What should I do to import my car to Andorra?
Many people are considering to change their life or career and their destination is Andorra. This is due, among other factors, to the attractive tax framework of Andorra compared mainly to Spain.
But now, once all the immigration formalities have been completed and you are formally resident in Andorra, the next step is the homologation of your driving license in the Principality as well as the change of license plates of your vehicle in Andorra, i.e. importing your car in Andorra (as long as it meets the requirements for homologation).
Driving license and car in Andorra
Driver’s licenses are an important aspect of Andorra’s identity as a place of residence or already established and also relate to cars, motorcycles or all types of motor vehicles. Whether a car is brought to Andorra or imported directly is a common dichotomy. Ditto for all other vehicles although it is rarely seen.
That is why once you have obtained the residence card in Andorra it is very important to get your driver’s license homologated.
Andorran Driving License
The persons who have a residence in Andorra must carry out the homologation of their driving license. Currently Andorra has agreements with the countries of Spain, France and Portugal to be able to carry out the process of homologation of the driving license in Andorra without the need to take any additional test, but simply submit the corresponding dossier to the department of procedures of the Government of Andorra and in about a month will be delivered to the person concerned his driving license.
This obligation to homologate the driving license must be formalized once the transfer of the person in question to Andorra has taken place. In no case should it be done later than one year after the person has been resident in Andorra.
Necessary documents to homologate the driving license in Andorra:
- Official medical certificate.
- Original and photocopy of the driver’s license.
- Passport size photo.
Extra documentation required in case of other countries
In case of driving licenses from countries that have not been issued in the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or the European micro-states, the following documentation must be presented to homologate the driving license in Andorra:
- Certificate of authenticity of the driving license.
- Certificate of equivalence of the categories to be homologated.
It is necessary to remember that all these documents must be duly apostilled in order to be valid in Andorra and it is even more important to know that the validity of the apostilled documents in Andorra is of 3 months from their expedition.
For those countries that are not part of the Hague Convention it will be necessary to submit the documentation:
- A notarial certificate attesting to the authenticity of the driving license.
- Certificate of authenticity and certificate of equivalence of the competent body in the issuance of the driving license in the country of origin to complete the process of consular legalization is necessary to previously submit this documentation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Andorra.
Automatic Homologation Process
The following driving licenses will be accepted automatically with the exception that a previous examination is not necessary: The Andorran driving license will be obtained immediately when the previous license was issued in an EU country, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or the European micro-states.
It is important to know that even if the driving license was issued in Spain or in one of the countries that would be automatically homologated it will only apply for the normal car and motorcycle license, for the rest you will have to pass the respective practical test, otherwise you will lose those driving licenses.
How to register a foreign car in Andorra
This process is relatively fast, but it is not simple since we must start from the basis that in this process there is:
- An export of the vehicle from your country.
- An import of the vehicle in Andorra.
- A registration of the vehicle in Andorra.
- Need to pass the ITV of the vehicle in Andorra.
However, not all vehicles can be registered in Andorra, it is necessary to meet certain requirements, especially to comply with the Euro 5 standard in terms of emissions.
In addition to complying with this requirement, it will be necessary to present the following documentation to be able to register the vehicle in Andorra:
- Customs declaration.
- Invoice stamped by the Andorran Customs.
- IBAN number of the owner.
- Certificate of insurance of the vehicle.
- Technical sheet of the vehicle.
- Certificate of the ITV in Andorra.
- Driver’s license.
Advice on importing vehicles to Andorra.
We can help you with the process of re-registration and transfer of new cars and second hand vehicles to the Principality. Do not hesitate to ask us for information on this matter as this process must be followed as indicated in the regulations and in the current highway code once you have obtained your residence card in Andorra.
Also keep in mind that when you have to import your car in Andorra you will have to settle the corresponding tax (IGI) whether it is new or second hand through an application that you will have to make at the corresponding customs.
We can help you to do it all by email so that at the moment of importing your car in Andorra, you will have absolutely everything done and you will not have any problem at the customs.
Parking in Andorra
Andorra does not have many free parking spaces throughout the country, but it does have many parking lots and even entire buildings for parking in different parts of the country.
If you are going to live in Andorra we are going to give you an important tip: there are city council parking lots, the so-called communal parking lots. In these parking lots you have normal rates much cheaper than in private car parks, but you can apply for a card at the traffic department of the municipality in question to have access to these car parks at a much cheaper price. Not to mention how practical it is to pay with a card directly and not to walk with tickets.
Personalized license plates in Andorra
Circulation codes are a way to allow people who are excited about having special car plates. Of course, the combination of characters on these plates has to meet certain legal requirements such as a minimum number of two characters with a maximum number of five letters. Their annual maintenance costs are 200 euros and just over 400. The license plate belongs to the owners of the car and they decide on which vehicle they are placed. The driver can change the personalized plate of the car for a different plate.
Advantages of buying a car in Andorra
Initially, buying a car in Andorra is cheaper because the tax that is applied to buy a car in Andorra is much lower than for example in Spain (4.5% compared to 21%).
Therefore, the fiscal factor is very important for those who decide to buy a car in Andorra.
But also, something that is not well known outside Andorra, is that the Andorran driving license does not work by the points system of Spain. So many people interpret this as another advantage.
What do I have to do to buy a car in Andorra?
In Andorra, buying a car is an easy way to save money on taxes.
Now, it is very simple, in Andorra you have different dealers who will be able to help you with buying a car in Andorra.
In fact, they won’t even ask you for an Andorra driving license, so you can buy the car before you even get your Andorra driving license approved in Andorra.
Car insurance in Andorra
For the registration and distribution of vehicles on Andorran roads, the vehicle must be insured by an Andorran insurer. There are several companies such as AXA, Catalana Occidental, ASSIGANS General, Assega, Assap, Assegur and Becier. There is another insurance comparator called Totsegur and it is worth remembering that if you are young and able to get your driver’s license in the next few years it is usually quite cheap.
How to get residency in Andorra?
In this case we can help you directly to get residency in Andorra. Do not worry and ask us without obligation about how we can help you to move to the country.
In these other articles we also explain you how to do it:
Tax Residency Andorra [Updated 2022].
Andorra Corporate Tax [Updated 2022].
If after reading these articles you still have doubts (because we understand that each case is completely different from the previous one), we can help you with a first initial call with no obligation or additional cost.
Just keep in mind that obtaining the residence permit in Andorra, usually takes about three months to obtain (if you do it through the incorporation of a company in the country). So you should count on the necessary deadlines to obtain the permit in the country.
