How to Get a Category D1 Driving Licence in Andorra?

Andorra recently eliminated its hard 70-year age cap for D1 drivers; drivers can now continue past that age, provided they pass more thorough medical checks, including psychotechnical, blood, and psychiatric assessments. On the other hand, a new CAP route now lets you get D1 with just 18 instead of 21. This piece covers what D1 authorizes and both of these significant changes.

What Category D1 covers

D1 authorizes minibusses in accordance with the standard technical specification for the category and requires you to already hold Category B.

Minimum age

The standard minimum age is 21. With the Capacitació d'Aptitud per a Conductors (CAP), this drops to 18, matching the neighboring French and Spanish systems, with which Andorra's regulation is now harmonized.

The elimination of the 70-year age cap

Here's the key detail: we're driving professionally later in life. Andorra's new regulation removes the previous hard limit of 70 years for driving C1, C, D1, and D-category vehicles. You can now continue driving these categories past 70, in line with the EU baseline regulation and rules in neighboring countries.

What replaces the old age cap

Rather than a hard stop, medical reviews become more thorough from 70 onward. Beyond the special medical certificate already required for these categories, you'll additionally need a psychotechnical test, a blood analysis, and a psychiatric assessment.

New, longer validity periods

Renewal periods have also changed. D1, alongside B2, B2E, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1E, D, and DE, is now valid for 5 years up to age 59 (extended from the previous cutoff of 49), then 2 years from 59 to 75, and 1 year beyond that.

Documents you'll need

• A special official medical certificate, obtained from Clínica Verge de Meritxell
• Your existing Andorran driving license
• One recent color photograph (35x45mm), white background
• Parental or guardian authorization, if you're a minor, with the parent or guardian holding their own license for at least 5 years

D1E: adding a heavier trailer

D1E authorizes D1-category vehicles combined with a trailer exceeding 750 kg. The minimum age is 21, requiring you to have held D1 for at least a year first.

Automatic transmission

As with other systems in the region, testing on an automatic-transmission vehicle typically restricts the resulting license to automatic vehicles only.

Full Category D and DE

Full Category D requires 24, drops to 21 with CAP, and you must already hold Category D1. DE follows the same age structure and requires Category D first, letting you tow a trailer exceeding 750 kg.

Removing prior-experience requirements for lower categories

Andorra's updated regulation also removed the previous requirement for a full year of prior experience in lower categories before progressing, another step toward harmonization with EU Directive 2006/126/CE and with practices in France and Spain.

Category J: a domestic-only permit

Worth noting for context: Andorra's Category J (young driver or accompanying permit) only authorizes driving within Andorran territory or in countries with a specific reciprocity agreement, not the same broad recognition that D1 itself carries.

Tips that actually help

• If you're 18-20 and want to start D1 early, look into the CAP process, which takes effect in early 2025.
• If you're approaching 70 and still driving D1 professionally, prepare for the fuller medical review that now replaces the old hard cutoff.
• Keep track of your renewal cycle under the new age-based validity periods.
• Gather your special medical certificate from Clínica Verge de Meritxell well ahead of your application.

Where this fits going forward

D1 in Andorra has notably modernized, opening access for younger drivers through CAP while extending opportunities for older professional drivers as well. If your plans involve professional driving down the line, take a look at the driver section, browse current vacancies, or see which employers are hiring on FastDriver.eu, as well as our broader job guides. Our driving license in Andorra and license eligibility pages cover the broader picture.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Fees, training requirements, and administrative rules can change;e the reforms described here took effect via the regulation of 23 December 2024. Always confirm current requirements with official Andorran sources before making decisions: e-Tràmits and Govern d'Andorra. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for decisions made based on this information.