ANDORRA: IMMIGRATION FOR ATHLETES, ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS

ANDORRA: ADVANTAGES

Having a residence permit in Andorra comes with various key benefits, such as the following: 

1. 1. 1. The right to live, study and create a business in Andorra;
      2. With the Andorran residence permit you can freely travel within the European Union;
      3. A bank system considered to be unparalleled. Andorran banks are among the most stable and solvent in the world;
      4. Andorra offers one of the lowest tax rates in Europe. There is no taxation on dividends, inheritance and on luxurious good such as cars;
      5. There is 0% tax on an annual revenue that goes up to € 24,000. The effective tax rate is of 5% on a net income that is between € 24,001 and € 40,000 and of 10% on a net income that is above € 40,001;
      6. Children born in Andorra obtain an Andorran citizenship if the parents hold a legal residence status in the country. It is the only European country granting citizenship by birth;
      7. Andorra is a multilingual country offering high quality education. Your children will quickly learn Catalan, Spanish and French. English is widely used in the country;
      8. Residents of Andorra can obtain an Andorran driver license after passing one practical test;
      9. Andorra offers one of the best healthcare services and has one of the lowest crime rates in the world;
      10. An affordable cost of life in comparison with the surrounding countries. VAT is of only 4.5% making many good and products (such as gas, groceries, accommodation) considerably less expensive.

ANDORRA: REQUIREMENTS

If you are an internationally renowned scientist, athlete, or artist and wish to relocate to Andorra, you must demonstrate your prestige in your field by submitting a detailed curriculum vitae outlining your education, experience, and awards. This is crucial for attracting highly qualified individuals and fostering the development of high-quality initiatives and projects in the country.

The main requirements for relocating to Andorra as a scientist, athlete, or artist are as follows:

1. 1. Open a bank account with a financial institution in the Principality of Andorra.
   2. The applicant must make a non-interest-bearing deposit of €47,500 to the Andorran Financial Authority (AFA), and an additional €9,500 for each dependent included in the application (this deposit can only be refunded once the applicant leaves the program or becomes an Andorran citizen).
   3. The applicant must reside in the country for at least 90 days per year.
   4. At least 85% of the services provided by the applicant must be performed outside of Andorra.
   5. Demonstrate international achievements and prestige. For example, a curriculum vitae detailing an academic background and experience in relevant fields, as well as other academic, cultural, artistic, or athletic awards and recognition.
   6. Provide income receipts from the previous year related to their activity.
   7. Proof of economic solvency by their financial institution that they have an income exceeding 300% of the Andorran annual minimum wage, plus an additional 100% for each dependent (about €46,500 for the principal applicant and €15,500 for each dependent).
   8. You and your family must be covered by an Andorran medical insurance policy, which costs approximately €1,000 per year.
   9. Provide proof of residence with a rental contract or property deed in Andorra.

ANDORRA: DOCUMENTS

All of your documents must be translated into Catalan or Spanish as well as legalised according to Andorran guidelines. We will guide you with regards to the exact list of documents to prepare for your application bases on your specific situation. Therefore, below is a generic list of required documents to apply for athletes, artists or scientists people to apply for a residency permit in Andorra:

1. 1. 1. Passport, copies of all pages.
      2. National identification card.
      3. Civil status.
      4. Birth certificate (if applicable).
      5. Family booklet, marriage certificate: issued within the last 3 months (if applicable).
      6. Obtained diploma(s) with the complete list of university records.
      7. Documents confirming your source of income.
      8. Confirmation documents attesting your occupation as an athlete, artist or scientist: you have to demonstrate your international achievement and prestige in your field by providing a detailed resume (curriculum vitæ) describing your academic training and professional experiences. A list of prizes, awards or any other proof supporting public recognition should be included.
      9. Police certificate from your country of citizenship and/or of residence issued within the last 3 months.
      10. Tax assessment: at least for 5 last years.
      11. Bank certificate and bank statements from a bank in Andorra justifying you have sufficient resources (€ 46.500 for single application and € 15.500 for a spouse and/or € 15.500 for each person in charge like a child). This total amount isn’t blocked in the bank. You can spend this amount to cover your living expenses;
      12. Confirmation of a property in Andorra that may be either acquired or rented.
      13. Registration at “Comú de la Parroquia” in Andorra (“certificat de residència“).
      14. Once your application is approved, you will be asked to transfer the security deposit amount of € 47,500 for a single applicant and an additional € 9,500 for each accompanying family member to the Ministry of Finance of Andorra. If you become Andorran Citizen or decide to leave Andorra, the security deposit of € 47.500 and € 9.500 will be refunded. Please note you should not have any debts or monetary obligations in Andorra.
      15. Vaccination booklet for children under the age of 18 years old.

