Many people have doubts when it comes to obtaining the nationality in the Andorran country and the requirements to acquire the right to obtain a nationality are different in each place.
In this article we will talk about what is necessary to obtain citizenship in Andorra and how this procedure works.
How to obtain citizenship in Andorra.
The first thing to take into account is that obtaining residence in the Principality does not imply obtaining Andorran nationality. In other words, residence and work permits do not grant the right to obtain the country’s passport.
Acquisition of citizenship is a lengthy and complex process in which the applicant’s current nationalities are expressly renounced during the 5 years following receipt of citizenship. Not to mention the requirements that must be met, which are listed below:
Andorran nationality for persons of full age
Those of legal age who may apply for Andorran nationality are:
- All those who after 3 years of residence in the country marry a citizen of Andorra.
- Any foreign person who has resided in Andorra for 15 years and has an Andorran grandparent.
- Any person who can prove that he/she has been living continuously in the country for 20 years.
- Any person able to prove 10 years of residence in Andorra, as well as the completion of compulsory studies in the country (from 6 to 16 years old).
Andorran nationality of origin for minors
On the other hand, minors are entitled to apply for an Andorran passport when:
- The minor was born in Andorra and one of his/her parents is Andorran.
- The minor was born abroad, but one of the parents was born in Andorra.
- A minor under 14 years of age is adopted by a local citizen or a foreign person residing in Andorra. In the latter case, this resident must have resided in the Principality for 10 years, otherwise the minor will receive a temporary passport.
- The minor born in Andorra and one of his parents was born in Andorra, being a resident, but does not have Andorran nationality.
- The minor born in Andorra of foreign parents and resident in Andorra.
- In the event that the child is born abroad accidentally proving this fact and fulfilling the requirements described above, the child is entitled to the nationality.
Whatever the case may be, when applying for Andorran nationality, it is essential to be a legal and effective resident of Andorra.
Likewise, when the applicant meets the requirements set forth in the Andorran Immigration Law, a provisional passport will be granted. From that moment on, the applicant has 5 years to take and pass an exam in Catalan language, history and geography. Documents certifying the renunciation of the current nationality must also be presented. Therefore, it is not possible to contemplate dual nationality.
Types of residences in Andorra
As we have already mentioned above, residence permit and citizenship of a country are totally different concepts. In fact, the residence permit may even be a requirement to become a citizen of a country.
This is the case of Andorra, since in order to obtain Andorran nationality, one of the requirements is to have resided uninterruptedly in the country for at least 20 years.
In the case of a marriage with a native Andorran, these 20 years will be reduced to only 3 years.
This leads us to inquire about the types of residency that we can find in the country and how they can help us to obtain the nationality.
Generally speaking, there are two types of residence: active and passive . Each one adapts to the needs of each person and offers different possibilities.
At Wit we can help you get it, contact us!
Active residence
The active residence permit is sought by those whose main objective is to work in the country, either as an employee or creating a business from scratch. In this case, a minimum of 6 months must be spent in the country.
Within this type of residences we find different permits depending on the nature of your work.
Self-employed residence. At this residence you can choose to start your own company or acquire some kind of participation of at least 20% in a local company.
The following requirements must also be met :
- Remain in the territory for 183 days per year.
- Assume a position in the company’s administration.
- Owning or renting a home.
- A certificate attesting to the absence of criminal record.
- Satisfactory medical report.
- The certificate of marital status.
- To have a deposit of 15.000 € and to deposit it at the Andorran Financial Authority as a cash deposit for the application of this residence.
Residence as an employee In this case, it is obtained by obtaining a job for an Andorran company or business. However, it should be noted that this requires a minimum of 2 years of experience in the position applied for.
The conditions for obtaining this residency are:
- Certificate evidencing the rental or purchase of a property in Andorra.
- Present a complete criminal record certificate, both from your country of origin and from other countries where you have lived.
- To have a satisfactory medical examination before the Immigration Department of Andorra.
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Certificate of marital status.
Passive residence
On the other hand, there is the passive residence, which is for those who do not have the final objective to work in Andorra, but to live there.
To obtain it, only 90 days of mandatory stay in the country per year are required. In addition, this residency will last for two years and can be extended.
We have three types of residences that can be adapted to your needs.
- Residence for investors. To do so, you must invest €400,000 in real estate selected by the government or deposit €600,000 in a bank fund in Andorra. In addition, applicants for this type of residency are required to have a minimum financial security.
- Residence for professionals with international projection. This type of certificate is for those cases in which the applicant’s company has its principal place of business in Andorra, but 85% of the income comes from outside the country.
- Residence for athletes, scientists or artists. For this type of residency, the main requirement is to be able to prove that the applicant belongs to one of the 3 groups mentioned above.
There are many options and requirements to study in order to obtain Andorran nationality. Whatever your case is, we can help you at Wit. With our team of professionals we will expedite the process and we will be able to process your residency or citizenship in the Principality.
