--- title: "Catalan A1 required in Andorra to renew your permit" url: https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/catalan-required-for-permit-renewal description: "Since 26 April 2026, renewing a work permit in Andorra requires Catalan A1, then A2 at the following renewal. Who is affected." updated: 2026-10-11 language: en publisher: Andorre Fiscal (https://andorrefiscal.fr) --- # Catalan in Andorra: level A1 required at the first permit renewal > Markdown version of the page https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/catalan-required-for-permit-renewal (Andorre Fiscal), up to date as of 11 October 2026. To cite this page, use its address: https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/catalan-required-for-permit-renewal Since 26 April 2026, the transition period provided for by Llei 6/2024 on the official language has been over: the holder of a residence and work permit must prove level A1 in Catalan to obtain their first renewal, then level A2 for the second. Without a diploma, renewal is refused. By [the Andorre Fiscal editorial team](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/about#redaction) · Published on 10 October 2026 · Updated on 11 October 2026 · Rule in force since 26 April 2026 · [10 official sources](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/catalan-required-for-permit-renewal#sources) - **A1** at the first renewal - **A2** at the second renewal - **26 Apr 2026** end of the transition period - **5 years** to extend the requirement to other statuses ## Key points - Llei 6/2024 of 25 April 2024 added a Catalan requirement for working in Andorra to the immigration law. - The holder of a residence and work permit must prove level A1 at the first renewal and level A2 at the second. - Until 26 April 2026, it was enough to have attended the training provided for by the quota regulation; since then, the A1 level qualification has been required. - Proof is provided by an official Catalan diploma issued by the Govern, or by an equivalent qualification it recognises. - The Govern must extend these requirements, within a maximum of five years of the law’s entry into force, to the self-employed, cross-border workers and residence without work, including passive residency. ## What the law provides Catalan is the official language of Andorra. Llei 6/2024 of 25 April 2024, “on Andorra’s own and official language”, added to the qualified law on immigration an Article 54 bis under which knowledge of Catalan is necessary to work in the country. The quota regulation must set the conditions for obtaining level **A1** at the first renewal and level **A2** at the second. Article 58 of the immigration law draws the consequence: the Immigration Service refuses the first two renewals if the required levels of Catalan are not proven. > El Servei d’Immigració denega les dos primeres renovacions […] si no s’han respectat les condicions de l’article 54 bis quant a l’acreditació dels nivells de català (the Immigration Service refuses the first two renewals […] if the conditions of Article 54 bis concerning proof of the levels of Catalan have not been met). > > — [Llei 9/2012, qualified law on immigration, Article 58, as amended by Llei 6/2024](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2024006) ## Why 26 April 2026? 26 April 2026 marks the end of the transition period provided for by the law (second transitional provision). Until that date, a person applying for their first renewal only had to prove that they had attended the Catalan training provided for by the quota regulation: they were exempt from proving level A1. If they had been unable to attend this training for justified reasons, the renewal could be granted, but level A2 became required before the second renewal. Since 26 April 2026, this leniency has ended: the first renewal requires an A1 level qualification. The [2026 general quota regulations](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/andorra-immigration-quota-2026) repeat this: holders of an authorisation granted under them must present an official Catalan diploma issued by the Govern, or a recognised equivalent qualification, at level A1 at the first renewal and A2 at the second. > **Good to know: A nuance for older authorisations** > > Under the second transitional provision, refusal of the first renewal for lack of Catalan applies to people who applied for their initial authorisation after the entry into force of the corresponding quota regulation. If your authorisation is an older one, have your situation checked by the Immigration Service. ## Who is affected? The requirement currently applies to holders of a **residence and work permit**, in other words foreign employees settled in Andorra, whatever their nationality (see our guide to the [work permit