ANDORRA: PROCESS

1. 1. 1. We recommend to start with a complete consultation with our immigration experts. We will take this time to answer all your questions concerning the specifics of the process and provide you with additional information on the conditions, requirements based on your profile;
      2. Our team will assist you in preparing and legalizing (apostille, authentification) all the required documents;
      3. Once your documents are prepared and legalized, our local translators may translate all documents into one of the officially accepted languages: Catalan, Spanish or French;
      4. We will present you to the local banks in Andorra and assist you to open a bank account. After the bank account is open, you should transfer the minimum funds to support yourself during your stay in Andorra;
      5. We will also be able to help you to rent or acquire a property in Andorra based on your needs and preferences. In the case that you cannot travel to Andorra, we can always represent you as a proxy and accomplish some steps on your behalf;
      6. We will help you choose and subscribe to an Andorran health insurance;
      7. Once your file is complete and ready to be submitted to the immigration authorities, we will book an appointment for you to officially apply for Andorra residence permit;
      8. After the submission of your application you will be asked to do biometrics and pass a medical exam;
      9. The processing time takes on average 3 to 4 weeks;
      10. Once your application is approved, you will be asked to transfer the deposit amount of € 47,500 for a one applicant and an additional € 9,500 for each accompanying family member to the Ministry of Finance of Andorra;
      11. After the approval by the Department of Immigration, you will receive a residence card that is valid for 2 years;
      12. We will assist you to register in the Communa (comú) of your place of residence and obtain an official certificate confirming your residence. You will be asked to cover local tax payment fees of your city of residence;
      13. The first renewal of the residency permit in Andorra is valid for 2 years. The second renewal is valid for 3 years and finally the third renewal will be a permanent residency that is valid for 10 years;
      14. After living in Andorra for 20 years, you may apply for citizenship. In the case that you completed all your studies in Andorra, in this case, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship after 10 years. It is important to note that Andorra does not recognize dual citizenship. In this case, you will be required to renounce on your previous citizenship if you become an Andorran citizen.

CITIZENSHIP

There are three ways to become an Andorran citizen:

1. 1. 1. Naturalisation: Andorran citizenship is granted if you have legally lived in Andorra for 20 years, or 10 years if you have completed your studies in Andorra.
      2. Descent: A child born in Andorra automatically obtains citizenship if their parents are residents.
      3. Marriage: You can apply for citizenship after 3 years of cohabitation in Andorra with an Andorran spouse.

At VIP Serveis Andorra, we are more than willing to guide you through the entire process of obtaining Andorran citizenship. Our standard procedure to apply with our clients is as follows:

1. 1. 1. First, we will advise you on the immigration and citizenship process in Andorra.
      2. You will need to prepare and legalise all necessary documents.
      3. Our sworn translators will prepare the documentation in Catalan.
      4. We will submit your citizenship application to the local Andorran government agency.
      5. The decision on your status will be published in the Butlletí Oficial del Principat d’Andorra.
      6. You will be invited to a citizenship ceremony and receive your naturalisation certificate once you swear allegiance to the Principality.
      7. When you receive your naturalisation certificate, we can assist you in applying for a passport at the local office in Andorra la Vella.

