---
title: "Driving licence and vehicle registration in Andorra (2026)"
url: https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car
description: "Cars in Andorra: exchanging a French licence, registering or importing a vehicle, insurance, the risks of an Andorran plate in France."
updated: 2026-10-11
language: en
publisher: Andorre Fiscal (https://andorrefiscal.fr)
---

# Cars in Andorra: driving licence, registration and insurance

> Markdown version of the page https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car (Andorre Fiscal), up to date as of 11 October 2026. To cite this page, use its address: https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car

When you move to Andorra, you can drive with your French licence for six months after obtaining residency, and you must exchange it for an Andorran licence within the year, without taking a test. Your car can keep its plates for six months; after that, it must be registered in Andorra, which is only possible if it is no more than six years old. Conversely, an Andorran plate does not exempt a resident of France from French registration or French VAT.

By [the Andorre Fiscal editorial team](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/about#redaction) · Verified on 11 October 2026 · [12 official sources](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#sources)

- **6 months** to drive with a French licence and French plates, once resident
- **1 year** to exchange your French licence, without a test
- **6 years** maximum age to register a car already registered abroad
- **€250** first registration fee (2026)

## Key points

- As a resident of Andorra, you drive for six months with your French licence, then exchange it, within one year, for an Andorran licence, without a test, for €65.94 in 2026 (regulation of 2 July 2025, art. 14 and 15; e-tràmits).
- Your car can be driven on foreign plates for six months; to register it, it must have been in your name for six months and be no more than six years old (regulation of 14 December 2022, art. 3).
- Registration involves customs (IGI of 4.5%, unless transfer of residence relief applies), an ITV vehicle inspection, insurance with a company authorised in Andorra and a fee of €250.
- Compulsory insurance covers at least third parties and occupants, up to €50 million per claim, for at least one year (Traffic Code, art. 98).
- As a resident of France, you must clear a car bought in Andorra through customs (VAT of 20%) and register it in France; you may drive on an Andorran plate only by way of exception, for example as an employee of the company that owns the car.

## French driving licence in Andorra: six months, then the exchange

Yes, but for a limited time if you settle there. When visiting, you drive with your French licence, as with any licence from the European Union or EFTA (driving licence regulation of 2 July 2025, art. 14). Once you are resident, several time limits apply:

**New resident: the time limits for your licence and car**

| Step | Time limit | Starting from |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Driving with your French licence<br>2025 regulation, art. 14 | **6 months** | Obtaining residency |
| Exchanging your licence, without a test<br>2025 regulation, art. 15 | **1 year** | Obtaining residency |
| Driving on foreign plates<br>2022 regulation, art. 3 | **6 months** | Grant of the residence permit |
| Declaring your car for customs relief<br>Llei 33/2012, art. 6 | **12 months** | Moving to Andorra |

Sources: driving licence regulation of 2 July 2025; regulation on registration of 14 December 2022; Llei 33/2012 on customs relief.

Between the sixth and the twelfth month, the exchange is still possible, but your French licence no longer entitles you to drive: submit the application in the first few months. The text does not say what happens after one year; in that case, check with the Driving Licence Register (Registre de permisos de conduir) first. People who were already resident before 3 January 2025 keep twelve months of driving with their foreign licence (fourth transitional provision).

These rules apply only to residents: a cross-border worker who lives in France keeps their French licence. The conditions for [becoming resident in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency) are set out in our guide.

## Exchanging your French licence for an Andorran licence

The exchange, known as direct homologation, takes place without a test: all the categories of the French licence, and how long you have held them, are recognised (art. 15). The application is made online on [e-tràmits](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/glossary#e-tramits), to the Driving Licence Register; the signature and photo are taken at the Govern’s offices, preferably by appointment. In October 2026, the information sheet states a fee of **€65.94** and a processing time of no more than 48 hours.

### The documents to provide

- a **medical certificate** from a family doctor authorised to practise in Andorra, less than three months old, or a special certificate from the SAAS for professional categories;
- a recent colour **photo** measuring 35 × 45 mm, on a white background;
- the **original and a double-sided copy** of the licence, the original being handed in when you collect the Andorran licence.

The authorities may also ask for a secure certificate of driving entitlement (ADCS), which can be obtained from the “Mes points permis” online service, according to the Embassy of France in Andorra. Plan for it at the same time as the [procedures for obtaining residency](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/application-process).

> **Caution: Ask for all your categories**
>
> Only the categories shown on your licence and requested at the time of the exchange are recognised: a category left out would mean retaking the tests (art. 15). The licence must also be valid on the day of the application and must not have been obtained while you were resident in Andorra.