in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/work-permit)). It applies at the first two renewals: the initial one-year authorisation is then renewed for two-year periods. It does not yet apply to other statuses: the March 2026 quota regulations for residence without work and for the self-employed do not impose Catalan on renewal. But the law requires the Govern to adopt, within a maximum of five years of its entry into force, the regulations that will require levels A1 and A2 to renew authorisations under the other statuses: **Since 26 April 2026 — Employees** - A1 at the first renewal - A2 at the second - Renewal refused without a qualification **Within five years of the law — Other statuses** - [Self-employed](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/self-employed-residency) and cross-border workers - Residence without work, including [passive residency](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/passive-residency) - Digital economy and entrepreneurship **Nationality — Level B1** - Required under the age of 70 ([Llei 8/2026](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/andorran-citizenship-law-8-2026)) - Official diploma or recognised qualification ## Catalan A1 exam: which diploma should you present? An official Catalan language diploma issued by the Govern d’Andorra, or an equivalent qualification, diploma or certificate recognised by the Govern. The Govern issues six diplomas, from level A1 to level C2, aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: A1 and A2 are its first two levels, B1 the third. The law also provides that the Govern and the comuns inform people over 18 who come to settle in Andorra and refer them to language courses. The official level A1 exam lasts 1 hour 20 minutes and is taken in two parts: listening comprehension, reading comprehension and written expression on the same day, then a 15-minute oral at a time set for each candidate. **The Govern d’Andorra’s official Catalan A1 exam** | Test | Duration | Points | | --- | --- | --- | | Listening comprehension | 25 min | 30 | | Reading comprehension | 20 min | 25 | | Written expression and interaction | 20 min | 15 | | Oral expression and interaction | 15 min | 30 | To pass, you need at least 40 points out of 60 in the oral part (comprehension and expression) and 20 points out of 40 in the written part. A sample exam, with the recording and the answer key, is published by the Govern. ## Where can you study and take the exam in Andorra? Courses and exams are organised by the Govern. The Catalan courses of the Àrea de Llengua Catalana are free for people over 16 and for companies, from level A1 to level C2, and prepare for the official exams. - **Courses**: in person in Encamp, La Massana, Sant Julià de Lòria and Escaldes-Engordany, starting in early September or late January; extensive (3 hours a week, from September to June) or intensive (4 hours a week, from September to January or from February to June). - **Course registration**: online, through a link opened in early September and mid-January, or in person at the Catalan centres in Canillo, Encamp, Pas de la Casa, La Massana and Escaldes-Engordany. - **Exam registration**: online only, on e-tràmits, during the period set for each session, with a fee of €17.15; a non-resident attaches a copy of their passport or identity card. - **Diploma**: after the results are published, a successful candidate applies for it to be issued on e-tràmits. The Govern also organised an extraordinary session of the A1 exam on 4 September 2026, reserved for residents and cross-border workers who had to prove their Catalan to renew their permit, with 150 places allocated in order of registration. For the dates of the next sessions, check the Govern’s announcements. Other ways to make progress, at work or in everyday life, are presented in our guide to [learning Catalan in Andorra](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/languages#apprendre). ## What this changes in practice For a newly arrived employee, it is best to obtain the A1 qualification during the first year, before applying for renewal, then A2 before the second: a refusal of renewal calls into question the right to stay and work in Andorra. For the other statuses, the requirement is not yet in force, but the law announces it. More broadly, Catalan is the language of the administration, and knowledge of it counts for nationality. See our guide to the [language spoken in Andorra in everyday life](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/languages). ## Passive residents and the self-employed: when will Catalan become compulsory? No date so far: the self-employed, cross-border workers and residents without work, including passive residents, will be affected only once the regulations that Llei 6/2024 requires of the Govern within a maximum of five years have been adopted. Also still uncertain are: - the exact timetable for this extension, which the law does not set beyond the maximum period of five years; - any exemptions: the law exempts from the training people who can show the knowledge set by regulation, without further detail; - the treatment of authorisations issued before the quota regulations concerned, to be checked case by case. