Driving license in Andorra: approval and procedure

The driving license is one of the questions that haunts those who raise Andorra as a destination to live or are already established, as well as those related to the car, the motorcycle or in general the vehicle that is owned. About the latter we have made a new article on whether it is better to buy or import the car to Andorra, and exactly the same thing happens with any other type of vehicle, although it is less frequent.

In it we explain how to buy and import vehicles, as well as register them correctly in the Principality of Andorra. Also in our article on ITV We provide information regarding the technical inspection that all cars must comply with in Andorra, how it is carried out, who carries it out and also how it works.

In any case, In this article we discuss everything about the driving license in Andorra and its corresponding approval with your requirements and necessary documentation. As an extra, we also explain a little about car insurance for driving and famous personalized license plates, so famous in Andorra and so used by influencers and famous people.

Driving in Andorra with a foreign license

The first important question is to know if the foreign driving license is valid to move around Andorra. Notably We are talking at all times about tourists, not Andorran residents. In this sense, based on the Regulation of permits and complementary administrative authorizations to drive most recent, we have that you can drive with Andorra with the following licenses:

• ALL those issued by the Andorra government (as is obvious).
• ALL those issued by the member states of the European Union (EU) and of the states of the European Free Trade Association (association called EFTA, made up of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).
• driving licenses nationals of other countries issued in accordance with Annex 9 of the International Geneva Convention, or with Annex 6 of the Vienna International Convention, or that differ from these models only in the addition of supplementary headings.
• driving licenses international certificates issued by other countries in accordance with Annex 10 of the International Geneva Convention or Annex 7 of the Vienna International Convention on Road Traffic, accompanied by the holder's national driving license, according to the authorized categories.
• The nationals of Other countries with which the Government has signed an approval agreement driving licenses under the conditions indicated.

That is, as a general rule, You can drive safely with Andorran, EU country and Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein licenses. Foreigners from other countries must check if they comply with international conventions to find out if they can drive or not.

Andorran driving license

Foreigners who are holders of a residence authorization in Andorra of any of the categories (it is not useful to have a provisional document), they can obtain a national driving license or license. Foreigners who, in addition, already hold a driving license issued by a foreign state, are forced to replace the driving license for the Andorran permit within one year after obtaining the relevant residence permit (registration with the Immigration Service, according to the traffic code law).

For this they will have to deliver the foreign driving license to the Andorran administrations and comply with the requirements of the Andorran Highway Code. Besides, Andorran residents can drive with other driving licenses when the person has been an Andorran resident for less than a year. Obviously having said card in force and being equivalent to the Andorran one with respect to the category of vehicle that it authorizes.

If the homologation is requested after a period of one year from the date of obtaining the residence, the applicant must start a file to obtain a driving license except for the existence of bilateral treaties on the approval and renewal of driving licenses with the state that issued the driving license.

Approval of the driving license in Andorra

Approving the driving license in Andorra depends on the country of origin of the license that you want to approve. For some countries the homologation is automatic, for others a practical test is required and for the rest you have to do it all over again. Obviously and as we have said, in all cases it is required that the original card be current and valid, that the holder has the age and seniority required in Andorra and that no more than a year has passed since obtaining the Andorran residence permit. .

It should be noted that the rules shown below apply only when there is reciprocity that is, when the countries equally recognize the Andorran driving license and allow its approval under the same terms. In any case, currently this reciprocity is fulfilled so there is no problem.

Automatic homologation of the driving license: requirements and process

Thus, they can be automatically approved:

• National and international driving licenses issued by member states of the European Union (EU)
• The national and international issued by states of the EFTA, made up of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

In addition, theory and practice are recognized and all categories of vehicles are approved without the requirement of any type of examination. On the other hand, also There are other countries with which the Government has signed an agreement for the homologation of driving licenses. In this case, the conditions indicated in the agreed agreement itself apply. This implies that they can be approved also totally and without examination:

• The licenses of all categories of European microstates: San Marino, Malta, Monaco, Luxembourg
• The driving licenses of lower categories (A and B) of the United Kingdom

Thus, the Andorran tourist driving license type B is obtained immediately simply by exchanging it if the previous one comes from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia , Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland and Cyprus.

