Short Schengen stays set to go visa-free for Andorra's legal non-EU residents

Non-EU nationals legally living in Andorra will be able to make short trips anywhere in the Schengen Area without a visa, under a border management agreement negotiated between Andorra and the European Union. The Andorran Government set out the change on 6 November 2026 in a presentation to the General Council's Legislative Committee on Foreign Affairs. The arrangement is not yet in force.

Key facts

• Who benefits: third-country nationals — citizens of countries outside the EU — legally residing in Andorra.
• Documents needed: a valid passport and a valid Andorran residence permit.
• What it covers: visa-free short stays throughout the Schengen Area.
• Also changing: time spent in Andorra will count towards the Schengen limit of 90 days in any 180-day period.
• Status: the text was initialled in March 2026 but still needs approval, signature and ratification.

What is changing?

The agreement extends the travel arrangements that already apply between Andorra, Spain and France to the wider Schengen Area. Eligible residents will be able to visit other European countries for short stays without applying for a separate visa.

The deal also provides for exemptions from the European Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), under the conditions established by the agreement. The Government stressed that the right to travel for short stays will not automatically grant permission to live or work in other European countries.

Who is affected?

Two groups are covered. First, non-EU residents of Andorra whose nationalities would normally require a visa to enter the Schengen Area. Second, tourists from outside the EU visiting the Principality: time spent in Andorra will be included when calculating the maximum permitted duration of a short stay under the Schengen 90-days-in-180 rule. That measure will require amendments to Andorra's immigration legislation.

How will residence permits change?

Andorran residence permits will gradually adopt a standardised format compatible with those used in the EU and the Schengen Area, so European authorities can verify that holders are entitled to the travel arrangements. A transitional period will apply to existing permits while security checks are carried out and current cards are progressively replaced.

The Government has not yet specified when the replacement process will begin or whether residents will face additional administrative fees.

What other checks will apply?

Third-country nationals applying for a new Andorran residence permit, or renewing an existing one, will undergo a security assessment carried out by either Spain or France, supplementing the checks already run by Andorra's Immigration Department. These assessments will include searches of European security databases, particularly the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Andorra also intends to amend its Immigration Law to add grounds for refusing entry or residence based on security alerts issued by Schengen countries. The authorities still need to determine how Spain and France will divide responsibility for these assessments and set the operational procedures.

When will the new rules start?

No start date has been announced. Formal negotiations ran from September 2024 to January 2026 and the text was initialled in March 2026, but several steps remain: approval by the Council of the European Union, formal signature, ratification by Andorra and the completion of the relevant European procedures. The Andorran Government also envisages a period of provisional application before the agreement enters fully into force.

What this means for travellers

Non-EU residents of Andorra should not assume that the announced visa-free travel is already available — the Government has said the new rights take effect only once the agreement completes its approval procedures. Eligible residents will then need a valid passport and a valid Andorran residence permit to travel, while non-EU visitors should factor days spent in Andorra into their Schengen 90-day calculation once the change applies.

The agreement will bring a significant change in mobility for foreign nationals living in Andorra without the Principality formally joining the border-free zone. The remaining institutional steps, and a date for replacing existing residence cards, are still to be confirmed.