Residency in Andorra in 2026: Statuses and Conditions

There isn’t a single residency status in Andorra, but several permits matching different situations: working for a local company, running your own business, living off your wealth, carrying out an international activity, or holding recognised sporting, scientific, or cultural achievements.

The choice of status needs to reflect the reality of the project. Someone working daily from the Principality shouldn’t use residency without an activity. Conversely, a retiree or investor with no local professional activity doesn’t necessarily benefit from setting up a company purely to obtain an active permit.

Administrative residency, tax residency, social security cover, and the right to work are four separate matters that need to be coordinated.

Quick comparison of the main statuses

Profile	Permit to consider	Presence and activity	Distinctive condition
Employee of an Andorran company	Residency and employment	Genuine residency and employment	Permanent contract and available quota
Entrepreneur through their company	Self-employment	Effective management and presence linked to the permit	Shareholding above 34%, director role, and 2026 conditions
Local liberal profession	Self-employment / qualified profession	Mainly practised in Andorra	Qualification, authorisation, and professional body depending on the profession
Investor or retiree with no local work	Residency without gainful activity	At least 90 days for the permit	Investment and sufficient means
International consultant	International focus	Base in Andorra, activity mainly used abroad	At least 85% of services outside Andorra
Recognised athlete, artist, or scientist	Scientific, cultural, or sporting interest	International activity matching the talent	Documented international recognition
Fully remote worker	Status to analyse based on the arrangement	Work via telecommunications	Employer, company, clients, and place of work to be assessed

Quotas and conditions change. Availability needs to be checked before committing to significant expenditure, a property purchase, or setting up a company.

Active residency as an employee

This route applies to someone hired by an Andorran company. It rests, in particular, on a permanent employment contract, a place in the immigration quota, and genuine residency in the country.

The role, qualifications, remuneration, and the employer’s activity all need to be consistent. The permit is tied to genuine work and CASS registration.

Someone who controls their own business can’t freely use this category. The standard employment route limits the shareholding held in the employing company; a significant shareholder generally needs to look at self-employment instead.

Active residency for entrepreneurs

A director who sets up or controls an Andorran company usually falls under self-employed residency.

Under the corporate route, the conditions include, in particular:

• a shareholding strictly above 34%;
• a role on the management body;
• genuine management and control of the activity;
• an incorporated company with active trading;
• the financial and administrative conditions set out under the 2026 regime;
• an available place in the quota.

Setting up the company doesn’t guarantee residency will be granted. The timeline needs to coordinate the quota, foreign investment, the bank, the notary, commercial opening, and immigration.

Residency without gainful activity

This permit is aimed at people wanting to live in Andorra without carrying out a local professional activity: investors, retirees, or families living mainly off their wealth.

For new applications under the 2026 regime, the general investment amount is €600,000, to be placed permanently and genuinely in Andorran assets. If the investment relies wholly or partly on real estate, each unit acquired must receive an amount above that same threshold.

Of that €600,000, €50,000 takes the form of a non-remunerated deposit with the AFA, plus €12,000 per dependant. These sums are deducted from the amount to be invested, not added to it: they are returned if the authorisation is cancelled, annulled or not renewed, less the AFA’s own fees.

The holder also needs to demonstrate sufficient means, hold private insurance, and be resident at least 90 days per calendar year.

The 90-day presence meets the permit requirement, but doesn’t alone guarantee Andorran tax residency.

Internationally-focused professional

This status can suit a consultant, expert, or service provider whose base is set up in Andorra and whose services are used, at least 85% of the time, outside the territory.

The project needs to be viable, the applicant qualified, and the activity clearly documented. The professional can employ at most one person under this category.

The AFA deposit required for this status remains distinct from the contributions applicable to standard passive residency and self- employment. It’s worth checking the exact regime at the time of application.

Recognised athlete, artist, or scientist

This permit is reserved for people whose talent has verifiable international recognition.

An athlete needs to provide results, rankings, contracts, or certificates. An artist can present awards, distribution, exhibitions, and contracts. A scientist can document publications, patents, roles, and awards.

Belonging to a prestigious field isn’t enough. The file needs to demonstrate the recognition, the income, and the international scale of the activity.

Administrative residency and tax residency

Obtaining an immigration card doesn’t automatically mean someone has stopped being a tax resident of their home country.

Andorra considers, in particular:

• presence exceeding 183 days;
• or the main centre of activities or economic interests being in the Principality.

The country of departure can examine the household, family, place of work, management of companies, and centre of economic interests. A tax treaty can resolve dual residency.

It’s therefore necessary to prepare:

• accommodation genuinely in use;
• evidence of presence;
• the spouse’s and children’s situation;
• where companies are managed from;
• where income and assets are located;
• departure filing obligations.

Family, healthcare, and the right to work

The spouse and children need the appropriate authorisation. Family reunification, CASS registration, and the right to work aren’t automatic and can require separate processes.

Before relocating, it’s necessary to check, in particular:

• the means required for the household;
• accommodation;
• insurance or social security cover;
• schooling;
• the spouse’s professional status;
• apostilled or legalised civil status documents.

How do you choose?

The right choice can be determined from five questions:

1. Are you still carrying out a professional activity?

2. Will the work genuinely be carried out from Andorra?

3. Do you own, or will you set up, a local business?

4. Does your income mainly come from wealth or from foreign clients?

5. How many days do you want to live in the Principality with your family? The answer helps rule out incompatible statuses before starting the formalities.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the simplest permit? There’s no universally simplest permit. The status needs to match the actual activity and means.

Is setting up a company enough to gain residency? No. The company and immigration authorisation are two separate processes.

Can you live there 90 days and automatically become a tax resident? No. The 90 days relate to certain administrative permits. Taxation is based, in particular, on the 183-day rule and the centre of interests.

Can a spouse work? Only if they hold an authorisation allowing it. Family reunification alone doesn’t necessarily grant the right to work.

To go further: Active residency, Passive residency, International and sports residency, Taxation in Andorra, Moving to Andorra with family.