September 13, 2026 · 2 min read
Credential and Compostela
Where to get the credential, how many stamps you need and whether starting in Vigo counts.
Reviewed by the Xacobea team · October 2026
The credential is the pilgrim passport: a small booklet stamped at hotels, churches, bars and town halls. You need it to prove the distance walked and to request the Compostela, the certificate issued by the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago.
Where to get it
From Camino associations in your country, at the Pilgrim’s Office, and at many parishes, tourist offices and hotels at starting points (Saint-Jean, Sarria, Tui, Ferrol, Porto). The price depends on where you get it.
How many stamps
Under the official Pilgrim’s Office rule (checked 11/10/2026), if you only walk the minimum you need a dated stamp at the start and another at the end of every stage, including the start after sleeping in the same place. Stamps from lodgings, churches, town halls and bars on the Camino all count.
The 100 km
Counted to the cathedral. The usual valid starting points: Sarria (115 km), Tui (118 km), Ferrol (112 km), Baiona (Coastal), Lugo (Primitivo). Vigo qualifies, just on the Coastal route: about 101 official km, with no margin. If you can, start in Baiona.
At the Pilgrim’s Office
On arrival, at the centre in Rúa Carretas 33 you scan a QR code, fill in your details and get a code to write in your credential; then you take a number. The Compostela is free; the distance certificate costs €3. Full details in the full guide.
