The certificate is the accreditation of having completed the Camino de Santiago. But not all pilgrims travel the same kilometers. Not all do it in the same means of transport. Nor do they all do it for the same reason.
So, what is the credential that they will give me when I arrive at my destination?
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that the credit for having covered all those kilometers is yours. Have one or the other certificate in your possession. Even if you don’t apply for any of them.
Lets start by the beginning. What are the certificates you can get?
The Compostela
We have already told you about it before in other posts. This is the best-known certificate that certifies that you have arrived at the Tomb of Santiago. To be able to get this title you must meet the following requirements:
• Pilgrimage on foot or on horseback: having walked the last 100 km along any of the routes recognized as official.
• Sailing pilgrimage: having sailed 100 nautical miles and finishing the rest of the Camino on foot from the port where you disembarked, with the corresponding stamps on the credential of the stages that are done on foot.
• Bicycle pilgrimage: having traveled the last 200 km along any of the routes recognized as official.
Besides:
• The credential must include at least 2 stamps per day, which you can stamp in any establishment along the way.
• That the reasons for your pilgrimage are religious.
And this last point is what differentiates it from the other certification that you can issue at the Pilgrim’s Office.
The distance certificate
It is a highly requested document by those who decide to live the experience but without religious purposes, for the mere fact of the satisfaction of arriving and enjoying a unique experience. Also for those who do it for a spiritual reason.
In order to demand this last certificate, the requirements are exactly the same in terms of distance and seals on the credential. But, as we mentioned, they do not have to have religious reasons behind.
Keep in mind that any of the two certificates can only be requested by you and in person, so do not leave Santiago without the one that corresponds to you. No one can issue it for you.
Finally, you will like to know that if you do not have time or desire to go through all the stages followed, you can also receive the certificate, as long as you do them in an orderly manner in time and stamping the credential at the beginning and end of each stage so that let it be known that you have completed them.
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