The Principality of Andorra is a tiny state in the center of Europe, located in the picturesque Pyrenees between France and Spain. Despite its small size, the country attracts many tourists and people who want to come to the country not only for tourism but also for permanent residency. As a fact, Andorra is famous for having the longest life expectancy with an average of 84 years, as well as for taking care of its citizens, as there is almost no crime in the country, developed political and economic stability, relatively low taxes, high-quality medicine, and education.

Tax residence in Andorra: how to obtain a residence permit and become a tax resident - read here.

Permanent residence permit in Andorra

There is no such concept as a permanent residence permit in Andorra. It is much easier and more practical to obtain a residence permit for 1 year with the right to repeatedly renew for 3 years. After 7 years of permanent residence in Andorra, you can obtain a residence permit for 10 years, which, by the way, allows you to count on a simplified visa regime to Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada.

To obtain citizenship in Andorra, you need to live for 20 years. Moreover, you will have to have lived in the country continuously for 10 years before applying for a passport. Furthermore, there is no dual citizenship in Andorra, so when you become a citizen of the country, you will have to lose your previous passport. A nice bonus is that if you have a residence permit in Andorra, you can enter Spain and France without having to apply for visa documents.

Types of stay in Andorra

There are two types of gaining residency in Andorra: active and passive. If someone has an invitation to work in Andorra, this allows them to obtain a residence permit in the country. But there are difficulties here because the Andorran government prioritizes jobs for its citizens. Therefore, a real chance to get a residence permit with the right to work is to open your own business in Andorra.

If you do not have an official job, you can apply for a residence permit without the right to work, and become an investor. In this case, it is important to meet the following conditions:

• stay in the country for at least 90 days;

• clean criminal record;

• medical examination carried out on the territory of Andorra;

• availability of rented or purchased housing in the territory of Andorra;

• financial investment in an Andorran bank of 30,000 euros or more;

• investments in the country's economy of €400,000 or more

A deposit of €10,000 is required for each family member who moves with the main applicant. In return, the total investment amount will not change. This means that if a person applies alone, he or she will have to invest €350,000 and deposit €50,000, and if he or she enters as a family of four, he or she will have to invest €320,000 and deposit €80,000 into a bank of thousands - €50,000 for himself or herself and €10,000 for the other family members.

So there are three ways to obtain a non-work permit in Andorra:

1. Buy a property. In this case, the advantage is that there is no tax on the purchase of a real estate in the country.

2. Business migration and investment in an Andorran bank or investment in the country's economy. The PNP is then issued for a period of 1 year with the possibility of annual renewal.

3. Get an education at a state university in the country. At the same time, people are entitled to Andorran citizenship after 10 years of residence in the country.

In addition, foreigners are entitled to apply for Andorran citizenship after three years of being married to a national of this country.

Documents

To apply, you must submit the following documents:

• valid foreign passport;

• clean criminal record in your country;

• certificate of having passed a medical examination on the territory of Andorra;

• contract of lease or purchase of accommodation on the territory of Andorra;

• bank statement of €2,000 for each month of residence;

• three color photographs;

• a written declaration of commitment to reside in the territory of Andorra for at least 3 months a year.

Andorran Government – contacts

Telephone: +376 875 700

For a list of Andorran government websites, see the page.