Residency
Becoming resident in Andorra: permits and conditions
Settling in Andorra requires a residence permit, which the law calls an immigration authorisation, and each status has its own conditions: activity, investment, presence, sums to be paid. Since February 2026, the rules have become considerably stricter. Start by identifying the permit that matches your plans.
Find my permit in 4 questions Compare the types of residency
- common residence permits, compared below
- 5
- for passive residency
- €1,000,000
- non-refundable for the self-employed
- €50,000
- of presence a year depending on the status
- 90 to 183 days
The 12 guides to becoming resident in Andorra
Each guide is checked against the qualified law on immigration (Llei 9/2012, consolidated version), last amended by Llei 2/2026, and against its implementing regulations.
Choosing your residency
7 guides
Residence permits at a glance
What is commonly called a “residence permit” is, under Andorran law, an immigration authorisation. Five permits cover most relocation plans: they differ in the activity permitted, the presence required, the sum to be paid to the AFA and the number of places. The full overview is in our comparison of the types of residency in Andorra.
| Permit | Permitted activity | Presence per year | Payment to the AFA | Places (quota) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit (employee) | Employment with an Andorran company | Permanent residence | None | 702 until 30 April 2027 |
| Active (self-employed) residency | Running your own Andorran company (more than 34%) | 183 days | €50,000, non-refundable | 200 in 2026 |
| Passive residency | None, apart from managing your own assets | 90 days | €50,000, non-refundable, plus €1,000,000 invested in Andorra | 163 in 2026 |
| International professional | 85% of services used outside Andorra | 90 days | €47,500, refundable | 10 in 2026 |
| Digital nomad | Remote work for a foreign employer or foreign clients | 90 days | None provided for by law | 50 (Decree 11/2023) |
Quotas: general quota of 7 October 2026 (702 residence and work permits and 198 cross-border work authorisations, from which the 250 granted in June are deducted), Decrees 74/2026 and 75/2026; for digital nomads, 50 places out of a quota of 100 shared with the programme for entrepreneurs (Decree 11/2023), after a favourable decision from the Ministry of the Economy. Self-employed: 183 days required on renewal.
What are the conditions for living in Andorra?
To live in Andorra for more than 90 days, or to work there, you need a residence permit, and every application must first meet a core set of common conditions, whatever the status: age, criminal record, health, housing, resources and a place in the quota.
| Condition | What the law requires |
|---|---|
| Age Llei 9/2012, art. 46 | Over 18, except for family reunification and studies |
| Criminal record art. 43 | No previous convictions for intentional offences that threaten public order, in Andorra as well as in each previous country of residence |
| Health art. 44 | Be declared fit to reside and, where applicable, to work by the immigration medical service |
| Housing art. 45 | Housing that meets habitability standards |
| Resources and insurance art. 90 and 106 | Depending on the status: more than 300% of the annual minimum wage for residence without work; 100% of the minimum wage per adult and 70% per child for family reunification |
| Quota art. 42 and 49 | A place available in the quota for the status, except for family reunification |
Each status adds its own conditions: employment contract, company, investment, share of the activity directed abroad.
The steps to becoming resident
Becoming resident in Andorra takes four stages: choosing the right permit, putting together the application, submitting it to the Immigration Service, then completing the formalities that follow approval, including registration with the comú of your parish.
Choose your permit
Depending on your activity, your means and your planned presence. Find your permit in 4 questions.
Put together the application
Contract, company or investment, housing, apostilled criminal record certificates.
Submit the application
In person and by appointment at the Immigration Service; medical examination and, where due, payment to the AFA.
Receive the card
Response within 60 working days or 2 months at most; registration with the comú within 3 months.
The details of the documents, fees and timescales are in our guide to the procedures and timescales for a residence application, and the cost of each status in AFA deposit and the cost of residency. Once you have settled, each permit is renewed until you reach the ten-year permit, known as “permanent” residency; Andorran nationality is in principle obtained after 20 years of residence.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a visa to live in Andorra if you are French?
No. A French national, like any citizen of the European Union, enters Andorra with a valid identity card (Llei 9/2012, art. 11). But to live there for more than 90 days, or to work there, they need a residence permit issued by the Immigration Service. Nationals of other countries must also hold the visas required to enter France or Spain.
Read: Getting to Andorra › Identity card or passport: entry formalities
Can you settle in Andorra without authorisation?
No. To live or work in Andorra, you need an authorisation issued by the Govern’s Immigration Service. Most authorisations are limited by annual quotas, set each year by regulation.
Read: Types of residency › Do you need an authorisation to live in Andorra?
Does being resident in Andorra make you a tax resident?
Not necessarily. The residence permit gives the right to live in Andorra; Andorran tax residency requires spending more than 183 days in the country during the calendar year, or having the centre of your activities or economic interests there (IRPF law, art. 8). A passive resident, who is required to be present 90 days a year, may thus remain taxable in France, which applies its own criteria.
How long does it take to obtain residency?
The official e-tràmits pages show a maximum response time of 60 working days for a work permit, self-employed residency or family reunification, and of 2 months for residence without work or a digital nomad. On top of this comes the preparation of the application, which often takes longer: apostilled criminal record certificates, company, investment, housing.
Read: Procedures and timescales › How long does it take to obtain residency?
Which status should you choose to work from Andorra?
It depends on your activity: the work permit if an Andorran company hires you, self-employed residency if you run your own Andorran company, the status of professional with international reach if at least 85% of your services are used outside Andorra, or the digital nomad status if you work remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients, after a favourable decision from the Ministry of the Economy.
Read: Types of residency › Which residency status should you choose for your profile?
Does buying property give you the right to residency?
No. A foreign investment does not in itself give any right to residency. A purchase can only count towards the investment required for passive residency, provided that each property is worth more than €800,000.
How long does it take to obtain nationality?
In principle 20 years of residence, including the last 5 years of actual residence, and you must renounce your nationality of origin. The period is reduced for anyone who went to school in Andorra or who marries an Andorran national.
Which status suits you?
Four questions to identify the residency status to look into, and its conditions.
Take the test