Residency in Andorra for international professionals, athletes and artists

These categories fall under the administrative group of residency-without-work permits, but they allow — unlike residency without gainful activity — the specific professional activity defined by the permit to be carried out.

The term "liberal profession" covers very different situations. A consultant working almost exclusively for foreign companies doesn't necessarily fall under the same permit as a doctor, architect, psychologist, or other professional wanting to practise mainly with clients based in Andorra.

Internationally-focused professional — this status can be considered where the activity has a genuinely international dimension, the operational base is set up in Andorra, at least 85% of services are used outside the Principality, the professional works alone or with at most one employee, the project is economically viable, and the applicant has sufficient qualifications and experience.

Liberal professional practising in Andorra — someone wanting to practise mainly in the Andorran market generally falls under residency and self-employment. A regulated profession may also require recognition of the qualification, an authorisation to practise issued by the Government, registration with a professional register, and membership of the relevant professional body. The 2026 self-employment quota sets aside, in particular, 30 permits for liberal professionals other than doctors and 20 for doctors — this active route has its own conditions and shouldn't be confused with international focus.

The D.1.2 status allows a foreign individual to reside in Andorra and base their professional activity there where that activity is essentially aimed abroad. It isn't a general permit allowing any activity to be carried out: the project presented must be identifiable, coherent and economically credible.

Depending on the situation, this status can be considered for, among others, a strategy consultant, a technical expert, an independent adviser, an international trainer, a professional coach, a designer, a digital solutions developer or architect, a marketing specialist, or a professional providing intellectual services internationally. Belonging to one of these professions doesn't guarantee the permit will be granted: whether the project qualifies depends on the actual activity, how it's organised, its market, and the evidence provided.

The professional must simultaneously meet three conditions: the base from which the activity is carried out is located in Andorra, they employ at most one person under an employment contract, and at least 85% of their services are used in another country or territory. Any other gainful activity, whether employed or self-employed, requires the corresponding immigration permit.

The legal text doesn't simply require that 85% of invoices be sent to foreign clients: it requires that 85% of services be used in a country or territory other than Andorra — an important distinction.

Generally consistent example — a consultant based in Andorra advises French, Spanish, Swiss and Belgian companies on their development strategy; the services are aimed at these companies' foreign operations and any local Andorran assignments remain marginal. Example requiring further analysis — a foreign company pays the invoices, but the services mainly concern a premises, a project, or a client base located in Andorra: the payer's foreign address alone isn't necessarily enough to show the service is used abroad.

To demonstrate the international destination of services, it's sensible to keep contracts, invoices, descriptions of assignments, the client's country of establishment, where services are actually used, assignment reports, and an annual breakdown of activities. The calculation method needs to stay consistent and be justifiable both at application and at renewal.

For an activity already carried out abroad, the applicant must present documents relating to the last completed financial year: turnover, expenses, results, professional accounts, tax returns, main clients, and current contracts. For a new activity, a business plan covering the first three years is required, including a description of the service, target market, client profile, pricing policy, projected expenses, expected income, and evidence making these assumptions credible — a simple turnover projection with no contracts, experience or market study is likely to be insufficient.

The applicant must also have a level of training and experience compatible with the activity presented: a detailed CV, qualifications, training certificates, professional references, client testimonials, and significant achievements. A university degree isn't necessarily the only possible evidence for an unregulated activity — professional experience and concrete achievements can also demonstrate the applicant's competence. For a regulated profession, recognition of the qualification and the professional authorisation remain separate steps.

Setting up a company isn't presented as an automatic condition for obtaining residency as an internationally-focused professional: the permit is granted to an individual based on their activity, qualifications and project. That said, how the activity is structured needs to be considered separately — operating as a sole trader, potentially using an Andorran structure, keeping a foreign business, invoicing, a professional bank account, taxation of income, accounting obligations, and any permanent establishment risk for a foreign company. Setting up a company shouldn't be decided purely to obtain residency: it needs to reflect a genuine legal, commercial and tax reality.

