What is the Pilgrim's Office?

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How to get the Compostela at the Pilgrims Office?

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela is the last step of the pilgrim. Stopping in front of the Cathedral of the city is a whole host of emotions. From joy, to euphoria or tears for some. And the fact is that completing the Camino de Santiago is an experience, regardless of the route chosen. 

As a pilgrim you will not only want to take home the photo with your companions in the Plaza del Obradoiro, capturing the arrival at the end of the route; but also to get the much desired Compostela, right? For this there is a place where you should go: The Pilgrim's Office. 

This place is key if you want to make sure you get the traditional pilgrimage certificate, that is, the Compostela. At the Pilgrim's Office they will take care of putting the last of the stamps, thus delivering the credential that certifies your pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. 

Of course, to get the Compostela we must have fulfilled certain requirements as a pilgrim. If we decide to do the Camino de Santiago on foot we will have to have covered a total of 100km; while pilgrims who opt for the bicycle must have done the same for 200km. It goes without saying that both cases must have followed any of the official routes of the Camino de Santiago, always marked by the corresponding stamps. 

The way to get the Compostela is very simple: 

• In the waiting area of the Pilgrim's Office, pick up a ticket with your number.
• On the ticket you will see a QR code that, once scanned, shows the status of the queue in real time.
• Wait until they call you back with the number you picked up.
• When your number appears, go to the aisle area and there you will see on screen the indications with the number and station to go to. 
• Remember that the Compostela is only delivered individually and in person.

Location and opening hours of the Pilgrims Office

Once you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, finding the Pilgrim's Office is not a complicated task. It is located at Rúa Carretas nº 33, a few meters from the Plaza del Obradoiro. 

As far as the opening hours of the Pilgrim's Office are concerned, it is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm every day. The Pilgrim's Office is open every day except December 25, Christmas and January 1. In case of arriving in Santiago de Compostela during the days when the office is closed, the Compostela can be obtained in the Sacristy of the Cathedral. 

The Pilgrim's Office has everything you need for your arrival in Santiago de Compostela. There you will find a large garden decorated and built to rest from the last kilometers. There is also a post office, buses, several bathrooms for pilgrims and a locker service for backpacks and bicycles. 

History of the Pilgrims Office

Although the history of the Camino de Santiago goes back more than 1,000 years, the history of the Pilgrim's Office is somewhat more "recent". We have to travel back to the 18th century, when Archbishop Bartolomé Rajoy founded the building with a clear purpose: to welcome pilgrims, providing them with ample space in which to rest and, of course, to obtain the Compostela. 

Since then, the Pilgrim's Office, or International Pilgrim Welcome Center, has undergone several renovations, especially in its structure, although its gardens still retain all the charm of yesteryear. With a surface area of up to 3,600m2, the refurbishment of the building completed the last of its interventions in 2018.