Press accreditation

a) The accreditation is individual and personalized; therefore, when a media organization sends a crew to the Shrine, it should require the accreditation for each of its members and indicate the crew’s coordinator, who will be the interlocutor in the Shrine.

b) Access to several places is only possible in the presence of an element of the Press Service or a security guard of the Shrine; appointment is required.

c) In order to better schedule and prepare the reception of media professionals, the accreditation has to be requested always in advance, from Monday through Friday.

d) Throughout the year, a number of pastoral, social, cultural, among others, initiatives take place in the areas of the Shrine but the organization doesn’t depend on the institution. The temporary accreditation does not authorize immediately the journalistic monitoring of these initiatives. For that monitoring, the journalist must request an authorization at the entity that promotes the initiative.

e) The media professionals should do their work avoiding becoming a reason of distraction for the pilgrims in the different contexts of the Shrine, mainly during any celebration. The silence and retreat environment are fundamental in this Shrine. 

The accreditation of journalists does not guarantee automatic access to all areas of the Shrine. Except if there is a specific request and its respective authorization of the Rectory, the media organizations are prohibited in the following areas:

• The area within the walls of the Apparition Chapel,
• The area of the presbyteries of the different celebration places of the Shrine,
• The tower bell of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary,
• The exhibition “Fatima, Light and Peace”,
• The Chapel of Reconciliation,
• The Chapel of Blessed Sacrament,
• The first emergency aid. 

In order to be granted a temporary accreditation, journalists should provide (by mail, post or in person) the Press Service with the following information:

• Name of the professional
• Copy of the professional journalist’s card or any document attesting journalist as his profession (as a declaration of the media organization that the journalist represents);
• Professional contacts: address, email, phone/mobile numbers, etc.;
• Presentation and contacts of the media organization (in case it is the first representation of that organization in the Shrine);
• Objective of the request;
• Expected date of representation in the Shrine of Fatima;
• Further information that the journalist considers useful for the accomplishment of his work.

a) The card is valid in the public areas of the Shrine of Fatima and during the celebrations or events organized by the Shrine and in which the presence of media is allowed. The presence of media is not allowed in internal meetings and other places or events.

b) The permanent accreditation does not guarantee direct access to places or events organized by an external institution; the journalist must present a request at the organization that promotes the event.

c) For the monitoring of certain event or celebration, the Shrine of Fatima may decide to grant other type of accreditation, which will be announced in due time.

d) In case a journalist, with permanent accreditation, wants to access to a place or an event usually prohibited, for a specific work, his request must be explicitly presented to the Press Service for evaluation and decision of the Rectory.

e) The media professionals should do their work avoiding becoming a reason of distraction for the pilgrims in the different contexts of the Shrine, mainly during any celebration. The silence and retreat environment are fundamental in this Shrine. 

Even with a permanent accreditation and except a specific request and its respective authorization of the Rectory, the media organizations are prohibited in the following areas:

• The area within the walls of the Apparition Chapel,
• The area of the presbyteries of the different celebration places of the Shrine,
• The tower bell of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary,
• The exhibition “Fatima, Light and Peace”,
• The Chapel of Reconciliation,
• The Chapel of Blessed Sacrament,
• The first emergency aid. 

Each journalist must present the request for a permanent accreditation at the Press Service by providing (by mail, post or in person) the following information:

• Copy of the professional journalist’s card (valid);
• A passport size photo, in digital format;
• A letter from the media organization stating that the journalist is part of that media organization;
• Professional contacts: address, email, phone/mobile numbers, etc.;