The Via Francigena Pilgrim Credential — Where to Get It & How to Stamp It

The pilgrim credential (credenziale) is the small passport-sized booklet that proves you are a pilgrim and records your journey. It gets you into pilgrim accommodation and — stamped for the final 100 km — qualifies you for the Testimonium in Rome. Here is how to get one and use it well.

What the credential is

A small folded card or booklet with space for stamps. Unlike the Spanish credencial (which is mostly for albergues), the Via Francigena credential is your record across four countries and your ticket into pilgrim-priced accommodation, convents and monasteries.

Where to get it

• Via Francigena associations: the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome (UK), the European Association of the Via Francigena (AEVF), and national associations in France, Switzerland and Italy all issue credentials. Apply before you travel.
• Cathedrals along the route: Canterbury Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Aosta Cathedral and others can stamp or issue credentials.
• At the start: many pilgrims obtain one at their start point's pilgrim office or church. Carry a letter of introduction if your association provides one.

A small fee (a few euros) is customary; some associations ask for a donation.

How to stamp it

Aim for at least two stamps per day — one at the start and one at the end of each stage, plus any you collect along the way. Stamp at:

• Churches and cathedrals
• Monasteries and convents
• Your accommodation (hostels, B&Bs, agriturismi)
• Town halls (mairies, municipi, comuni)
• Museums and tourist offices

The aim is to prove you walked the distance — dense stamping in the final 100 km is what the Testimonium office checks. If a stage has no official stamp, ask a bar or shop to stamp and date it; any stamp with a date works.

Why it matters

Beyond the Testimonium, the credential is your proof of pilgrim status — it opens convents, hostels and pilgrim-priced rooms that ordinary tourists can't access. Carry it every day, in a waterproof sleeve, and don't lose it: there's no digital backup.

If you walk in sections

The credential stays valid across years — most associations issue one per route that you can stamp over multiple trips. Keep it safe between sections; the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi will honour stamps collected over several years for the Testimonium as long as the final 100 km are walked continuously.

Get your credential before you start, stamp it twice a day, and carry it to Rome. Use the planner to plan your stages — and your stamp stops — from Canterbury all the way to St Peter's.