Have you just moved to the Principality of Andorra and need to get your driving license approved in Andorra?
It is a process that varies depending on the driving license you have (i.e. in which country you got your driving license). Therefore, it does not follow the same process for all licenses.
Here are the details of the process of homologation of your driving license in Andorra.
Can I drive in Andorra with a foreign driving license?
Andorran residents can drive with an international license, but only if they have an international residence.
However, when you obtain a residence permit in Andorra, one of the formal obligations required of foreigners living in Andorra is to exchange their original driving license for their Andorran driving license.
This is a procedure that normally takes one month.
Here you have more information about the procedure of homologation of the driving license in Andorra.
Driving in Andorra with a foreign driving license
Any Andorran driving license allows the circulation of your vehicle in other foreign countries, whether it is a country of the European Union or a foreign country.
However, if you intend to travel, you will have to go through a more common procedure in all countries of the European Union and even in other countries such as South Korea or Japan. You will need to get your Andorran driving license approved for an international driving license.
This procedure is done directly at the Andorran government’s procedures department and will allow you to obtain an international driving license.
Andorran driving license
Foreigners holding a residence permit in Andorra must obtain a national driver’s license.
When obtaining a residence permit, the foreigner must replace his driving license from his home country with an Andorran driving license.
What do you need to know?
Driver’s licenses issued by residents of Spain, Andorra, Korea, Japan, Switzerland and Monaco can be homologated directly by fulfilling a specific administrative requirement.
You have one year from the date you obtain your resident’s license in the country to apply for the homologation of your driving license in Andorra.
This exchange is very important to be made in the first year for those who are foreigners and cannot make the process of homologation of their driving license directly, since during the first year of residence, any foreigner can take the driving test in English to obtain the authorization of any type of driving license, whether it is a motorcycle, car, truck, etc.
Obligatorily, it is necessary to proceed to the homologation of the driving license, that is to say, it is necessary to carry out this procedure and to obtain the pertinent authorization on the part of the Government of Andorra, in order not to have problem, in the first year of resident in the country.
What are the benefits of homologating the driving license in Andorra?
The Andorran driving license is one of the licenses that today still does not work by points. That is to say, it works as in the old license in force in Spain or France.
In case a person is fined by a speed radar, parking penalty, etc., in Spain or in France, as there is no communication between these countries and Andorra, in that case he/she will not receive the penalty at home.
However, if a police officer fines an Andorran vehicle on the spot, you will have to pay the relevant penalty on the spot in order to be able to withdraw your vehicle.
If the Andorran license plate at that moment has any accumulated unpaid fines, you will also have to pay the fines for that license plate at that moment.
What means do you have to apply for it?
We help you with the homologation of your driving licenses in the Principality, whether it is for motorcycles, cars, or any other categories.
If you have a valid driving license from Spain or France, the homologation will be a direct service.
Please note that to obtain authorization in the Principality, your license must be in force. If it is not in force, you will have to get it again.
Driving license in Andorra: How to get it?
As previously mentioned, whether you have a Spanish or French license or a license from any other European Union country, these licenses can be homologated without the need to pass any exam for all categories of the license.
However, if you have a foreign license, it is possible that these licenses may need to pass a test beforehand. Each case is different, so do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about your specific type of license.
Permits that are automatically approved
You can check your driver’s license at the above address for Andorran tourism types if you come from a country such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belgium or Spain.
Any driving license can be approved in Andorra as long as that person has previously Andorran residency in the country.
The origin of the licenses is very important when carrying out this process. It is one of the most important points to carry out the homologation.
There are permits that depending on their origin (for example those from South America) cannot be homologated after obtaining the residence in Andorra, but it will be necessary to pass an examination and obtain the report from the department in question, since there is no agreement with any of these states.
Automatic homologation of driving licenses: requirements and process
As a general rule, countries belonging to the European Union can have their driving licenses approved automatically.
Switzerland is not able to approve its driving license automatically, but there are different conditions for this type of license.
According to the agreement with other countries, the permit can be processed as long as the destination is Andorra. This will mean that the holder of the driving license will only have to carry out one procedure in the Government.
Car insurance in Andorra
In Andorra, any vehicle must be insured. It is something completely mandatory in the motor world, whether it is motorcycles, cars, etc.
You must carry with your permits (residence and driving licenses in Andorra) all the documents related to the owner of the vehicle, the person driving the vehicle and the documents related to the insurance of the vehicle.
You will always have to carry them with you (residence and driving license).
Andorra’s personalized license plates
The Personalized Registration System was implemented as a requirement for the 2015 Highway Code.
It is possible to personalize with letters or a set of letters and numbers the license plates of vehicles in Andorra.
Certain requirements must be met and usually if letters are combined with some number there is usually no problem, it is more when the license plate gives some specific unwanted information that the relevant authorization is not approved.
The term for the accomplishment of this procedure is of approximately 15 days.
The price of this procedure varies depending on the selected category of personalized license plate. Please note that even if the license plate has a translation in another language, it must not violate the rules of the highway code.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
The most important rules for driving in Andorra
Andorran law allows you to drive at a maximum age of 16 years if you have an adult passenger accompanying you in Andorra.
The BAC in Andorra is very different from that of Spain, and in Andorra the BAC limit is 0.85 Gram/L.
But if you are in a state of drunkenness, we obviously recommend you not to drive.
Buying and importing a car from Spain to Andorra
In some cases citizens residing in Andorra prefer to buy vehicles in Spain (this applies to any vehicle, be it a car, mopeds, etc), and import them to Andorra.
Here we give you more information about the agreement and the law that allows the import to the Principality, the estimated time and any other information that any driver needs to know, as well as the documents that you need to present even at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of origin.
Contact us
Located in the center of Andorra la Vella, we can help you with any questions you may have about the driving license in Andorra.