For this, the following documentation must be provided:

• Certificate of residence of the corresponding municipality
• Corresponding medical certificate (the normal test costs about €30, valid for 3 months)
• Color passport photo
• The original and a photocopy of the foreign driver's license

Homologation with practical test of the driver's license

can be approved only the theory of driving categories A and B the following permissions:

• Nationals of other countries issued in accordance with Annex 9 of the International Geneva Convention, or with Annex 6 of the Vienna International Convention, or that differ from these models only in the addition of supplementary headings.
• International issued by other countries, of in accordance with annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva International Convention or with annex 7 of the 1968 Vienna International Convention, on road traffic, accompanied by the holder's national driving license, in accordance with the authorized categories.

In these cases only the theory of categories A and B and their antiquity are recognized, but the holder must always exceed the practical tests of aptitudes and behaviors in a closed circuit and while driving on roads open to traffic corresponding to each category according to the regulation itself.

In these cases, the applicable documentation is the following, in addition to the previous documentation (all with the Hague apostille):

• Certificate of authenticity of the national permit presented, delivered by the issuing authority itself.
• Certificate of equivalence of the categories that the applicant wishes to certify, delivered by the issuing authority of the permit and that explains for which categories it is valid.
• For categories A and B, sworn translation of documentation if the language is not French, English or Spanish.

If the card also comes from a country that is not part of the Hague Convention, the following must be provided to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Andorra:

• Affidavit that certifies the authenticity of the driving document and its equivalences, O well
• Certificate of authenticity and certificate of equivalence of the competent body in issuing driving licenses in the country of origin

Finally, If they cannot obtain the necessary documents from the country of origin, they will have to take the driving test complete (theoretical and practical) within the first two years of residence in Andorra, in English or Catalan.

Car insurance in Andorra

As we have indicated, to register and circulate in Andorra the vehicle must be insured and you must have an insurance policy with an Andorran insurance company. In this regard, there are numerous insurance companies, such as AXA, Catalana Occidente, Assegurances Generals, Assega assegurances and Assap assegurances, Assegur, Becier assegurances, DKV, Financera d'Assegurances, Generali Andorra, Multisegur, etc. Even those of the Crèdit Andorrà bank or those of the Automòvil Club d'Andorra mentioned above.

There is also a insurance comparator called totsegur and it should be noted that if you are young and have had a driving license for a short time (therefore not having experience), insurance is usually quite expensive.

Andorra personalized license plates

In the Highway Code of 2014, where it was specified that cars with more than 3 years old could be registered with the condition that they met EURO 5, it was also implemented the personalized license plate system on request.

Conditions of personal plates

However, not everything goes, there are a number of terms:

• The combinations must be letters and numbers, in that order, or just letters
• The numbering must be Arabic (0-9) and the letters of the Catalan alphabet, capital letters and without accents
• The combinations that have already been reserved or assigned naturally are not accepted
• Combinations that may match the regular registration number are not accepted
• Nor those that may cause confusion (when letters and figures are difficult to distinguish from each other)
• Neither the combinations that contain DNA and others that belong to the Andorran state or authorities
• It must consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of five characters
• If it has five characters it must start with at least one letter
• Nor can it be a combination of the letters "MT", "CD", "CMD", "A", "CC" followed by numbers or the word "PROVA"
• All combinations that are contrary to the law, morality or public order or that generate confusion are rejected
• All abbreviations considered similar to registered trademarks or trade names are also rejected, unless it is proven to be the owner of them.

Cost of tuition

Further, these license plates have an extra cost, since its quantity is limited, it requires more effort from the administration and its objective is to have another source of income:

• The cost of the 2-letter and 3-digit license plates is € 300
• The cost of the 3-letter and 2-digit license plates is € 500
• The cost of registration with 4 letters and 1 figures is € 1,000
• The cost of the 5-letter license plates is € 3,000
• The cost of registrations between 2 and 4 characters is € 6,000

The owner chooses the custom plate and the car where you want to put the plate, obtaining a user license whose annual maintenance cost is fixed at € 200. It is also possible to change it to another vehicle in the future.

Temporary license plates or plates

Non-residents of Andorra can also register and register their car in Andorra. In these cases, temporary tourist or temporary license plates are issued and need to be renewed every year. The registration costs are the same as for the registration of an ordinary registration except the residence certificate, and Only residents of non-EU countries are allowed to drive vehicles registered in Andorra outside the Principality.