Schools in Andorra: French, Andorran or Spanish

What are Andorra’s three school systems?

Andorra has a rare feature: three state education systems exist side by side on its territory, the Andorran system, the Spanish system and the French system. According to the Spanish Embassy, they teach about 11,000 pupils in non-university education, and all the schools are free, except the private one. Schooling is compulsory from age 6 to 16.

Alongside these three public networks, a private, fee-paying school, the Agora International School Andorra, is attached to the Spanish system, according to the Spanish Embassy: see private and international schools below.

How does the French school system work in Andorra?

The French system has been present in Andorra since the first French primary schools opened, in 1900. Its legal framework rests on a 1982 decree on the schools and the upper secondary school of the French co-prince, and on an agreement between Andorra and France on education, signed in 2014, which maintains “free public education provided by French establishments” (free translation). For this system, the Govern refers you to the Délégation à l’enseignement français en Andorre (Delegation for French Education in Andorra).

Source: Govern d’Andorra, “Sistema educatiu francès” page, consulted on 10 October 2026.

For a French family, this system provides continuity with schooling in France. The Lycée Comte de Foix is the only upper secondary school on the list published by the Govern for this network. Pupils also follow the Formació Andorrana, presented below.

The Andorran system and the Spanish system

Alongside the French school system, two other systems take pupils: the Andorran system, whose language of instruction is Catalan, and the Spanish system, whose state education is free under a 2007 agreement.

Andorran schools

The Andorran system covers nursery education, primera ensenyança (primary education) and segona ensenyança (compulsory secondary education), followed by the baccalaureate and vocational qualifications. It also includes a lifelong learning centre and a school of training for sports and mountain occupations (EFPEM). Llei 6/2024 makes Catalan “the language of education, learning and communication” of Andorran training centres (free translation).

Source: Govern d’Andorra, “Sistema educatiu andorrà” page.

The Spanish system

Present since 1882 with faith schools, then since 1930 with secular schools, it is governed by a 2007 Spanish⁠–⁠Andorran agreement, which maintains free Spanish state education. It comprises the Colegio Español María Moliner (a school and a secondary school) and three faith schools: Mare Janer, Sagrada Família and Sant Ermengol. According to the Spanish Embassy, it had 3,029 pupils in 2024-2025.

Catalan and Andorra on every pupil’s curriculum

Whichever system you choose, your child will learn Catalan. In the French and Spanish systems, the Formació Andorrana (Andorran education) must, under the law on the organisation of the Andorran education system, provide a basic knowledge of Andorran culture. It covers the study of the Catalan language and of the environment, history, geography, culture and institutions of Andorra.

Llei 6/2024 on the language also requires establishments that teach in another language to guarantee the Catalan classes provided for by the regulations, and services to the public available in Catalan. For parents, the Govern offers courses, including free online courses, and five public Catalan learning centres are open to the public in Escaldes-Engordany, Encamp, La Massana, Canillo and Pas de la Casa: see how to learn Catalan in Andorra.

Which system should you choose for your child?

The choice depends on your plans for the future and on how long you expect to stay. A few criteria:

• Possible return to France: the French system ensures continuity of the curriculum;
• Long-term settlement: the Andorran system, in Catalan, helps integration and leads to Andorran qualifications;
• Plans in Spain or Catalonia: the Spanish system, made up of Spanish State schools, ensures continuity with Spain;
• Where you live: local schools, school transport on request and transport grants offered by the Govern;
• Languages: in every case, the child will learn Catalan.

Contact the schools, whose list and contact details the Govern publishes, as soon as you know your address. For a family’s move as a whole, see our pathway for moving to Andorra as a family.

Enrolling your child in school in Andorra

Enrolment in a state school follows the same procedure in all three systems, according to the Govern. The child must meet three conditions:

• be at least 3 years old;
• be registered in the comú register of the parish of residence;
• for a child who is not Andorran, be registered in the Immigration Service register (on the situation of the children of a foreign resident, see family reunification in Andorra).

