Cost of residency in Andorra: AFA deposit, fees and other costs

AFA deposit: how much do you pay, and why?

The AFA, the Andorran Financial Authority, succeeded the INAF in 2018, taking its place under Llei 12/2018: websites that still speak of a “deposit with the INAF” mean the same institution. Depending on the status, the law has it receive two kinds of sums, of a very different nature.

The change dates from Llei 2/2026, which came into force on 13 February 2026. Its explanatory statement says that these sums are to finance public policies on housing, health, education, security and transport. Not to be confused: for passive residency, the €1,000,000 investment may itself take the form of non-interest-bearing deposits with the AFA (art. 96). This is then an investment, separate from the non-refundable payment.

How much does residency in Andorra cost, by status?

The sum paid to the AFA accounts for most of the difference: €50,000 non-refundable for passive and self-employed residency, €47,500 refundable for the international professional, nothing for the employee. On top of this comes the immigration fee: €190.96 for a work authorisation, €3,000 for residence without work.

Fees: Llei 9/2012, art. 154, as amended by Llei 5/2025 for residence without work; they may be updated by the budget law. Renewal: €500 for residence without work, €56.15 for the digital nomad, €22.61 for the employee, the self-employed person, the cross-border worker and family reunification (€22.61 also for the initial reunification application).

The details of each status: passive residency, self-employed, international professional and employee work permit; for the family, see dependants and family reunification.

The other costs to plan for

The sums paid to the AFA are only part of the bill. Depending on your plans, also budget for:

• buying a home, where applicable: foreign property investment tax of 6% for one home (10% beyond that), payable by non-residents and by residents settled for less than 3 years, plus property transfer tax (ITP: 1% for the State and a comú share of 0.5 to 3%, about 4% according to practitioners) or 4.5% IGI on a new build;
• health insurance: private and covering 100% of costs for residence without work; top-up insurance is common for employees affiliated to the CASS;
• social security contributions: 6.5% of gross salary for an employee; for a self-employed person, €146.99 a month for the first 12 months on the reduced base, then €587.95 a month on the standard base;
• parish taxes, including the foc i lloc, of €5 to €50 a year per person aged 18 to 65, depending on the parish;
• the company, for a self-employed person: €3,000 minimum capital for an SL, which remains an asset, and incorporation and accounting costs;
• professional fees for advice, translation or apostilles, which vary from one provider to another.

The everyday budget is covered in Cost of living, and buying property in Buying property; the 2026 increase in the foreign property investment tax is explained in our news item on the 6% tax on property purchases by foreigners.

Worked examples

The following examples add up only the non-recoverable sums due on entry: non-refundable payment to the AFA and immigration fees. They include neither housing, nor insurance, nor professional fees.

Indicative calculation: non-refundable payment to the AFA (€50,000, plus €12,000 per dependant for passive residency) and initial fees (€3,000, plus €1,000 per dependant for residence without work). The international professional’s deposit is returned on departure, less the AFA’s charges.

Over time, renewal fees must be added: a passive resident who reaches the ten-year permit will have paid for three renewals, i.e. €1,500 (indicative calculation: €500 at 2, 4 and 7 years). If they buy a home, the foreign property investment tax and property transfer tax are added: see the full example of the cost of passive residency. For the self-employed, contributions for the first and second years are costed in Active (self-employed) residency.

Refundable AFA deposit or not: what is returned, and when

For passive and self-employed residency, the payment is returned only if the initial authorisation is refused (art. 96 and 38 ter). A departure, a cancellation or a refusal of renewal gives no right to any refund. Only applications submitted before 22 January 2026 remain subject to the former refundable deposit regime.

For the international professional and residence for scientific, cultural or sporting interest, the deposit is returned (art. 99 and 101). The AFA deducts its charges, and the State may withhold sums owed for unpaid obligations in Andorra. Three cases arise:

• the holder leaves the country, or their authorisation is cancelled or not renewed: the deposit is returned to them;
• a dependant loses that status: their share is returned to the holder, who must prove that the dependant has no debts to the Andorran authorities (Decree 407/2025, art. 10);
• the holder dies: the deposit goes to their heirs, after deduction of the sums owed (art. 11).

Refunds are made on the 15th or the last working day of the month (art. 12). The deposit regime is detailed in Professional with international reach.

From the INAF to the AFA: how the amounts have changed

Many websites still show old amounts. Here is how they have changed, according to the texts:

2012 amount for the self-employed: not verified.

Llei 5/2025 also raised the fees for residence without work to €3,000 for the initial authorisation, €500 per renewal and €1,000 per dependant. The deposit for the professional with international reach (€47,500, plus €9,500 per person) was not changed by Llei 2/2026. The details of the reform are in our news item Llei 2/2026: passive residency rises to €1,000,000.