### What happens to the French licence?

It ceases to be valid when the Andorran licence is issued, and the original is sent back to the French authorities (art. 8 and 16). You are then subject to the Andorran rules on validity and medical checks; if you return, see [restoring your driving entitlement](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#retour-france).

## Getting or renewing a driving licence in Andorra

### Taking the test

You must live in Andorra: the Andorran licence is reserved for resident Andorrans and for foreign nationals holding a residence permit, other than temporary residence (art. 3 and 7). Candidates enrol with an approved driving school, as independent candidates are not accepted (art. 30), then take a medical examination, written tests and practical tests, on a closed circuit and on the road (art. 32). Category B can be obtained from the age of 18 (art. 4).

### Renewing your licence

A category B licence is valid for ten years up to the age of 70, then for two years (art. 11). The extension can be applied for no earlier than three months before the expiry date, with a medical certificate and a photo; the new period runs from the expiry date (art. 12). More than three months after expiry, the fee doubles; if more than twice the period of validity has elapsed since the licence was last issued, you must retake the practical tests. A change of address, for example from one parish to another (see [where to live in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/parishes)), must be declared within fifteen days (art. 9).

### Driving abroad

The international driving permit, valid for one year and always accompanied by the national licence, is issued to residents by the Automòbil Club d’Andorra, to which the Govern has delegated this task (art. 23 to 25). The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic has been in force in Andorra since 25 September 2025 (third transitional provision).

## Bringing your car: six months on French plates

For six months at most. A resident of Andorra may not drive a car registered abroad, except a new resident’s car, while it is being registered, and in cases of temporary admission (Traffic Code, art. 97). Your car can therefore keep its French plates for no more than six months after you obtain your residence permit; after that, it must be registered in Andorra or taken off the road (regulation of 14 December 2022, art. 3). Two conditions apply (art. 3 and 10):

- it has been **in your name for six months** or more;
- it is **no more than six years old**, counted from the year of manufacture, and its engine meets a Euro standard equal to the one in force or no more than one level below it.

> **Caution: Over six years old: no registration**
>
> The regulation is unequivocal: “in no case” may the vehicle be more than six years old. Only special regimes are exempt, such as an inherited car (art. 10) or a historic vehicle (Traffic Code, art. 100).

### IGI on import, or customs relief

An imported car bears [IGI](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/glossary#igi) at the general rate of **4.5%**, as there is no special rate for vehicles (Llei 11/2012, art. 57; see the [IGI rates](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/tax/andorra-vat-igi#taux)). It is exempt if it falls within the relief for personal property imported on a transfer of residence (art. 19), which expressly covers cars for private use. Under Llei 33/2012 on customs relief, you must:

- have lived outside Andorra for at least twelve consecutive months;
- have owned and used the car for at least six months at your former residence, and keep using it for the same purpose;
- have paid the duties and taxes normally due in the country of origin or provenance;
- declare it to customs within twelve months of settling in Andorra, or beforehand, by undertaking to settle within six months and providing a guarantee;
- not lend, hire out, pledge or dispose of it for twelve months without informing customs, failing which the duties and taxes become payable.

Means of transport for commercial use are excluded (art. 5). Andorran customs examine each case: if in doubt, ask them before you move.

## Registering a car in Andorra: steps and costs

For a car already registered abroad, the e-tràmits information sheet and the 2022 regulation (art. 6 and 10) provide for six steps:

1. Declare the car to customs

   With the purchase invoice as supporting evidence: customs stamp it and collect the IGI, unless relief applies.
2. Pass the ITV check

   This vehicle inspection provides the required inspection sheet and mileage report.
3. Deregister the car in its country of origin

   Keep the original foreign registration certificate, which must be included in the application.
4. Insure the car in Andorra

   The insurance certificate in your name is part of the application.
5. Apply for registration

   With the European certificate of conformity (CoC), a copy of your passport for a first vehicle and a copy of the card showing your IBAN.
6. Collect the plates

   The Automòbil Club d’Andorra makes them and hands them over, for a charge, on presentation of the registration certificate.

**The main costs of moving with a car**

| Item | Amount in 2026 |
| --- | --- |
| Exchange of the French licence | €65.94 |
| First registration | €250 |
| IGI on import | 4.5%, unless relief applies |
| Plates | Paid to the Automòbil Club |
| Ownership tax (taxa de tinença) | Payable every year |

Fees from the e-tràmits information sheets consulted on 11 October 2026. Indicative calculation: 4.5% × €30,000 = €1,350 of IGI. The price of the plates, the ITV and insurance is not given in the sources cited.

