Andorra Residence Permit: Types, Requirements and How to Apply

If you plan to live, work or run a business in Andorra for more than 90 days, the first thing you need is an Andorran residence permit (autorització de residència) — the document that establishes your legal residency in the principality. Andorra is a small country in the Pyrenees between Spain and France; it is not a member of the European Union and not part of the Schengen Area, and it runs a strict quota-based immigration system. A visa or visa-free entry lets you arrive; the residence permit lets you stay. This guide explains the permit types, who qualifies, the documents you need, how to apply through the Department of Immigration, the fees and deposits, and how residence works in the long term.

In short, most people obtain either an active residence permit (to work for an Andorran company or run your own business) or a passive residence permit (for those with means who do not work locally). Active residence for employees depends on an Andorran employer having a free place in the annual quota; self-employed and passive routes require significant investment and a deposit with the Andorran Financial Authority. Andorra has no EU-style permanent residence, and Andorran nationality is only possible after twenty years of residence.

What is an Andorran residence permit?

An Andorran residence permit is an official authorisation from the Government of Andorra that allows a foreign national to reside in the principality for more than 90 days legally. It is separate from entry: because Andorra is not in Schengen, you reach it through Spain or France, but the residence permit is what lets you stay. It is issued as a residence card (the “residència”) that shows your details, category, and validity, and it serves as your main legal ID in Andorra for banking, leases, and official services. Applications are handled by the Department of Immigration (Servei d’Immigració) under the Ministry of the Interior, and workers must also register with the Andorran social security fund (CASS). Because Andorra is not in the EU, there is no freedom of movement, and EU citizens apply under broadly the same rules as everyone else.

Types of residence permits in Andorra

Andorra’s system is built around active and passive residence:

• Active residence — employee (compte aliè): for those with a job offer from an Andorran company that has a place available in the annual immigration quota.
• Active residence — self-employed (compte propi): for those who form or take a majority stake in an Andorran company and run it, with a Foreign Investment Authorisation and a mandatory deposit.
• Passive residence (residència passiva): for people with sufficient means who do not work in Andorra, based on a large investment in Andorran assets.
• Seasonal and temporary work permits: limited permits, common in tourism and construction, tied to a specific season and employer.

Because Andorra is outside the EU, there is no EU Blue Card or single permit here. Your permit is tied to its purpose, and choosing the right category from the start is critical, as switching later is treated as a new application.

Who can apply?

Any foreign national planning to stay more than 90 days needs a permit. For active residence as an employee, you need a job offer from an Andorran company that has a quota available — and companies must give priority to Andorran nationals and existing residents, so the role must be one they could not fill locally. For self-employed active residence, you must form or hold at least a third of an Andorran company and manage it. For passive residence, you must show substantial means and make a large investment. EU citizens apply under broadly the same conditions as non-EU nationals, because Andorra is not part of the EU. In every case, you need a clean criminal record, a medical check in Andorra, private health cover, proof of accommodation, and proof of sufficient means.

Do you need a visa first?

Andorra has no airport or seaport and issues no entry visa of its own — you reach it by road through Spain or France, both of which are in the Schengen Area. This means visa-required nationals need a Schengen visa (or must be visa-exempt) simply to travel to Andorra, and the 90-day Schengen limit applies to the journey. First-time non-EU applicants should keep evidence of their lawful Schengen entry, as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System changes how crossings are recorded. Once in Andorra, you apply for residence directly with the Department of Immigration. Always confirm your Schengen entry requirements before you travel, because they are separate from Andorran residence.

Documents you need

Prepare a complete, well-organised package — missing or poorly legalised documents are the main cause of delays:

• A valid passport with copies of used pages
• The completed application form
• A police clearance certificate from your country of origin, apostilled
• A medical examination carried out by the Andorran Immigration medical service
• Proof of accommodation in Andorra (a rental contract or property deed)
• Proof of sufficient financial means
• Private health insurance valid in Andorra
• For employees: the employment contract and the employer’s quota authorisation
• For the self-employed: the Foreign Investment Authorisation and company documents
• For passive residents: evidence of the required investment and means

Every document issued abroad must be apostilled and officially translated into Catalan, Andorra’s official language. Confirm the exact current list with the Department of Immigration before submitting.

Establish your legal purpose.

For employees, the Andorran employer is central: the company must have a place in the annual quota and be able to show that no Andorran or resident could fill the role. For self-employed residence, you register a Foreign Investment Authorisation, form or acquire at least a third of an Andorran company, hold a management position, and, since 2026, make a non-refundable payment to the Andorran Financial Authority (AFA). For passive residence, you commit to a large permanent investment in Andorran assets and a separate deposit with the AFA. In every case, the purpose must be genuine, current and documented.

Register your address

You register your residence with your local parish (comú) and, if you work, with the Andorran social security fund (CASS). Your registered address is part of your residence file, so arrange your accommodation and registration early. Active residents are expected to live in Andorra for the greater part of the year, while passive residents must be present for a minimum number of days, so keep evidence of your actual residence.

How to get a residence permit in Andorra, step by step

1. Choose your route — active employee, active self-employed, or passive residence.
2. Secure the basis — a job offer from a company with quota, a Foreign Investment Authorisation and company for the self-employed, or your investment for passive residence.
3. Gather your documents — passport, apostilled police certificate, proof of means, accommodation and health cover, translated into Catalan.
4. Reserve your immigration authorisation where the rules require it, before starting certain procedures.
5. Submit your file to the Department of Immigration.
6. Attend the medical examination with the Andorran Immigration medical service.
7. Pay the government fees and any required AFA deposit through official channels.
8. Collect your residence card and register with your parish and, for workers, with CASS.
9. Check every detail on the card before you leave.

