I sent an email a few days ago but have not had a reply yet.
Thanks

Hi Marigold, can’t help you with your question but why not order your credencial here on the forum .
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[marigold]

Hi Marigold, can’t help you with your question but why not order your credencial here on the forum .
Wish you well, Peter.

Thanks for your post Peter, but I have read all the posts here and I can't seem to find one that offers a way of buying it here.
I think I'll use up the spaces on one that I had before, or go to the Confraternity.
Not to worry and thanks

 

[Davey Boyd]

Thanks for your post Peter, but I have read all the posts here and I can't seem to find one that offers a way of buying it here.
I think I'll use up the spaces on one that I had before, or go to the Confraternity.
Not to worry and thanks

Hello Marigold

Here's the link to the credencial sold here if you change your mind
https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...passport-from-the-pilgrims-office-in-santiago

Buen Camino
Davey

 

[marigold]

Hello Marigold

Here's the link to the credencial sold here if you change your mind
https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...passport-from-the-pilgrims-office-in-santiago

Buen Camino
Davey

Thanks Davey - don't know why I missed that!