The registration certificate, known as the “carta groga”, then stays with the car. Any change to its details, such as a new address, must be declared to the Vehicle Register within fifteen working days, and the ITV must be repeated at intervals set by regulation (Traffic Code, art. 97 and 99). These costs weigh on a [resident’s transport budget](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/cost-of-living#transport); for banking, see how to [open an account in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/bank-account).

## Buying a car in Andorra, new or used

Only residents, other than those with temporary residence, companies incorporated under Andorran law and certain entities established in Andorra may register a car in their name (2022 regulation, art. 3). The application varies depending on the car:

- **New**: invoice stamped by customs, IGI payment declaration, insurance in the buyer’s name and certificate of conformity; the seller can register the car online (art. 9).
- **Used, already registered in Andorra**: “carta groga” signed by the seller, insurance in the buyer’s name and a new ITV if the current one expires in less than a month. The buyer has fifteen working days to complete the formalities; after that, the car may be immobilised (art. 28).
- **Used, from abroad**: the same conditions as for your own car, including the six-year maximum age and the Euro standard (art. 10).

### If you do not live in Andorra

A non-resident can only obtain temporary registration, known as MT (matrícula temporal or turística), reserved for the vehicles of non-residents travelling temporarily in Andorra and abroad. Valid for one month to one year, it requires a passed ITV, insurance and the IGI payment declaration; a used car must, here again, be no more than six years old (art. 23 and 25). It settles nothing on the French side: see [Andorran plates in France](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#plaque-andorrane-france).

## Compulsory car insurance in Andorra

Every car registered in Andorra must be insured with a company legally authorised to operate in Andorra (Traffic Code, art. 98). Compulsory insurance covers at least damage caused to third parties and occupants, with cover of up to **€50 million per claim**, and lasts at least one year; for temporary registration, it may last as long as the plate.

- the insurance certificate in the owner’s name is required to register the car and for any change of registered owner;
- traffic officers may ask for proof of insurance and of its payment; an uninsured car is immobilised until it is insured;
- when a policy ends, the insurer informs the Vehicle Register;
- a foreign car being driven in Andorra must be covered at least up to the level of cover required for an Andorran car.

In winter, a car’s equipment is also regulated: see our explanations on [compulsory snow tyres and chains in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/getting-to-andorra#hiver).

## Andorran plates in France: what are the risks for a French national?

What matters is not the plate, but where the owner and the driver live. As Andorra is not a member of the EU (see [Andorra and the European Union](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/andorra-at-a-glance#euro-ue)), a car registered there comes, as far as France is concerned, from a third country. According to the French Ministry of Finance, it may be driven there free of duties and VAT, under the temporary admission procedure, only if it is registered outside the Union in the name of a person established outside the Union, and used by a person established outside the Union; only this last condition allows exceptions, and limited ones (ministerial answer of 5 July 2016).

**You live in Andorra — Your Andorran car**

- In your name or that of your Andorran company, it in principle meets the conditions for temporary admission
- You drive in France as a traveller from a third country
- If you move back to France, you will have to register it there within one month

**You live in France — A car bought in Andorra**

- Customs clearance: VAT of 20% in all cases, reduced or zero customs duties depending on the agreement concluded with the Union
- Customs clearance certificate 846 A, then registration in France, within one month for a used car
- Andorran plate allowed only by way of exception: employee of the company that owns the car, occasional or urgent use

The [customs union](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/glossary#union-douaniere) between Andorra and the EU does not remove French import VAT. To register the car in France, you also need a European certificate of conformity, an identification certificate or an individual vehicle approval issued by the DREAL, and, for a car more than four years old, a roadworthiness test less than six months old carried out in France or in the EU; the cost of the registration certificate (carte grise) depends on the vehicle and the region.

> **Common misconception**
>
> “An Andorran plate lets you drive indefinitely in France without paying French VAT.”
>
> **In fact.** A resident of France who buys a car in Andorra must clear it through customs, with VAT of 20%, then register it in France. On the Andorran side, the ordinary plate is reserved for residents and Andorran companies; a non-resident can only obtain temporary registration, valid for one year at most.

## Andorran company car: who can drive it?

A company incorporated under Andorran law may register cars in its name (Traffic Code, art. 97). Commercial vehicles are reserved for businesses whose activity requires them, and an industrial vehicle over 2,500 kg goes to a private individual only for justified non-commercial needs (2022 regulation, art. 3). The company can declare its usual driver to the Vehicle Register; that driver then takes over its obligations, including identifying the driver in the event of an offence (Code, art. 5).

