The certificate of distance is the Camino's second document, the one that turns your walk into numbers. It is a parchment from the Chapter of Santiago Cathedral, and in the Cathedral's words it "indicates the day and the starting point of the pilgrimage, the kilometres covered, as well as the day of arrival and the route of the pilgrimage." It costs 3 euros, is "slightly larger than the Compostela," and carries a Latin phrase and a small miniature, both from the Codex Calixtinus, the twelfth-century pilgrim book the Cathedral still holds.
The Cathedral created it in April 2014, after pilgrims had asked for years to have more of their pilgrimage on record. The Compostela never printed kilometres and still does not.
At the counter it is the certificado de distancia. Collecting it is one errand on a crowded arrival day, and the rest of that day is in our guide to the days after you reach Santiago.
Get both. They answer different questions, and the second one costs no extra time: same queue, same volunteer, same credencial. The Compostela says you came as a pilgrim, in Latin, with your first name Latinised. The Distancia says how far you walked, in a language you can read. Years later, the Compostela is the one that gets framed, and the Distancia is the one that settles whether it was 780 kilometres or 800.
Who should skip the Distancia
Skip it if you walked the minimum from Sarria and a figure of about 115 kilometres means nothing to you, or if you do not keep paper souvenirs: two parchments need a tube, and the tube needs a place on your pack. If it is the Compostela's motive question that bothers you, skip the Compostela instead and take the Distancia alone.
| Document | Price | Language | What it proves | Who qualifies | Worth the queue for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compostela | Free | Latin | That you completed the pilgrimage, and why | 100 km on foot or 200 by bicycle into the Cathedral, with a religious or spiritual motive | The traditional record that you arrived |
| Certificate of Distance | €3 | Spanish | Start date and place, kilometres, arrival date, route | The same route and distance conditions, per the Spanish page; no motive question | The numbers, in writing |
The two official pages do not agree on who qualifies. The English page keeps the 2014 launch wording: it certifies your kilometres "whatever the starting point of their pilgrimage." The current Spanish page is stricter. The distance has to be on an official route, "cumpliendo las mismas condiciones que las requeridas para la Compostela," meeting the same conditions as the Compostela. Read literally, that means the 100 kilometres and the stamps. Neither page mentions motive, which is why the Distancia is the usual choice for pilgrims who would rather not state one.
The full rules are in our guide to the Compostela certificate, and the credencial sits beside both in our guide to the credencial, the Compostela and the distance certificate.
The office is at Rúa das Carretas 33, about 300 metres downhill from the Obradoiro, open 09:00 to 19:00 daily except 25 December and 1 January. There is no separate line for the Distancia.
Before you queue: the QR registration
Registration is a web form behind a QR code, and it asks for your starting point. Enter the town of your credencial's first stamp, because that is what the volunteer will check. The full sequence is in our Compostela guide.
At the counter: what to say and what to show
Hand over the credencial and say "la Compostela y el certificado de distancia, por favor." The volunteer reads the stamps, checks them against your registered starting point, and prints both. Check your name and the starting town before you leave the desk.
Distance certificate price: what you actually pay
Three euros, the figure on the office's English page and the 2014 launch price. Some widely read operator pages say 4 euros, and the Spanish page gives no price, so carry coins either way.
Waits vary. American Pilgrims on the Camino says you will "probably not have to wait longer than 30 minutes," but in peak season the office warns it cannot guarantee same-day collection. Early afternoon is busiest. Early morning and the last half hour before closing are quieter.
Requesting it later by email
The Cathedral takes requests at certificadodedistancia@catedraldesantiago.es, including from pilgrims who walked in earlier years. The Spanish page adds a window the English one leaves out: email requests run from November to March.
The office does not read your watch or your GPS track. The number on the parchment is its own distance from your registered starting point to Santiago, along the route named on the certificate. Wrong turns, detours and the walk to dinner are not on it.
Guidebooks disagree with each other too, so do not expect the parchment to match the one you carried. For the Camino Francés, rounded:
- Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: roughly 780 to 800 kilometres.
- León: about 300 to 320 kilometres.
- Sarria: about 115 kilometres.
If you start from a small village rather than a stage town, get a dated stamp there on the first morning and register the same name. That gives the volunteer something to match, which is the whole check.
The Compostela is free and the Distancia is 3 euros. A cardboard tube runs about 2 to 3 euros from the office shop, Correos or a souvenir shop, though no official price exists. Rolled parchment does not survive a full backpack without one.
Posting the tube turns two documents worth 3 euros into a parcel, and any parcel leaving Spain costs more than both certificates together. Tuck it under your pack's side straps or carry it into the cabin instead. If you are shipping the pack anyway, our guide to getting home from Santiago sets out when posting actually wins.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Camino distance certificate really cost, and what else do I pay for?
3 euros, the figure on the Pilgrim's Office's own English page, although some operator sites quote 4. The extras are a cardboard tube at about 2 to 3 euros, and postage if you would rather send the documents home.
How does the Pilgrim's Office calculate the kilometres if I started between stage towns?
It prints its own distance from the starting point you register, checked against the first dated stamps in your credencial, not a GPS track. Get a dated stamp in the village you actually started from and register the same name.
Can I get the distance certificate if I walked less than 100 kilometres?
Plan on no. The English page says any starting point, but the current Spanish page requires the same conditions as the Compostela. If you walked less, write to the office before you travel.
Can I request the distance certificate after I have already gone home?
Yes, at certificadodedistancia@catedraldesantiago.es, including for a Camino walked years ago. The Spanish page limits email requests to November through March.
What language will my distance certificate be in?
Not Latin. The Distancia is printed in Spanish, and the Cathedral has also presented a Galician version. The official pages list no other languages, so ask at the counter.
Do I need the Compostela to get the Distancia?
No. You can ask for the Distancia on its own, which is what many pilgrims who would rather not declare a motive do. Or add it to the Compostela in the same visit.
External citations
Pilgrim's Reception Office — certificate of distance
oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/certificate-of-distanceThe official price, the five facts printed on the certificate, and the email address for requests.
Oficina de Acogida al Peregrino — certificado de distancia (Spanish)
oficinadelperegrino.com/peregrinacion/certificado-de-distanciaThe two clauses the English page lacks: the same conditions as the Compostela, and the November to March email window.
Cathedral of Santiago — the Certificate of Distance is created (2014)
catedraldesantiago.es/la-oficina-del-peregrino-de-la-catedral-de-santiago-crea-el-certificado-de-distanciaThe Cathedral's April 2014 announcement: why the certificate exists, its launch price and its Codex Calixtinus decoration.
American Pilgrims on the Camino — how to get your Compostela
americanpilgrims.org/how-get-a-compostela-in-santiagoQueue times at the Pilgrim's Office and the price of a certificate tube.
La Compostela del Lector
You walked this guide to Santiago.
All 771 km, 0 stages, stamped end to end.