At the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrims can ask for a Pilgrim’s Certificate. What is this Pilgrim’s Certificate and what does it stand for?
The so called «Compostela» is the official confirmation that you have completed the Camino de Santiago. At minimum, you must have traveled the last 100 kilometers on foot or horseback or the last 200 kilometers by bike. You can get your certificate at the pilgrim’s office in Santiago de Compostela. To proof the travelled distance pilgrims have to present the Pilgrim’s Passport. Learn more about the Pilgrim’s Passport here.
The Latin text on the document certifies that you visited the Cathedral of Santiago and the relics of Saint James with appropriate reverence and Christian spirit.
The Compostela is only given to pilgrims who have set out for Christian or spiritual reasons (you have to state your reason at the pilgrims› office in Santiago). If you give other reasons, you will receive a certificate stating the distance you have walked.
Everyone has to decide for themselves whether to tick the “religious intentions” box, even if they made the pilgrimage for all sorts of other reasons, just to receive the Compostela.
Even though I have a few Compostelas, the pilgrim passport with all the stamps of each stage tells the more interesting story afterwards.
You can only get the Compostela in the Pilgrim Office (Oficina de Peregrinos) in Santiago (near the cathedral behind the luxury hotel Parador). At the entrance you have to fill in your information and reasons for walking by scanning a QR code, then you’ll receive a number and are then called to a counter. You’ll receive your Compostela on the spot after.