If this driver lives in France, customs law comes into play. The ministerial answer of 5 July 2016 distinguishes between:

- the **employee** bound by an employment contract to the owner established outside the Union: private use is limited to journeys between home and work, or to a work task provided for in their contract;
- the **non-employee managing partner**: this exception does not, on the face of it, apply to them, and the other exceptions only cover occasional or urgent use, not a company car used regularly.

> **Good to know: A point to have confirmed**
>
> This answer dates from 2016 and concerned a Swiss company, but the rule it restates applies to any vehicle registered outside the Union. Before entrusting an Andorran car to a person who lives in France, have the situation confirmed by the customs service or by a lawyer. See also [working in Andorra and living in France](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/cross-border-worker) and [setting up a company in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/business/set-up-a-company).

## Returning to France: what happens to your licence and car?

**The licence.** If your Andorran licence comes from exchanging a French licence, you can apply to have your French driving entitlement restored within a year of moving back, according to the Embassy of France in Andorra. If you obtained it in Andorra, you must exchange it for a French licence or retake the test in France.

**The car.** Anyone who settles in France and declares their main residence there must register their car there within one month, whatever their nationality (service-public.gouv.fr). For a car from a country outside the Union, the application includes customs clearance certificate 846 A. Customs admit it free of duties and taxes if you had been living outside the Union for more than a year, if it appears on the inventory of your belongings, if it is not a commercial vehicle, if you have owned and used it for more than six months and if the taxes of the country of provenance have been paid.

On the Andorran side, the regulation provides for the vehicle to be deregistered for export; a car exported on a change of residence that later returns to Andorra gets its Andorran plate back (2022 regulation, art. 4 and 29).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can you drive in Andorra with a French licence?

Yes. When visiting, you drive with your French licence, which is recognised like any licence issued in the European Union. If you become a resident, it only allows you to drive for six months after obtaining residency, and you must exchange it for an Andorran licence within one year.

[Read: French driving licence in Andorra: six months, then the exchange](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#permis)

### How do you exchange a French driving licence in Andorra?

By applying for direct homologation to the Driving Licence Register, online on e-tràmits: in October 2026, the information sheet stated a fee of €65.94 and a processing time of no more than 48 hours. You need a medical certificate from a family doctor authorised in Andorra, an identity photo and your licence, the original of which is sent back to the French authorities. No test is required.

[Read: Exchanging your French licence for an Andorran licence](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#echange)

### Can you take your driving test in Andorra?

Yes, if you live there: the Andorran licence is reserved for Andorrans who live in the country and for foreign nationals holding a residence permit, excluding temporary residence. Candidates must be enrolled with a driving school, as independent candidates are not accepted, and category B can be obtained from the age of 18.

[Read: Getting or renewing a driving licence in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#passer-renouveler)

### How much does it cost to register a car in Andorra?

First registration costs €250 according to the e-tràmits information sheet consulted in October 2026. On top of this come the 4.5% IGI paid at customs on an imported car, unless transfer of residence relief applies, the plates supplied for a charge by the Automòbil Club d’Andorra, the ITV and insurance, then, every year, the vehicle ownership tax.

[Read: Registering a car in Andorra: steps and costs](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#immatriculer)

### Can you register a car more than six years old in Andorra?

As a general rule, no. The 2022 regulation requires a car already registered abroad to be no more than six years old, counted from the year of manufacture, and to have an engine whose Euro standard is at most one level below the one in force. Only special cases are exempt, such as an inherited car; an older car can only be driven in Andorra for six months after obtaining residency.

[Read: Bringing your car: six months on French plates](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#importer)

### Can a French resident drive in France in a car registered in Andorra?

In principle, no. A car bought outside the Union must be cleared through customs, with VAT of 20%, then registered in France. The exemption granted to vehicles passing through requires an owner and a user established outside the Union; a resident of France only benefits from it by way of exception, for example as an employee of the company that owns the car, for journeys between home and work.

[Read: Andorran plates in France: what are the risks for a French national?](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/driving-licence-and-car#plaque-andorrane-france)

### How do you renew an Andorran driving licence?

A category B licence is valid for ten years up to the age of 70, then for two years. The extension can be applied for no more than three months before the expiry date, with a medical certificate and a photo, and the new period runs from the expiry date. If it is submitted more than three months after expiry, the application costs twice as much.

