New for 2022 is the approval of the Regulation related to the registration and importation of vehicles in Andorra, which came into force on 2 September 2021. One of the changes in this decree is related to new residents who wish to register their vehicle in Andorra. They must comply with the conditions explained in Article 3, section 9, among which is that the car must not exceed 5 years of age from the date of manufacture. On the other hand, it is also explained in the decree that used cars can be imported, but they must comply with the EURO classification in force in Andorra and the age of the car must not exceed 6 years from the date of manufacture. You can find more information about the decree approving the regulation related to the registration of vehicles in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Andorra (BOPA) No. 94 – Decree 270/2021 of 1 September 2021.
How a new resident can import his car or motorcycle to Andorra
The importation of motor vehicles into Andorra is allowed but the cars must obey certain requirements, among others to comply with the European emission standard “Class Euro 5” as a minimum and must be left-hand drive. Cars older than 25 years may be imported and are considered classic cars.
The import tax is calculated based on the market price and is 4.5% for all type of cars. If the car is purchased or manufactured outside the European Union, there is an additional fee of 10%. On the other hand, if the applicant is a person who relocates his residence to Andorra, it is likely that the applicant can import the car tax-free by appealing a change of address. In either case, the car must have been registered in the applicant’s name for more than 6 months and the import application must be made within 6 months of obtaining the residence permit in Andorra.
The car insurance must be issued by an Andorran insurance company. The most important insurance companies are present in the Principality so you will have no problem in choosing the one that best suits your preferences and needs. There are also other formalities to be completed such as license plates, registration, etc.
Among the documents required for importing a car to Andorra are as follows:
- ID card and passport of the owner of the car
- Document indicating your type of residence in Andorra
- Registration in the “Comú”
- The original invoice of the car
- The insurance policy with an Andorran company
- Certificate of having passed the technical inspection in the country of origin
- Technical certificate of the vehicle and homologation
Costs involved in importing a car to Andorra
- The import tax (IGI) is of 4.5% for cars. For cars coming from non-EU countries, a 10% tax must be added to these rates.
- The registration of the vehicle in Andorra costs 200 €.
- The car plates cost 60 € if done through the Automòbil Club d’Andorra.
Personalized license plates in Andorra
For people who are enthusiastic about having a special license plate for their vehicle in Andorra we inform you that the Highway Code allows it. Of course the combination of characters of these plates must meet certain conditions stipulated by law, for example they must have a minimum of 2 characters and a maximum of 5 and always a combination of letters and numbers starting with a letter. The cost of issuance ranges from 300 € to 6,000 € and annually you must pay 200 € for maintenance.
It should be noted that the plates are assigned to an owner, who decides which car to put them on. In case the owner changes the car, he can transfer the personalized plates to the new one.
Having explained the above, taking your car to Andorra should not be a problem. However, if the country where the car was purchased does not have climatic conditions like in Andorra, it is likely that your car will not be the most suitable. Besides, the advantages of buying a new car in Andorra are interesting: low taxes, guaranteed after-sales service, car suitable for the Andorran winter, etc. Andorra has a wide dealer network with representation of practically all brands. The tax applied to the purchase of a new car is 4.5%, much lower if compared to France which is 20% or Spain with 21%. And if you do not want to buy a new car you will not have any problem because there is a second hand car market in Andorra. Therefore we invite you to contact us to help you decide if it is worth importing your car or better to buy a new one in Andorra.
FAQS
For new residents in Andorra, a car that was already registered in the country where you previously lived can be registered in Andorra as long as it is no more than 5 years old. If you do not have a car and want to import a used car in Andorra, it must comply with the EURO standard in force and also be less than 6 years old.
The procedure must be carried out within the first 6 months after obtaining residency in Andorra.
It is possible to homologate it: https://www.andorra-solutions.com/driving-licenses-andorra/
It is the name given to the vehicle title in Andorra because it is yellow in color.
Motorcycles and cars between 5 and 9 years old must be inspected every 2 years, and after 9 years of age it must be inspected annually.
In Andorra la Vella you may encounter traffic at peak hours but you won’t have to worry about finding parking as the major cities have plenty of parking available.