Processing time

A work or residence permit is often decided within roughly four to eight weeks once your file is complete and a quota place is available, though it can take longer at busy times or where extra checks are needed. Passive residence and later permanent-style renewals involve deeper background checks and can take several months. Missing documents pause the process, and quota limits mean timing matters — so prepare early and submit a complete file. There is no paid fast track.

Government fees and costs

Beyond the administrative fees for the residence card, Andorra’s main routes carry significant costs. Since 2026, self-employed active residents and passive residents must make a non-refundable payment of €50,000 to the Andorran Financial Authority, with an additional amount for each dependent on the passive route. Passive residence also requires a large permanent investment in Andorran assets. Seasonal permits carry only a small fee. Pay only through official channels and keep every receipt. The rules and amounts changed significantly in 2026, so verify the current schedule with the Department of Immigration before you commit.

Validity and renewal

Active self-employed residence is typically issued for one year, then renewed three times for two years each, and after about seven years renewals are granted for ten-year periods. Passive residence usually follows a pattern of two years, then two, then three, and then ten-year renewals. Employee permits are tied to your job and the company’s quota. In every case you must continue to meet the original conditions at each renewal — your job, company activity, or investment, plus accommodation, health cover and the minimum days of presence. Track your expiry and start your renewal in good time, because letting a permit lapse can mean starting over.

Changing employer or purpose

Andorra treats a change of category — for example, moving from active to passive residence, or the reverse — as a new application, which resets the clock on the years of residence you have built up. Changing employers as an active employee depends on the new company having a quota available and on the same national-priority rules. Because these changes affect your long-term timeline, plan them carefully and always work through the Department of Immigration rather than simply switching jobs or activities.

Benefits of holding a permit

A valid permit gives you legal identity in Andorra and lets you open a bank account, sign contracts and leases, register a vehicle, and access the Andorran healthcare system through CASS. Andorra is known for its safety, low taxes and high quality of life in the mountains. It is important to understand, though, that an Andorran residence permit does not give Schengen free-movement rights, because Andorra is outside the EU and Schengen — your travel into neighbouring countries still follows their own rules. Within Andorra, a permit lets active residents work and build a stable, long-term life.

Family reunification

Residents can bring close family, typically a spouse and minor children, provided the main applicant can show sufficient income and suitable accommodation for the whole household. On the passive route, each dependent added to the residence involves an additional non-refundable deposit with the Andorran Financial Authority. Each family member files their own file with apostilled, translated relationship documents and receives their own residence card, linked to the main applicant’s status. Confirm the current requirements before you apply, as the financial thresholds changed in 2026.

Pathway to permanent residence and citizenship

Andorra does not have the EU model of long-term residence after five years. Instead, most residents simply keep renewing their category, with renewals lengthening to ten-year periods over time. Andorran nationality is one of the hardest in Europe to obtain: it generally requires twenty years of continuous residence, and applicants must show integration, including knowledge of the Catalan language and of Andorran history and institutions. Andorra does not allow dual citizenship, so you would have to give up your current nationality. See our Andorran citizenship guide for more.

For professional drivers in Andorra

An honest note for drivers: Andorra is a very small mountain country of around 468 square kilometres, with no large road-transport or haulage industry. Most transport work is local distribution, tourism coaches, and supply runs across the Spanish and French borders, and the quota system with its priority for Andorran nationals and residents makes work-based residence hard for third-country drivers. Many professional drivers will find far more opportunity in neighbouring Spain or France. If you do have a genuine Andorran job offer, the route is active residence as an employee, which depends on your employer holding a place in the quota.

• Browse driver vacancies in Andorra.
• Register a driver profile.
• For employers — hire international drivers with compliance support

Residence permits by Andorran parish.

Andorra has seven parishes (parròquies). The process is the same everywhere — secure your basis, submit your file to the Department of Immigration, attend the medical check, and register with your parish and CASS — but here is what each parish offers, especially for drivers.

Andorra la Vella

The capital and commercial heart of the country, with the widest range of employers, shops and services, and the main hub for local distribution and retail logistics. Driver jobs in Andorra la Vella.

Escaldes-Engordany

Adjoining the capital, a busy commercial and spa town that, together with Andorra la Vella, forms the country’s main urban and business area. Driver jobs in Escaldes-Engordany.

Encamp

Sitting on the main road toward France and the Pas de la Casa border, this parish is central to cross-border supply and tourism traffic heading north. Driver jobs in Encamp.

Canillo

A mountain parish built around skiing and tourism, with seasonal demand for coach and supply drivers serving the resorts. Driver jobs in Canillo.

La Massana

A residential and ski parish close to the capital, with tourism and local services generating steady transport needs. Driver jobs in La Massana.

Ordino

The greenest, most rural parish, known for its landscapes and quieter pace, with limited but genuine seasonal transport work. Driver jobs in Ordino.

Sant Julià de Lòria

The southernmost parish, on the Spanish border near La Seu d’Urgell — the key gateway for freight and supplies entering Andorra from Spain. Driver jobs in Sant Julià de Lòria.

Related guides

• Europe residence permits — all countries
• Andorran citizenship
• Health insurance in Andorra
• Andorra short-stay visa

Official government sources

• Government of Andorra — immigration and residence (Servei d’Immigració).
• Andorran Social Security (CASS) — registration for workers and healthcare.
• Official Gazette (BOPA) — immigration laws and quota decrees.
• Andorran Financial Authority (AFA) — residence deposits.

Information only — not legal advice. The Andorran authorities make final decisions, and rules and fees can change without notice. Always verify on the official portals above before you apply or pay anyone.