OTHER INFORMATION

1. 1. 1. To obtain Andorran citizenship, you must renounce all previous nationalities.
      2. Once the necessary requirements are met, you must submit the citizenship application and will be granted a provisional passport (not full citizenship). After that, you will have 5 years to renounce your current nationality.
      3. During that period, you must pass an exam on Andorran history, geography, and the Catalan language, to obtain full citizenship and the definitive passport.

ANDORRA: TESTIMONIALS

You can find below two testimonies for our clients who chose Andorra as a destination:

Testimonial 1
“We are a family of 4, and both my husband and I are over 50 and approaching retirement. We are really fond of the European lifestyle, and have visited Europe more times than we can count. We have basically touched every country, and found every single place absolutely fantastic. We were not exactly sure where we should go once we retire, but both of us wanted to go somewhere in Europe. So we started looking for agencies online, and found a few agencies that were okay. They responded to us and talked about their services, and frankly we had trouble keeping track of which one we had talked to, and which ones we had not. That was when I got in touch with Inimex, and they were different. The first person we talked to, David, was very friendly and focused mostly on answering questions we had, instead of pushing the sales. That really made a difference for me and we quickly decided to do this golden visa program with Inimex. They also explained to me everything in detail, even how to find an electrician in Andorra in case I ever need one. We managed to arrive in Andorra the moment we finished all the preparation of the documents from home. When we arrived, we applied for a passive residence. It took us less than a month to obtain it, and we got 2 years of residence right away. It turned out that Andorra, one of the few European countries we had overlooked, was the best. It has awesome roads and malls; everything is cheap because there is no tax; lots of good food from the region; easy to reach from France and Spain, and everyone was super friendly. My husband and I hike up one of those 2000 meters mountains whenever we get some time. The high Pyrenees have this special smell in the air that I just love. Inimex even helps us in case we need to travel to other places in Europe and helps us in buying almost everything. I would wholeheartedly recommend Inimex to everyone who wants to come to Andorra”.

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Testimonial 2
“I have a successful business, which makes me travel a lot. There are so many complicated issues when it comes to business trips in Europe, as visas and each countries’ legal issues even give my travel arranger headaches. I checked a few countries in Europe for me to immigrate to, but most of them have really big restrictions or lots of time commitment requirements. One exception is Andorra, which looks rather attractive, but still seemed very complicated to me. Inimex managed to explain to me in good detail and answered all my questions and concerns about moving to Andorra, so I was very happy to work with them.  They helped me at every single step and tried to let me care about my own business issues instead of immigration ones. Finally, after a few days, they told me I could come to Andorra now. They picked me up at Barcelona airport, took me all the way to the city, and helped me settle down. They helped me to acquire an apartment, open a bank account, prepare my application file, apply for residency, obtain a fiscal identification number, enrol to a health insurance, and everything else we needed. The local agent helped me every day for a week straight, telling me where to buy furniture, where to buy a car, how to move to my residence, and accompanied me to all governmental meetings. I am very grateful for Inimex’s help. To me, they feel like a strong family more than a company. I also really like Andorra, mostly because now I do not have to pay taxes everywhere and I can put all of my global income declared in Andorra, a true tax paradise. I also like the good weather, the clear sky, the developed cities and the lack of crime in Andorra. My Andorran permit allows me freedom of travel in Europe, which makes my business much easier to perform. Inimex still helps me from time to time, and I think they treat me more like a friend than a customer”.

OUR SERVICES IN ANDORRA

In Andorra, our company purpose full services or partial support or even if you desire, private consultation.

1. 1. 1. Residence permit for financially independent (wealthy) applicants.
      2. Residence permit for entrepreneurs.
      3. Residence permit for representatives of sports, science or culture.
      4. Family reunification process.
      5. Opening a bank (private or business) account.
      6. Registration at public or private school.
      7. Rent / purchase of real estate.
      8. Exchange of a driver’s license for an Andorran one.
      9. Translation services.
      10. Extension of a residence permit.
      11. Permanent residence permit.
      12. Andorran citizenship.