The Holy Year of Compostela, also called the Xacobeo Year, is a year of grace for the whole Jacobean community. In 2027 the feast of the Apostle James, on 25 July, falls on a Sunday, and that is why Compostela celebrates a Holy Year. The Holy Door of the Cathedral opens on 31 December 2026, and the Holy Year runs throughout 2027.
Guide to living the Holy Year from Chile
Many Chilean pilgrims will travel to Spain in 2027. These are the steps we recommend, in order.
Follow the opening
The Holy Door opens on 31 December 2026, at noon in Spain, as announced at the official presentation of the Holy Year. In Chile it will be 8 in the morning. The motto is "On seeing the star, they were overjoyed".
Walk first in Chile
Walk the Vía de los Andes with your Chilean credential stamped. Its 25 km are recognized as Camino, and in Spain you are asked for at least 75 km to receive the Compostela. On the Camino Inglés from A Coruña, 73 km is enough.
Choose your dates well
The Holy Year lasts all of 2027. July and August, and especially the days near 25 July, are usually the busiest. From 15 to 18 July the European Youth Pilgrimage takes place in Santiago. If you want more calm, consider the European spring or autumn.
Choose your Camino
Look at the routes of the Camino , with their stages, maps, elevation profiles and kilometres to Santiago, and plan your journey with the kilometres you need.
Check the travel requirements
According to the Consulate of Spain in Santiago , for tourism you can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period. At the border you may be asked for:
- A passport valid for at least 3 months after you leave Europe, issued within the last 10 years.
- A return ticket, which is always required.
- Accommodation bookings or an invitation letter.
- Enough money: €118 per person per day, with a minimum of €1,065 (2025 figures). Bank letters and statements printed from the internet are not accepted.
ETIAS permit: the European Union expects ETIAS, an online travel authorization for people who do not need a visa (such as Chileans), to start operating in the last quarter of 2026. The exact date will be announced by the European Union itself; check it at travel-europe.europa.eu .
Check the Consulate's page before you travel, because the requirements may change: exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/santiagodechile
Prepare with the Círculo
Before you travel, receive the pilgrim's blessing . If you need your credential or have questions, write to us at peregrinos@caminosantiago.cl .
When you arrive in Santiago
Register at the Pilgrim's Office to collect your Compostela, and if you want to obtain the Jubilee, follow the steps given below, in "How to live it".
What a Holy Year is
It is celebrated when 25 July falls on a Sunday, in a cycle that alternates intervals of 6, 5, 6 and 11 years. After 2027, the next one will be in 2032. A person who lives it as a pilgrim can obtain the Jubilee, that is, the plenary indulgence, a spiritual grace.
How to live it
To obtain the Jubilee, you visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, pray for the intentions of the Pope, and receive the sacraments of confession and communion in the days near the visit. It is an inner journey, added to the pilgrimage.
It is not the same as the Compostela. The Compostela is the pilgrimage certificate: it is requested at the Pilgrim's Office after walking at least the last 100 km on foot or on horseback, or 200 km by bicycle, with your credential stamped. The Jubilee is a spiritual grace; the Compostela is a document.
Pastoral letter from the Archbishop
On the occasion of the Holy Year, the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Mons. Francisco José Prieto Fernández, published a pastoral letter under the motto "On seeing the star, they were overjoyed" (Mt 2:10). It presents the Holy Year as a time of grace and forgiveness, invites us to look again to Christ, and proposes the Camino as a school of silence, fellowship, conversion and hope, with special care for hospitality toward pilgrims.
Presentation of the Holy Year
Hymn of the Holy Year
The Holy Door stays open until the end of December 2027; the exact closing date will be confirmed in the official information. See the official information from Santiago Cathedral .