Is it possible to validate the driving license in Andorra? If you have a driving license and you are going to live in the Principality, we tell you everything you need to know to validate your driving license and move around Andorra by car or motorcycle without any worries.
Can I drive in Andorra with a foreign driver’s license?
In Andorra, you can drive with a license issued abroad, but only if you are a non-resident tourist in the Principality. But if you want to move to Andorra, you must start a different process. In the meantime, we tell you which driving licenses can circulate without any problem, as long as it is a tourist or short stay in the country:
- Issued in member states of the European Union, as well as in the states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), i.e. Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein licenses.
- Permits issued following Annex 9 of the Geneva International Convention, as well as Annex 6 of the Vienna International Convention or differing from these only by the addition of supplementary headings.
- Permits issued by Annex 10 of the Geneva International Convention or Annex 7 of the Vienna International Convention on Road Traffic.
- Nationals of third countries with which the Principality has signed an agreement, following the established requirements.
Driving license in Andorra: How to get it?
If you are planning to establish your administrative and fiscal residence in the Principality, then it is necessary to validate the driving license in Andorra. This procedure is available to foreigners who have a residence permit in the Principality. In addition, if you already have a residence permit, you are obliged to exchange your Andorran driving license within one year from the date of issuance of the residence permit.
In order to do so, the corresponding registration with the Immigration Service must be made. Only then, it will be possible to validate the driving license in Andorra. How is this procedure done?
Once the residence permit is obtained, it is essential to surrender the foreign driver’s license to the Andorran authorities. The requirements established in the Principality’s Highway Code must be complied with. While the procedure is being formalized, it is possible to continue driving with the foreign license, as long as it is in force and is equivalent to the Andorran license, as far as the vehicle category is concerned. When validate the driving license in Andorra, it is essential to do it within the established period.
When the homologation is requested after one year of having obtained the residence, then the person concerned must initiate a driving license application. However, there is an exception and that is when the Principality has signed bilateral agreements on homologation and renewal with third countries. In other words, once the whole process has been completed, you will have an Andorran driving license.
Validate the driving license in Andorra: process to do it
The procedure depends on the country issuing the driver’s license. There are countries that have an automatic homologation, but for others it is necessary to take a practical test. However, there are licenses that require to go through the whole process again. No matter what the conditions are, the requirements are as follows:
- Valid and current permit.
- The holder must be of the age required by the Andorran government.
- That the permit has the required seniority.
- No more than one year has elapsed since the residence authorization.
Permits that are automatically approved
It is possible to validate the driving license in Andorra automatically in the following cases:
- In the case of permits issued in EU Member States.
- Permits for nationals of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (EFTA).
- All categories of vehicles that do not require any type of test are homologated.
- Permits from countries with which Andorra has signed a homologation agreement.
It follows from the above that you only need to exchange your driving license to obtain an Andorran tourism type B, if you belong to the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Cyprus, United Kingdom and United States.
Andorran driving license documentation
If you are going to exchange the permit, you only need to present the following documents:
- Original and copy of driver’s license.
- Certificate of residence.
- Medical certificate. You must take a test that costs approximately 30 euros and is valid for three months.
- Color passport-size photograph.
- Take the practical exam (when required).
Car insurance in Andorra
Validate the driving license in Andorra is not enough; it is necessary to register the vehicle to be able to circulate with total freedom. For this, it is necessary that the vehicle has full coverage and that it has an insurance policy issued by an Andorran company or one based in the Principality.