How and where to get a credencial/Pilgrim Passport

Of all the questions we get asked, this is the most frequent, so we're devoting a whole page to it.

1. If you're a member of the Confraternity in the UK:

Apply by post, in good time (up to a month before you set out)

, to the Pilgrim Records Secretary - name and address on the back of your Bulletin - enclosing an A5 SAE, quoting your membership number, stating where you're starting from, and how you intend to travel. N.B. each member of a group needs his or her own pilgrim record.

Postage rates for your SAE (within the UK) are:

For a single Pilgrim Record:    52p 
For 2, 3 or 4 Pilgrim Records: 78p
For 5 Pilgrim Records:        £1.08p

Insufficient postage usually means a personal visit to the Postal Delivery Office to pay the additional postage and extra charge before the letter can be collected. This can raise many difficulties if time is short before your departure.

Correct Postage assuming an A5 envelope is used (this is classed as a Letter)
1 Record…One 1st  Class Stamp (Currently 34p) or one 2nd  Class Stamp (Currently 24p)
If you send an A4 envelope for 1 Record the current prices are 48p (1st) or 40p (2nd)
Correct Postage for more than 1 Record  
(even if an A5 envelope is used the extra weight involved makes it a Large Letter)
Requests for 2,3 or 4 Records all fall into the same weight category (101g – 250g) and require the correct postage for this category. Currently this is 78p (1st) or 66p (2nd)
Requests for 5 Records fall into the (251g – 500g)  weight category and require the correct postage for this category. Currently this is£1.08p (1st) or 90p (2nd).
Note! Postage rates tend to keep changing, prices quoted here are for April 2008.

If you're a member of the Confraternity elsewhere:

For overseas requests send 3 International Reply Coupons only. No envelope is required.

International Reply Coupons are available from most main Post Offices. Please ensure the coupons have been stamped at the time of purchase or delays will ensue. Thank you.


2. If you're not a member of the Confraternity:

Do not apply to us.  Where you should apply depends on your starting point -

Starting Point
Where to apply
le Puy the Cathedral, or the local association of the Amis de St Jacques
St Jean Pied-de-Port Accueil St Jacques, 
39 rue de la Citadelle
Roncesvalles the Abbey
Other places in Spain the local refugio, the church, the police station, the guardia civil, the ayuntamiento, the office of the local Amigos del Camino de Santiago.

3. If you live in the USA, Canada, or Ireland:

Apply to the local association:

For the USA, American Pilgrims on the Camino

For Canada, The Little Company of Pilgrims.

For Ireland, the Irish Society of the Friends of St James.