Guide to living in Andorra, residency, personal advice on relocating to Andorra

Are there local community taxes ?

There is a local tax here called the "foc i lloc", probably equivalent to council tax in the UK, but that is where the similarity ends ! Our bins are emptied 362 days per year, there is no litter problem, flowers are proudly hanging from each lamp post in summer, and Christmas decorations hang in winter, the roads are snow ploughed before you get up in the morning and are kept open at all times, each village has a summer festival, and generally the Comù ( town council ) responds quickly to complaints and suggestions.

The annual foc i lloc bill for all this ? ...................About €70 per property !


I have children, is it a problem to relocate the family ?

No, not at all, in fact the education system here is wonderful for children who will grow up at least trilingual. There are great skiing activities in winter and outdoor activity camps in summer. The downside is that there is no discount on the bond for children. Under the government policy here as soon as a baby is born he or she is counted as ONE and the bond requirement of € 7,000 will be required to be paid (for each baby or child). Also for documentation purposes you will also be required at the time of the residency application to produce the birth certificate which MUST be apostillised/legalised. You will also need a letter from the child's pediatrician and the vaccination history to show that everything is up to date, minor additional documentation but well worth it for the education and lifestyle for your children.

Can I work in andorra if I have passive residency ?

Passive residency does not allow you to work in Andorra. However it does not stop you from operating your business from home, nor travelling in and out to work outside Andorra. many passive residents have internet businesses or are consultants etc. It is only if you start to do business in Andorra, hire an office and staff, or work for an Andorran based company will you need to have a work permit. Income earned from overseas business is not accountable here in any way.

Will I have an Andorran passport ?

The short answer is NO. You will receive a residency card which alllows all the rights and privileges of residency without the travel document.
A foreigner generally will have had to reside here for 20 years before being eligible for an Andorran passport, and with a requirement to renounce his previous citizenship, there are exceptions to this rule for French, Spanish and Portuguese citizens.


I have an old conviction in my country of residence, can I still apply ?

The short answer is yes. Your police report will need to be translated into catalan (best done quite quickly in Andorra) and then Immigration will discuss your case with the police. From personal experience I can say that the authorities here are quite tolerant of previous convictions, unless of course they are serious. Each case will be decided per se, so I cannot offer detailled guidelines on this area.


Do I need a Schengen visa for travel to Andorra ?

There is a little known accord between France, Spain and Andorra which states that if you are an andorran resident you do NOT need Schengen visas to transit France and Spain nor do the maximum stays apply, as Andorra has no airport and is land locked by the two neighbours.

"Le régime d'entrée et de circulation en France et en Espagne des étrangers titulaires d'un titre de séjour andorran est identique à celui qui s'applique aux étrangers titulaires d'un titre de séjour français ou espagnol."

This actually can be a big advantage for a businessman travelling to and from Europe. The accord is actually only with these countries, however since the whole purpose of the Schengen states agreement is for no border controls, there appears no practical reason, as to why for example a person with a passive residency, travelling on, say an Indian passport, cannot land in Paris and go to Germany for business. Applicants for passive residency or work permits will still need visas if required by their nationality to get to Andorra. Please have a look at this link on Schengen visas:-

http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/requirements-exemptions.html

Is much English spoken here ?

There are communities of expats from most countries in the world, and there are organised help groups to assist people in settling here. as far as the authorities are concerned you will find that most is in Catalan, Spanish or French, but again there is plenty of help available. I know people here who have lived here for many years and speak not one word of either languages, nothing to be proud of but that is a fact !