## Sources

1. [Driving licence regulation of 2 July 2025 (Decree 226/2025), Portal jurídic](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B) — EU licences recognised, six months of driving and exchange within one year without a test (art. 14 to 16), conditions for obtaining a licence (art. 3, 4, 7, 30 and 32), address, validity and extension (art. 9, 11 and 12), documents (Annex II), international driving permit and Vienna Convention (art. 23 to 25, transitional provisions 3 and 4).
2. [e-tràmits: direct homologation of a foreign driving licence](https://www.e-tramits.ad/tramits/ca/homologacio-directa-dun-permis-de-conduir-estranger/p/GV000297) — Fee of €65.94, processing time of no more than 48 hours, signature and photo at the Govern’s offices; information sheet consulted on 11 October 2026.
3. [Embassy of France in Andorra: driving licences (updated on 25 November 2025)](https://ad.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/identite/permis) — Residents outside the EEA: local licence by test or exchange; ADCS certificate via “Mes points permis”; restoration of driving entitlement on returning to France.
4. [Llei 12/2021 of 13 May 2021, Traffic Code (consolidated text)](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012) — Usual driver (art. 5), vehicle register and ban on a resident driving a car registered abroad (art. 97), compulsory insurance (art. 98), ITV (art. 99), historic vehicles (art. 100).
5. [Regulation of 14 December 2022 on registration and the Vehicle Register (Decree 534/2022)](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20221214A) — Six months on foreign plates, six months of ownership and six years at most (art. 3 and 10), return of an exported car (art. 4), plates (art. 6), new cars (art. 9), temporary registration (art. 23 and 25), change of registered owner (art. 28), deregistration (art. 29), ownership tax (art. 30).
6. [e-tràmits: first registration of a vehicle](https://www.e-tramits.ad/tramits/ca/primera-matriculacio-dun-vehicle-vehicle-nou-vehicle-ocasio-amb-placa-estrangera-vehicle-amb-placa-mt-i-vehicle-historic/p/GV000365) — Customs declaration, ITV check, deregistration in the country of origin, fee of €250, 48-hour processing time, plates collected from the Automòbil Club; information sheet consulted on 11 October 2026.
7. [Llei 33/2012 of 22 November 2012 on the customs relief regime](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2012033) — Relief for personal property, including cars, on a transfer of residence: six months of ownership, twelve months of residence abroad, declaration within twelve months, twelve months without disposal (art. 1 to 8).
8. [Llei 11/2012 of 21 June 2012 on IGI (consolidated text)](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2012011) — Exemption for personal property imported on a transfer of residence (art. 19); general rate of 4.5% (art. 57) and special rates (art. 58 to 60 ter).
9. [Service-public.gouv.fr: must a foreign national who settles in France register their vehicle there? (verified on 26 February 2026)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F10519) — Registration compulsory within one month of settling, whatever the nationality; certificate 846 A, roadworthiness test, conformity, cost depending on the vehicle and the region.
10. [Service-public.gouv.fr: registering a used vehicle (verified on 6 February 2026)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1050) — One month to register a used vehicle bought in France or abroad; documents for a vehicle from a country outside the EU.
11. [French Customs: buying a vehicle abroad or in a French overseas territory (DOM-COM) (updated on 5 February 2021)](https://www.douane.gouv.fr/fiche/achat-dun-vehicule-letranger-ou-dans-un-dom-com) — VAT of 20% in all cases, reduced or zero duties depending on the agreement, certificate 846 A, relief in the event of a transfer of residence to France.
12. [French National Assembly: written question No. 84317, answer published in the Journal officiel of 5 July 2016](https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q14/14-84317QE.htm) — Temporary admission of a vehicle registered outside the Union: conditions, limited exception for employees, no exception for a non-employee manager.

Consolidated texts on the Portal jurídic d’Andorra have no official value: only the version published in the BOPA is authentic. [How we verify](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/methodology).

**General information, not advice.** This guide sets out the rules in force on 11 October 2026, based on official texts. It is no substitute for a professional review of your situation (lawyer, tax adviser, gestoria). Spotted an error or a change? [Write to us](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/contact).

## Further reading

- [Getting to Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/getting-to-andorra): Road, rail, bus, airports
- [Cost of living](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/cost-of-living): Taxes, inflation, budget items
- [Procedures and timescales](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/application-process): From application to residence card
- [VAT in Andorra (IGI)](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/tax/andorra-vat-igi): Standard rate and special rates
- [Where to live: the 7 parishes](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/parishes): From Canillo to Sant Julià
- [Opening a bank account](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/bank-account): Resident or non-resident