To qualify for the Compostela pilgrims must walk the entire route. Pilgrims who wish to ride or drive the route can register for the Peregrino Certificate.

To qualify for the El Camino de San Antonio Missions Compostela, pilgrims must:

• Register for their passport online or by visiting the Padre Margil Pilgrimage Center. Once pilgrims register, they can pick up their passport and begin their journey. Registration also applies to children who will be accompanying any adult on the Camino trail.
• Make the pilgrimage journey for Christian religious or spiritual reasons, or at least an attitude of search.
• Obtain stamps on the pilgrimage passport from each of the mission churches and the Cathedral to certify you have visited each mission and the Cathedral. Stamp stations are located in the mission churches or their gift shops. Stamps from the National Park Service, churches, restaurants, hotels, and all places related to El Camino are also encouraged but do not count towards your Compostela.
• Walk the entire El Camino de San Antonio Missions in one day or in stages over time. You must start and end at a mission church or the Cathedral and obtain a stamp at the start and end of your journey. If you walk El Camino trail over time your passport may reflect duplicate stamps.
• Return the completed El Camino de San Antonio Missions Pilgrim Passport to the Padre Margil Pilgrimage center for verification. Each pilgrim presenting a completed, stamped passport and paying a $5 fee will receive an El Camino de San Antonio Compostela.
• Note that children who make the pilgrimage with their parents or in groups and have received the sacrament of Communion or have the ability to understand the meaning of the spiritual or religious nature of the Camino are eligible to receive their own Compostela. The names infants and young children will be included on the parent or accompanying adult’s Compostela.