Driving Permit for Andorra
Driving in Andorra with a foreign licence: when an IDP is needed, right-hand traffic, winter tyre and snow chain laws, the 0.05% alcohol limit, rental-car rules and tips for the Spanish and French borders.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1968 Vienna
- IDP validity
- 6 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Andorra?
Andorra recognises the International Driving Permit in its 1968-convention format. The principality is not itself a signatory of the 1968 Vienna Convention, but it accepts 1968-model IDPs presented alongside the original licence, and its own Automobil Club d'Andorra issues IDPs that comply with the 1968 convention's provisions. For most visitors an IDP is not legally mandatory: EU/EEA licences are fully valid, and the UK government confirms a UK photocard licence can be used on its own. Where the IDP becomes important is when your licence is not in Catalan, Spanish or French - and especially when it is not in Latin script - in which case carrying one is strongly recommended.
The practical pressure usually comes from the rental desk rather than the police. Europcar, for example, makes an IDP mandatory whenever the licence is written in a language or characters that cannot be read in the renting country, and major firms in Andorra typically ask for a full licence held for at least one to two years, a minimum age of about 21, and a young-driver surcharge under 25. Police checks focus on you carrying the original licence and ID, and in winter on your tyres.
Traffic drives on the right, and Andorra has no motorways - only mountain roads, generally limited to 50 km/h in towns and up to 90 km/h outside them. From 1 November to 15 May you must fit winter tyres (marked with the snowflake symbol) or carry snow chains, and officers can stop non-compliant cars from continuing. The blood-alcohol limit is a strict 0.05%, cars must carry a reflective jacket, two warning triangles and spare bulbs, and children under 10 may not ride in the front seat.
Andorra recognises the IDP under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
Andorra is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Andorra, plan on 6 months.
What you need to drive in Andorra
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Minimum driving age is 18; rental companies typically require drivers to be 21+ with a licence held for 1-2 years
Carry your original national driving licence (plus passport/ID) at all times
An IDP (1968 model) is recommended if your licence is not in Catalan, Spanish or French, or uses a non-Latin script
Winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory from 1 November to 15 May
Andorra is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, yet it accepts 1968-model IDPs and the Automobil Club d'Andorra - the country's only authorised issuer - produces IDPs to the 1968 model
An ACA-issued IDP costs 25.77 euros, needs one 35x40 mm photo, is typically ready the next day, and is valid for driving abroad but not inside Andorra itself
Compulsory in-car equipment includes a reflective jacket, two red warning triangles, a set of spare bulbs and headlamp beam converters for right-hand-drive cars
There are no motorways anywhere in Andorra; the RAC's rule of thumb is drive on the right, overtake on the left
Winter tyres are identified by the snowflake icon on the tyre wall, and police can prevent a vehicle without compliant tyres or chains from proceeding
Children under 10 are prohibited from travelling in the front seat, and phone use while driving is illegal unless fully hands-free
What to know before you turn the key
Andorra drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Rental desks such as Europcar make an IDP mandatory when your licence is in a language or script that cannot be read locally, regardless of legal minimums
Andorra has no motorways - expect mountain roads with 50 km/h urban limits and up to 90 km/h outside towns
Andorra is outside the EU customs union, so customs checks at the French and Spanish borders can cause queues in ski season and on shopping weekends
Drink-driving above the 0.05% BAC limit can bring a fine of up to 600 euros and a two-month driving ban, with possible vehicle impoundment; refusing a breath test is penalised even more heavily. Driving without winter tyres or snow chains between 1 November and 15 May carries a 180-euro fine, and police can stop the vehicle from continuing.
Local rules to watch in Andorra
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Andorra la Vella: the capital's main through-roads get congested during ski season and duty-free shopping weekends, and central parking is mostly paid
Pas de la Casa: the high-altitude French border town sees heavy ski and shopping traffic, and the pass road is among the first to demand winter tyres or chains
Sant Julia de Loria: the route to the Spanish border crossing runs through here, where customs checks on duty-free goods can create queues
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Andorra keeps.
Common questions about driving in Andorra
Drive Andorra, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.