The D.1.3 status is aimed at a foreign individual with international recognition for their talent in science, research, culture, artistic creation or sport. Simply carrying out an activity in one of these fields isn't enough: the Government has discretion to determine whether international recognition is sufficiently established and whether the profile matches the Principality's interests.

Depending on the circumstances, this status may cover an international-level professional athlete, a regularly ranked champion or athlete, an artist exhibited or represented in several countries, a recognised musician or performer, a director, an author with international distribution, a scientist, a researcher, an inventor, or a professional recognised with awards in their field. Each file is assessed individually.

The file needs to go beyond a self-declared CV and allow the authorities to genuinely verify the international scope of the applicant's career. For an athlete: official rankings, competition results, federation licences, national selection, contracts with teams or sponsors, titles and medals, participation in international championships, certificates from federations, and income from the sporting activity. For an artist or creative: awards and distinctions, exhibitions, publications, performances, tours, distribution contracts, international collaborations, and artistic income. For a scientist or researcher: publications, research work, scientific awards, patents, academic positions, participation in international programmes, and affiliations with recognised institutions. Awards, titles and distinctions need to be accompanied by documents allowing them to be verified, along with evidence of income earned in the year before the application.

The resident can continue the activity matching their talent where the main recipients are based abroad — the 85% rule also applies here. They can also manage their personal assets and hold an unpaid director's role in a company in which they hold at least 50% of the capital or equity: this permit doesn't allow them to be paid to run an Andorran company day to day, since a local operating activity requires a different status.

In 2026, separate regulations provide a quota reserved for certain professional athletes employed by Andorran clubs or entities, with the contract needing to reflect genuine employment. Someone coming solely to undertake high-level training may fall under a permit limited to the duration of the programme.

A digital activity or an online following isn't automatically enough to establish international cultural recognition. The choice depends on the actual business model: international focus suits someone providing professional services to foreign clients from an Andorran base; cultural interest applies where there's genuine international artistic recognition (awards, distribution, exhibitions, publications); digital nomad status may fit better where the work doesn't require a fixed location; active residency is required for someone building a local business, employing a team, or running an operating company. The number of followers, turnover, or the digital nature of the activity alone therefore don't determine which permit applies.

Both permits generally require an available place in the quota, permanent, genuine residency in Andorra, at least 90 days' presence per calendar year, suitable accommodation, valid private insurance, sufficient annual means, a compatible criminal record, a medical examination, and the deposit with the AFA. Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised where the procedure requires it.

The residency-without-work quota opened in March 2026 provides for 10 permits for internationally-focused professionals and 17 permits for scientific, cultural or sporting profiles. Publishing a quota doesn't mean every place remains available at the time of application: the exact category, the number of files already submitted, and the quota's opening date all need to be checked before committing to significant expenses or finalising your departure from your current country of residence.

The holder must establish permanent, genuine residency in Andorra for at least 90 days per calendar year — a condition that isn't simply a theoretical count: available accommodation, water and electricity bills, telecommunications, travel, and Comú documents all need to demonstrate a genuine presence. At renewal, the authorities may request the Comú's residency certificate and bills proving the accommodation is actually occupied.

The main holder must also show annual income above 300% of the annual Andorran minimum wage, increased by 100% per dependant. Since 1 July 2026, the monthly minimum wage stands at €1,568.67.

For the internationally-focused professional, the business plan or existing activity must demonstrate the ability to generate these means. For the scientific, cultural or sporting profile, income from the activity matching the permit needs to be capable of being documented.

The holder and their dependants must have cover valid in Andorra for the entire duration of the permit, covering illness, disability and old age. Minors and people over 60 must show at least health cover meeting the applicable requirements. This status does not automatically give access to CASS as an employee or self-employed person: private cover is therefore an essential part of both the file and the renewal.

Yes, for both categories covered on this page — unlike residency without gainful activity or certain active residency permits, whose payments are now final. The main holder must deposit €47,500 with the Andorran Financial Authority (AFA) for themselves, and €9,500 for each dependant obtaining the same type of residency. This deposit isn't interest-bearing, stays locked in for the duration of the permit, and is returned when the holder deregisters, when the permit is cancelled, or when it isn't renewed — it can, however, be reduced by fees charged by the AFA or subject to deductions where obligations remain unpaid in Andorra.

