Andorra⁠–⁠EU association agreement: signing announced for 19 October 2026

From 7 December 2023 to 19 October 2026: the stages of the agreement

The Council of the EU gave its green light on 16 July 2026, and the signing is announced for 19 October 2026. The stages since the end of the negotiations:

What does the agreement provide for?

According to the summary published by the European Parliament, the agreement strengthens the economic and political ties between the Union and the two countries. Its main points:

• it replaces the customs unions existing between the EU and each of the two countries;
• it opens up access to the internal market comparable to that of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area;
• for financial services, access is gradual, over 15 years at most, and the associated countries may open up market segments at different speeds;
• it encourages cooperation in justice and home affairs, in particular with Eurojust and Europol;
• it creates a parliamentary association committee, kept informed of the work of the EU⁠–⁠Andorra and EU⁠–⁠San Marino joint committees.

The European Parliament also calls for closer monitoring of the fight against money laundering (beneficial owners, crypto-assets, cash payments) and for an evaluation of the financial component before the end of the 15-year period.

Is Andorra part of the EU? What changes (or not) right now

No, Andorra is not part of the European Union, and signing the agreement will not change that in the immediate future. The Govern itself stresses this: the signing “does not entail the application of the agreement in Andorra and does not replace the ratification process”. At 11 October 2026:

• Andorra is a member neither of the European Union, nor of the European Economic Area, nor of the Schengen area;
• trade in goods remains governed by the 1990 customs union, limited to industrial products;
• Andorran immigration rules (statuses, quotas, required presence) and tax rules (IRPF, IS, IGI) apply unchanged.

If you are planning to settle in Andorra, the conditions to check remain those set out in our guides: the types of residency, the Andorran tax system and, to understand the country’s place in Europe, Andorra, the euro and the European Union.

After the signing: European Parliament, 27 ratifications, referendum

1. 1

   Signing

   Announced for 19 October 2026 in Brussels. It closes the negotiated text and opens the ratification phase.

2. 2

   Approval by the European Parliament

   The European Parliament must approve the conclusion of the agreement.

3. 3

   National ratifications

   As the agreement is mixed, each Member State must ratify it under its own rules; their timetable is not known.

4. 4

   Consultative referendum in Andorra

   After the European Parliament’s approval, the Govern will call a consultative referendum.

5. 5

   Ratification by the Consell General

   Only if the referendum is favourable, by a qualified majority of two thirds of the members of the Consell General. Without this ratification, the agreement cannot apply in Andorra.

Another agreement to watch: borders and the Entry/Exit System (EES)

A second text, legally separate from the association agreement and able to be signed independently, affects residents more directly: the agreement between the European Union and Andorra “on several aspects in the field of border management”. Its negotiations were completed on 26 January 2026. On 7 September 2026, the European Commission proposed that the Council authorise its signing and its provisional application “as soon as possible” (COM(2026) 445), then conclude it after the consent of the European Parliament (COM(2026) 444). According to the Commission, it provides for:

• the lifting of checks on persons at the borders between Andorra and France, and between Andorra and Spain;
• Andorran residence permits valid throughout the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, without a visa or ETIAS authorisation, and without registration in the Entry/Exit System (EES);
• a security check on residence applications from third-country nationals, entrusted to France or Spain, whose assessment determines whether the Andorran permit is issued;
• a right to reside in Andorra conditional on a genuine connection with the country, based on actual and regular physical presence.

The urgency stems from the EES: this system, which digitally records the entries and exits of third-country nationals in the Schengen area, has been fully operational at the external borders of the 29 participating countries since 10 April 2026. Without an agreement, the Commission notes, non-European residents of Andorra would appear in it as having overstayed, for lack of a recorded exit when entering Andorra. A French national or any other citizen of the Union is affected neither by the EES nor by this security check, which concern third-country nationals. On 16 September 2026, the Govern stated that the agreement had been sent to the Council of the EU for approval; as long as it is neither signed nor applied, the current border-crossing rules remain valid.

What remains uncertain

• the signing itself, announced but not yet carried out at 11 October 2026;
• the timetable for approval by the European Parliament and for the 27 national ratifications;
• the date and outcome of the Andorran referendum;
• the practical effects for residents and businesses (movement of persons, establishment, financial services), which will depend on the text and its implementation after entry into force.

Each stage will be checked against the official press releases before being reported here. Until then, no decision to settle in Andorra should be based on the agreement.