Beautiful. Affordable. Safe. Andorran residency provides plenty of benefits. And with more and more expats looking to relocate here, it seems the secret is out.
But how does one go about gaining the legal right to live in this tiny Pyrenees principality? From making that step from ‘just visiting’ to ‘permanently residing’?
This guide will explain what it takes to get residency in Andorra. I’ll walk you through the different immigration options, rules, visa requirements and more.
Residency Options in Andorra
The main routes include residence with employment, self-employment and residence without local work. There is also a separately assessed digital-nomad route. The right category depends on what you will actually do, not just how much time you want to spend here.
- Self-employment: running an eligible business or practising an authorised profession.
- Residence without work: investment and other qualifying categories, with their own conditions.
- Employment: a separate route for people taking an eligible local job.
- Digital nomad: an assessed route for qualifying location-independent work.
There are some key differences between the two, such as how much time you’re required to spend in the country, whether or not you can legally work here and so on.
Each option also has its own sub-categories as well, which I’ll review below.
Please note: this article is for financially self-sufficient individuals. If you are seeking employment on your path to residency in Andorra, this is not for you. Finding work in Andorra is difficult, and is not something I can help you with.
General Requirements
Though each route has their own rules and requirements, there are some general requirements that apply across all categories.
I’ll run you through them briefly below.
Clean Criminal Record
Before we get too deep into this article, it’s worth being aware of this key criteria that is currently in place.
To apply for either active or passive residence, you will need a police certificate from your home country proving that you have a clean criminal record.
Provide the certificates required for your category and disclose your circumstances accurately. Immigration assesses eligibility; this guide cannot determine an individual application.
Proof of Accommodation
You’ll also need to supply proof of accommodation for your residency application to be considered. A rental in Andorra will suffice here.
The main thing is that you have an official lease, as this will become your legal address in the country.
Proof of Funds
Whether you are choosing a route that involves running a local company or not, you’ll need to be able to show where your money comes from.
Check the order of applications before forming a company or committing funds. For the company-based self-employment route, the current process starts with a residence-authorisation reservation, followed by the relevant investment and company steps.
Andorran Passive Residency
Andorran passive residency requires you to spend only 90 days a year within the country.
If you want to make the principality your home base, while maintaining your economic endeavours elsewhere, this is the visa option for you.
A residence permit and tax residence are separate questions. Andorran tax residence can arise through more than 183 days in the country or the main centre of economic interests, with other rules and treaty considerations. A 90-day permit minimum does not settle that question. See the tax department’s criteria.
Passive Residence Permit Length
The usual passive authorisation sequence is two years, another two, then three, followed by ten-year renewals, subject to nationality-specific agreements and the conditions continuing to be met. Official passive-residence procedure.
Twenty years can be relevant to the general citizenship route, but it is a separate application with actual residence, integration and nationality conditions. A permit renewal alone does not establish eligibility.
Passive Residence Requirements
There are a number of hoops to jump before you can apply for a passive residence visa in Andorra.
Provided you’re of good standing, have money in the bank and a reliable source of income, it’s not too onerous.
Proof of Income
For the standard passive route, the published income test is more than 300% of the annual minimum wage for the principal applicant, plus 100% for each dependent—not 300% for every family member. Use the current minimum wage and your category’s checklist. Official requirements.
Government Contribution
For new applications under the standard investment-based passive route, the 2026 law provides a €50,000 principal contribution and €12,000 per qualifying dependent. These are non-refundable except where the initial authorisation is refused; they are not the old refundable bond. Earlier applications and other categories need separate treatment. Law 2/2026.
Proof of Insurance
As a passive residency applicant your interactions with Andorra’s healthcare system won’t be through the country’s social security fund.
Instead, you’ll also need to provide proof of insurance in three areas:
- Incapacity
- Medical
- Old age
These are simple to arrange with an insurer or insurance broker.
Types of Passive Residency in Andorra
There are three types of passive residency to consider when thinking about making Andorra home.
Each one has its own advantages and requirements for eligibility.
Residence Without Lucrative Activity: D.1.1.
The standard investment route now requires €1 million of qualifying investment. The 2026 law sets a specified €400,000 housing-fund alternative and conditions for property investments. Check the route and the transitional rules before committing funds.
Do not assume the non-refundable contributions count towards the qualifying investment in the same way as the former deposit. Have the proposed assets and funding checked against the current rules before making a commitment.
The investment typically involves buying real estate in Andorra, but if you’d rather rent to begin with, you also have the option of investing in:
- Qualifying Andorran property, with the statutory per-unit value condition.
- Shares or equity in resident companies.
- Specified resident-issued financial instruments and Andorran collective funds, with the statutory 36-month limit before changing to another qualifying asset category.