These amounts are separate from immigration fees, accommodation, insurance, and preparation fees.

Several Andorran residency statuses involve AFA deposits of very different natures — a common source of confusion worth avoiding:

The amounts for standard passive residency or active residency should therefore not be applied to the two international permits covered on this page.

The main holder can bring in certain dependants where family, financial and administrative conditions are met, budgeting for each one the additional €9,500 deposit, the annual means top-up, suitable insurance, appropriate accommodation, and apostilled or legalised civil status documents. The family member's residency remains tied to the main holder's permit remaining valid.

Common documents include the application form, passport, criminal record certificates, a declaration regarding background, civil status documents, proof of accommodation, private insurance, evidence of means, and documents relating to the AFA deposit. For the international professional: CV, qualifications, professional references, accounts from the most recent activity, contracts, invoices, a client list, and a three-year business plan for a new activity. For the scientist, artist or athlete: a detailed CV, awards and distinctions, rankings or results, contracts, publications, certificates from institutions or federations, and evidence of the previous year's income.

The €3,000, €1,000, and €500 fees are non-refundable; the AFA deposit follows the refund rules set out above. For a single person: a locked-in deposit of €47,500 + an initial fee of €3,000, i.e. a starting requirement of at least €50,500, excluding accommodation, insurance, and support fees. For a couple: €47,500 + €9,500 + €4,000 in fees, i.e. at least €61,000. Official rates published in August 2026.

There's no overall guaranteed timeframe. Duration depends on quota availability, the number of countries where documents need to be obtained, apostilles, preparing the business plan, the complexity of the recognition evidence, and verifying income — an international file involving several companies, contracts or federations can take several months to prepare. It's not advisable to fix a final departure date before having made sufficient progress in the process.

Under the general regime, the initial permit is granted for two years, the first renewal for two years, the second for three years, and subsequent renewals can be granted for ten years. Different rules may apply to nationals of states linked to Andorra by a specific agreement.

The application must be submitted within the six months before expiry, and always before the permit's end date. The resident must keep demonstrating their main, genuine presence, their minimum 90-day presence, valid insurance, annual means, accommodation, and compliance with the authorised activity. The internationally-focused professional must keep showing sufficient means from their activity; the scientist, artist or athlete must show their international recognition continues and provide documents relating to their income — a lasting loss of the activity, income, or recognition that justified the permit can jeopardise renewal.

The 90 days of presence are not enough on their own to become a tax resident: they reflect the minimum presence required by the immigration permit, whereas tax residency follows other criteria — more than 183 days in Andorra during the calendar year, or the main centre of economic activities or interests. Where someone is also considered resident by another country, the applicable tax treaty needs to be examined. See our taxation in Andorra guide.

Andorran tax residency doesn't mean all income becomes exclusively taxable in Andorra. Depending on their nature, competition prizes, artistic fees, sponsorship contracts, image rights, royalties, platform income, salaries paid by a foreign team, and disposals of rights often need to be analysed separately — the country where a competition, performance, or service takes place may retain a taxing right under its own law and the applicable treaty. The structure of contracts therefore needs to be considered before the change of residency, not at the first tax return.

The best status is the one that matches the reality of your work, income, and presence in Andorra.

Andorra's tax regime is only part of the decision: your country of departure may continue to tax certain income, sponsorship contracts, or image rights.

• confusing a local liberal profession with international focus — an activity carried out mainly for Andorran clients generally falls under an active route;
• treating any digital activity as international, when where the service is used needs to be documented;
• applying the 85% rule only to turnover rather than to how the services are actually used;
• employing more than one person under the international focus route;
• presenting an online following as artistic recognition without verifiable evidence;
• confusing this refundable deposit with a lost contribution — it isn't the same mechanism as residency without gainful activity;
• assuming a one-million-euro investment is required for these two categories;
• carrying out an additional local activity without the right permit;
• believing 90 days guarantees tax residency;
• preparing the renewal at the last minute, without having organised evidence throughout the permit.