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you need to speak Catalan to work in Andorra? No, not for the initial authorisation. Level A1 is required at the first renewal and level A2 at the second, for holders of a residence and work permit. ### How do you register for the Catalan A1 exam in Andorra? Online, on e-tràmits (procedure “Inscripció als exàmens de llengua catalana”), during the registration period of each session announced by the Govern. The registration fee is €17.15; a non-resident attaches a copy of their passport or identity card. After the results are published, the diploma is also applied for on e-tràmits. [Read: Where can you study and take the exam in Andorra?](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/catalan-required-for-permit-renewal#se-former) ### Does passive residency require Catalan? Not yet. Llei 6/2024 requires the Govern to extend levels A1 and A2 to residence without work, including passive residency, within a maximum of five years of its entry into force. The March 2026 quota regulation for residence without work does not impose Catalan on renewal. ### How do you prove your level of Catalan? With an official Catalan language diploma issued by the Govern d’Andorra, or with an equivalent qualification, diploma or certificate recognised by the Govern. ### What happens without level A1 at the first renewal? The Immigration Service refuses the renewal (Article 58 of the immigration law). Since 26 April 2026, merely attending a course is no longer enough. ## Sources 1. [Llei 6/2024 of 25 April 2024, on Andorra’s own and official language](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2024006) — Article 54 bis and Article 58 of the immigration law, second transitional provision (26 April 2026, five-year period). 2. [Llei 9/2012, qualified law on immigration, consolidated version](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2012009) — Articles 54 bis and 58: Catalan and refusal of renewal. 3. [Decree 388/2026 of 7 October 2026, BOPA No. 115 of 8 October 2026](https://bopadocuments.blob.core.windows.net/bopa-documents/038115/html/GR_2026_10_07_12_54_13.html) — Article 7.4: level A1 at the first renewal, A2 at the second, official diploma or recognised qualification. 4. [Decree 74/2026 of 11 March 2026 (residence without work), BOPA No. 26 of 2026](https://bopadocuments.blob.core.windows.net/bopa-documents/038026/html/GD_2026_03_12_12_05_05.html) — Renewal conditions, with no Catalan requirement. 5. [Llei 8/2026 (nationality)](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2026008) — Level B1 required for nationality under the age of 70. 6. [Constitution of Andorra, Article 2](https://www.portaljuridicandorra.ad/Constitucio) — Catalan, the official language of the State. 7. [Govern d’Andorra: official Catalan language exams](https://www.govern.ad/ca/tematiques/cultura-i-esports/llengua/examens-oficials) — Six diplomas from A1 to C2; tests, duration and marking scheme of the A1 exam; sample exam. 8. [e-tràmits: registration for Catalan language exams](https://www.e-tramits.ad/tramits/inscripcio-als-examens-de-llengua-catalana/p/GV000153) — Online registration, fee of €17.15, documents for non-residents; Decrees 213/2025 and 97/2025. 9. [Govern d’Andorra: in-person Catalan courses](https://www.govern.ad/ca/tematiques/cultura-i-esports/llengua/apren-catala/cursos-presencials) — Free courses from the age of 16, from A1 to C2, extensive or intensive; registration in September and January. 10. [Govern d’Andorra: press release of 28 May 2026](https://www.govern.ad/ca/w/s-obre-una-convocatoria-extraordinaria-de-l-examen-oficial-de-llengua-catalana-del-nivell-a1) — Extraordinary session of the A1 exam on 4 September 2026, 150 places, for residents and cross-border workers renewing their permit. 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 - [Languages and integration](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/living-in-andorra/languages): Catalan, French, Spanish - [Work permit](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/work-permit): Employee of an Andorran company - [Renewal](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/residency/renewal-permanent-residency): Durations, presence, permanent residency - [Andorran nationality: what the 2026 reform changes](https://andorrefiscal.fr/en/news/andorran-citizenship-law-8-2026): Twenty years of residence still required, cases with a shorter period, and mandatory renunciation.