- Andorran public debt, qualifying resident life-insurance products, and non-remunerated AFA deposits under the relevant rules.
The law sets a six-month period to make the qualifying investment, with a possible extension in specified circumstances. Confirm the deadline that applies to your application.
Professionals in International Business: D.1.2.
This category has its own activity, company and means requirements. Check its current contribution and documentation rules rather than reusing the figures for the standard investment route.
This entails submitting a detailed business plan and any other necessary documents required to prove you have the requisite experience to run the type of business you’re planning to start.
For the international-professional category, at least 85% of the services must be used outside Andorra. That concerns where the services are used, not a requirement to physically do 85% of the work abroad. The base of activity is in Andorra, and the category has its own staffing and qualification conditions. Official category requirements.
Your company will also be subject to Andorra’s tax system, where the corporate rate tops out at 10%.
Follow the deadlines in the approval for your actual category. Reservation, investment authorisation, company formation and the start of a registered activity are separate stages; there is not one universal seven-month deadline for every route.
Accredited Athletes, Scientists & Artists: D.1.3.
The last type of passive residency is for high-status individuals;
- professional athletes,
- performers,
- scientists,
- artists.
The requirements are category-specific. Confirm the current evidence, contributions and conditions with Immigration before applying.
The scientific, cultural or sporting category requires the specified international recognition and services principally used outside Andorra. It has its own criteria; it is not interchangeable with an ordinary remote-working permit.
These could include current employment, notable achievements, qualifications, accreditation in your field and so on. In addition to this you must supply a detailed income report and recommendations from fellow peers.
Andorran Active Residency
If you’ve made up your mind and want to move to Andorra on a permanent basis, active residency could be the way to go.
From the country’s perspective, the aim is to attract high-quality individuals who will actively contribute to both the local economy and the community.
Given everything you get in return—great quality of life, decent cost of living, excellent safety, favourable financial environment—it’s hardly a big ask.
Active Residence Permit Length
Active residence permits are initially valid for one year. From there you can renew it for two years, then two, two more, and finally, ten years.
Citizenship is a separate application with residence, integration and nationality conditions; it does not follow automatically from holding a residence permit for a particular number of years. See the citizenship guide.
Active Residence Requirements
Becoming a full time resident brings it’s own set of criteria. This used to be simple to satisfy, with limited commitment, but things have changed.
Requirements and quotas change. Check your category’s current conditions before setting a moving date.
Overall, the commitments are quite realistic considering Andorra is of the best countries for entrepreneurs to live.
Medical Examination
As part of the application process, you’ll need a undergo an interview by a doctor. This can also involve a medical examination.
Time Commitment
As an active resident, you do need to live in the country full-time. Residency renewal applications often involve a visit from the police to ensure your apartment has furniture, food and, is actually lived in.
Self-employed residence requires establishing principal and effective residence in Andorra. Tax residence is assessed separately under tax law, including the more-than-183-day and economic-interest tests. Do not treat the permission itself as a certificate settling every cross-border tax question.
Social Security
As a full-time resident, you’ll need to contribute to the social security fund—CASS.
CASS entitlement and reimbursement depend on the applicable coverage, service and referral pathway. The current published rates include 65% for rehabilitation, 75% for specified outpatient services and 90% for hospital admission within the via preferent, calculated on reference tariffs; certain care has 100% coverage. Current CASS explanation.
Self-Employment: J.1.
If you own your own company, or area willing to form an Andorran company, you can apply for ‘residència i treball per compte propi, or ‘compte propi’ for short.
Using this path, you gain a green card through self-employment. A limited number of these are made available each year.
For company-based self-employment, the current rule is ownership of more than 34%, a role in the management body and effective management/control. A regulated professional follows a different branch. Official reservation procedure.
For the ordinary new company-based route, the €50,000 payment is now a non-refundable contribution, subject to the law’s exceptions and transitional protection. It should not be described as an interest-free investment you can simply recover.
Self-employed CASS contributions depend on the current reference salary and your contribution band. For 2026 the reference salary is €2,672.52: at a 100% base and the usual combined 22% rate, that is approximately €588 per month. Other bands and circumstances differ. 2026 reference; CASS rules.
Wide Ranging Benefits
By now I’d expect the benefits of residency to be clear. Aside from the advantageous fiscal regime in Andorra, the country rewards residents with a very unique quality of life.
If you have the means to support yourself, either by way of investing or moving your company here, it’s not so difficult to get a green card in Andorra.
If you enjoy the outdoors, or more precisely, the mountains, there are few countries left where you can enjoy nature, safety, favourable weather, the diverse school system, while also being able to leverage a tax system with low rates.