Andorra is a wonderful place to live and work, there’s no question about it. However if you enjoy a more social professional life, it can be a tough place to be.
Many residents of Andorra work from home, which is awesome given the internet speeds. However this does make it especially difficult to meet people—more so than any other country I’ve lived.
In addition to this, many of us also have kids at home. Unless you’re lucky enough to be living in a large xalet, sometimes it’s good to get out of the apartment and into somewhere a little more professional.
For many residents, using one of Andorra’s coworking spaces is a great idea as it can greatly enrich your experience of residing in this country.
Below, you can go through the details involved when it comes to coworking in Andorra.
Shared Workspaces in Andorra
While there have always been offices for rent in Andorra, few of them were shared. At best, it involved 2-3 companies taking a lease and sharing the costs. But it wasn’t the same sort of experience you get from a WeWork in London.
A few years ago there were limited options when it came to ‘high-end’ coworking spaces. But today it’s changed for the better.
Prices and Subscription Options
Andorra now has several coworking spaces with a range of subscription options such as:
- daily drop-in passes,
- 60+ minute meeting room bookings,
- monthly ‘hot desk’ subscriptions,
- a reserved personal desk, and
- small offices.
Prices begin at €12.54 for a half day, and end at €1,400 per month for a 4 person office.
Benefits
So why wouldn’t you just work from home? I get it, I like my personal space too!
But my personal experience of Andorra, along with the feedback I’ve received from other expats is that it can be a very isolating country to live in.
It can take time to meet people, especially the right people.
Because People
You’ll find differing levels of community among the professionals working in these coworking spaces, depending on which you choose.
Some offer little by way of community—the space is merely a service involving a desk, internet connection, printer, coffee, and that’s that.
Others focus on events as a drawcard—a core feature that helps everyone to network, refer business to each other, and learn.
Commercial Address
Perhaps more useful to many, is the fact that you can use your office as a legal, commercial address. By connecting an internet/telephone connection to this address, and having it on a separate electricity connection, it can then be used for your commercial registration.
In a country with rapidly rising rental costs, this can be quite helpful, especially if you have multiple companies (each requiring a unique address). Do be sure to double check however, as not all options allow you to use it for government purposes.
Receiving Mail
That said, the ability to receive mail and parcels can also be a benefit, especially if you live further out in some of the more beautiful areas of Andorra.
Despite being such a small country, the local perspective is that some areas are so far away, and often you’ll wait an extra week to get your package or mail as a result.
What About Security Though?
Once you’ve lived in Andorra for a few years, this concern will fade. I left my gym locker open last week, complete with wallet and car keys open for everyone to see. ????♂️ But after my 2 hour gym session later, it was all there. ????
With the community of a small country, and then the smaller community of your coworking friends, theft isn’t something you actually need to worry about. But if you’re still skeptical, they all have 24/7 security.
So What Are My Options?
Ok, I’ll cut to the chase. At the time I’m writing this article, you have the option of 5 locations, from 4 different ‘brands’.
Andorra Work Center
Located above the Seuwagon dealership, and next door to the McDonalds in Andorra la Vella, Andorra Work center is one of the oldest options in this list. They offer:
- private offices, ranging from 20-60m²,
- coworking subscriptions, and
- hourly meeting room rental.
Hive Five
There’s a group in Andorra called Bomosa, backed by Turi Mora, of Andorran bank Morabanc. It’s been explained to me that Turi set out to support different social initiatives, but was mindful that Bomosa needed to be ‘self-sustaining’ if they are to live on after his time.
As a result Bomosa seeks to invest in local businesses that are profitable, but also involve green or social initiatives. One of such businesses is Hive Five.
Here you can find a wider range of plans, possibly more suitable for those who want to consistently drop-in each month. Options include:
- drop-in day passes,
- daily meeting room rental, and
- monthly subscriptions with a range of options such as:
- 5 or 10 days per month,
- mornings or afternoons only,
- daily hot-desk, and
- a dedicated desk.
Ingeni Coworking
Ingeni came onto the scene a couple of years ago and flipped the script for Andorra, offering an experience that, at least reminds me of OneCoWork down in Barcelona.
Where other coworking spaces were doing a solid trade because you don’t have any other options, Ingeni came along and made a true effort to help the country level up.
I personally feel this is one of many changes that has helped to put Andorra on the map for younger business people. It’s made it possible for ambitious, enterprising individuals and start ups to even consider Andorra as a base.
They offer:
- private offices for up to 4 people,
- monthly desk subscriptions,
- monthly hot desk subscriptions, and
- daily passes.
There’s a strong focus on community at Ingeni, regularly curating events and presentations. This is largely due to them having the greatest number of active members.
Their success has led to the opening of a second space for the brand, a stone’s throw away in Andorra la Vella. Both are in a great location, within walking distance to everything you could need during a work day.
Smart Executive Centers
In a less central location to some of the others in this list, Smart Executive Centers can be a decent option for those making a drive to their coworking space each day. As parking in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes has become more and more difficult thanks to new construction, this can be a helpful option.
It’s hardly a remote location of course, and still within walking distance to many cafes and restaurants. It’s especially handy to Andorra la Vella’s barri antic, or old quarter, which I personally love for an after work drink.
Here you will find:
- half day drop in sessions, the cheapest in the country at €12.54,
- full day and monthly hot desk options,
- dedicated desk subscriptions,
- very affordable private offices from 10m², as well as
- furniture rental for those offices, and
- meeting rooms.
Fantastic write-up, cheers Jase!
Any view on which co-working space is likely to contain the most English-speaking members and/or expats?
Hey Nile, you will find some in Hive Five, but Ingeni is your best bet!
Thanks!! Will check it out