How do you apply for a residence permit in Andorra in 2026?

Decide whether you seek active residence (gainful employment or self-employment) or passive residence without local lucrative activity. An active employee track usually needs an Andorran employment contract, parish housing proof, and CASS enrolment once authorised. Self-employed active files add company deeds, a business plan, and substance expectations that Immigració can revisit at renewal.

Passive files need investment certificates in approved Andorran assets, the AFA payment receipt, private medical cover that immigration accepts, police and civil records, and a lease or ownership papers that match your parish registration. Banks and notaries sit inside that timeline: Open a bank account. Catalan appears on many forms; Spanish often helps in practice, yet official notices still expect careful reading.

Active residents usually must spend about 183 days a year in Andorra and treat the parish address as real life, not a letterbox. Self-employed applicants often also face a non-refundable AFA contribution in the post-2026 framework; confirm the live amount for your category before you incorporate.

Passive residence still aims at people who will not take local employment. After Law 2/2026 (Omnibus 2, in force from mid-February 2026), widely cited guides describe a minimum investment near €1,000,000 in eligible Andorran assets, with real-estate routes often needing high per-unit values, and an alternative housing-fund path sometimes quoted near €400,000. The AFA payment for the main applicant is commonly described as €50,000 and non-refundable once residence is granted, plus about €12,000 per dependent. Older refundable-deposit stories are outdated. Passive stay requirements commonly stay near 90 days a year.

Self-funded movers should budget euro rents on the valley floor: Monthly budget. Working while holding a pure passive authorisation can put the card at risk. Applications filed before the Omnibus 2 switch date may still sit under prior rules; ask Immigració which decree governs your file.