Schengen trips from Andorra to ease for permit holders, once deal takes effect

Foreign nationals holding an Andorran residence permit would be able to travel across the Schengen Area without a separate visa under a newly prepared agreement between Andorra and the European Union. The deal would allow short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period for citizens of countries outside the EU.

The government of Andorra announced the agreement on 6 November 2026, after presenting its main provisions to the parliamentary committee on international relations. The rules have not entered into force yet.

Key facts

• Foreign residents of Andorra from non-EU countries would gain visa-free Schengen travel for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Travellers would need a valid passport and an Andorran residence permit meeting the set requirements.
• Residents would be exempt from registration in the European Entry/Exit System (EES) and, in cases set out in the agreement, from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
• Negotiations ended in January 2026, the text was agreed on 26 March, and the European Commission published proposals for signing and approval on 7 September.
• No start date has been announced.

What is changing?

The agreement extends Andorra's current simplified travel arrangement with Spain and France to the whole Schengen Area. Andorra itself is neither an EU member nor part of the Schengen Area, and it sits between Spain and France, where foreign residents already cross borders under special conditions.

The document also exempts foreign residents of Andorra from EES registration and, where the agreement provides for it, from the requirement to obtain ETIAS authorisation. Andorra will keep its independent immigration regime and will not join the Schengen Area. Selective police checks at the borders with France and Spain will continue.

Who is affected?

The biggest change is for foreign residents from countries whose nationals normally need a visa for the Schengen Area: once the deal is in force, they could use a valid Andorran residence permit for short trips across Schengen instead of applying for a Schengen visa.

Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports see little change to visa-free travel, since they have been able to visit Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in a 180-day period since 11 June 2017. For Ukrainians living in Andorra, the agreement may matter for border control, EES and ETIAS rules and proof of resident status.

Tourists are affected too: time spent in Andorra will count towards the 90-day allowance in the Schengen Area, so a trip to the principality will not automatically reset the clock.

What are the limits and the new checks?

Holding an Andorran residence permit will not grant the right to work or live in Spain, France, Germany or any other Schengen country; that will remain governed by each country's national immigration law.

At the same time, third-country nationals applying for or renewing an Andorran residence permit will face additional screening by the competent authorities of Spain or France, including checks against the Schengen Information System (SIS) and other European databases. Alerts suggesting a possible security threat could be grounds for refusing a permit. Andorra also plans to align its national immigration legislation and move gradually to standardised residence permit cards compatible with EU requirements, with a transitional period for current permit holders. Dates for replacing existing cards have not been set.

What this means for travellers

Foreign residents of Andorra who want to use the new visa-free route will need a valid passport and a qualifying residence permit once the agreement takes effect. Tourists planning combined trips should factor time in Andorra into the 90-day-in-180 calculation. Anyone applying for or renewing Andorran residency should expect enhanced security checks involving Spanish or French authorities.

Before the rules apply, the required procedures in the EU and Andorra must be completed, including signing and ratification of the document or agreed provisional application of its provisions. Andorra's government continues to coordinate with Spain and France on the practical mechanisms for checks and information exchange. The date the new rules will take effect has not been announced.