1. 1

   Choose the system

   Andorran, French or Spanish system: the family chooses the one in which they want to enrol their child.

2. 2

   Apply for pre-enrolment

   The family contacts the school of that system closest to their home, which gives them a pre-enrolment document.

3. 3

   Submit the enrolment application

   With this document, they fill in the school enrolment application at any Tràmits office, or on the Govern’s Seu electrònica. The ministry then sends the necessary certificates to the school.

Private and international schools

Only one private school is mentioned by the official sources we consulted: the Agora International School Andorra, attached to the Spanish education system, according to the Spanish Embassy in Andorra. It is the only fee-paying school in the country; all the others are free.

The three faith schools of the Spanish system, Mare Janer, Sagrada Família and Sant Ermengol, are not fee-paying private schools: according to the same source, they are public in nature and 100% funded by the Govern.

Before age 3: nurseries and childcare

State schools only take children from the age of 3, and nursery school is not compulsory. Before that age, childcare is provided by nurseries, the escoles bressol. The comú of Ordino, for example, runs the escola bressol La Baldufa, which takes children up to the age of 3, according to its regulations as amended in 2013:

• as places are limited, parents first reserve a place through pre-enrolment, paying a registration fee at the comú’s procedures office;
• places are allocated in order of pre-enrolment, and pre-enrolment does not guarantee a place on the desired date;
• the application includes, among other things, a medical certificate, a copy of the vaccination record, the CASS number and school and third-party liability insurance;
• fees are set each year by the comú, in its ordinance on public prices.

Conditions, fees and waiting lists vary from one parish to another: check with the comú of your future parish as soon as your move takes shape.

School skiing, pupils’ buses: everyday school life

A distinctively Andorran feature: school skiing. According to the Govern, it is “a compulsory physical activity for all primera ensenyança pupils attending school in Andorra” (free translation). Part of physical education, it is governed by a regulation approved by Decree 391/2025, and national school skiing championships are held.

For older pupils, the Govern runs buses reserved for pupils (“Bus estudiants” lines), intended for pupils in secondary education, the baccalaureate and vocational training, as well as students at Andorran universities. They bring pupils closer to the schools and to the shuttles that serve them: one line starts from Pas de la Casa and runs via Canillo and Encamp, and two others start from Arinsal and Ordino via La Massana. The Ministry of Education also processes school transport applications and grants transport aid.

Finally, resident families can use the regular buses with the free bus pass for residents.

School calendar and holidays 2026-2027

The Govern publishes the calendar of public holidays and school holidays each year. For 2026-2027, it sets the start of the school year on Wednesday 9 September 2026 and the end of classes on Friday 2 July 2027.

Source: Govern d’Andorra, calendar of public holidays and school holidays 2026-2027. Also check the calendar of your child’s school, particularly in the French and Spanish systems.

After the baccalaureate: the University of Andorra and studying abroad

Andorra has a public university, the University of Andorra (Universitat d’Andorra). It grew out of the creation, in 1988, of the schools of nursing and computer science, and its campus has been in the centre of Sant Julià de Lòria since 2004. In particular, it offers bàtxelors (bachelor’s degrees) taught in person.

According to the Spanish Embassy, the country also has three private universities: the Universitat Carlemany, the Universitat Europea (eUniv) and the Universitat Digital Europea (UNIPRO).

Students who continue their studies outside Andorra remain covered by the CASS as indirectly insured persons: they stay within the care pathway without a referral from an Andorran doctor, on presentation of proof of studies. If they study in France, they can also apply for form SE130-04. See our guide to healthcare in Andorra and treatment in France.

Schooling and nationality: the ten-year rule

Schooling has a direct effect on access to Andorran nationality. Llei 8/2026 requires, in principle, 20 years of residence. This period falls to 10 years of residence for anyone who has completed at least 10 school years in Andorra, or all of compulsory schooling. In all cases, naturalisation by residence also requires the last years of residence to be effective and the applicant to prove their integration.

The conditions are set out in detail in Andorran nationality and in our news article Andorran nationality: what Llei 8/2026 changes.