It may be a microstate in Europe, but by 2024 travelers from selected countries who wish to visit must have an ETIAS Andorra. The landlocked country sandwiched between Spain and France has remained an independent and sovereign state in Europe for many decades and remains one of the few Microstates in Europe. Due to its recognition of Schengen regulations, Andorra offers visa free access to visitors from selected countries just like other Schengen nations.
The country applies de facto Schengen zone policy and does not impose visa restrictions despite maintaining a different immigration system. One reason is that Andorra does not have an airport, so any visitor coming to the country must use the airport facility of France or Spain.
The consequence of this is that visitors must meet the Schengen rules of Spain or France to access Andorra; this is why Andorra maintains a de facto Schengen policy. Even if they have an airport in the future, planes will still have to get clearance to fly through the individual airspaces of both nations.
With the new ETIAS visa waiver regulations coming into force by 2024, travelers to Andorra must prepare themselves prepared, and this post explores the new system in detail and how to apply for it.
Andorra At A Glance
Officially called the Principality of Andorra, the microstate is not a member of the European Union but abides by agreements between the EU and microstates in Europe. A viable customs union between the EU and Andorra fosters trade relations, and the agreement came into force in 1990. So while Andorra is not an EU country, it is seen as such due to the current trade policy for manufactured goods, but it does not cover agricultural products.
Andorra uses the Euro after getting permission to do so from the EU, and it is truly a European country in every sense. The tourism industry is one of its major revenue earners, with skiers and mountain climbers visiting the ski slopes and mountain ranges in the state. One of the biggest ranges of them all is Grandvalira which has more than a hundred slopes for fun seekers.
There are also lovely settlements like La Massana and Ordina, where visitors can get up close and personal with the local culture. Visitors also visit Andorra for medical tourism, especially the thermal spa industry, with the largest thermal spa called Caldea being the largest in Europe.
Other thermal facilities exist to cater to the needs of visitors as well.
ETIAS Andorra
Once the ETIAS policy becomes active in all of the Schengen Area, Andorra will adopt it, and travelers coming to the microstate will need to show approval at any border crossing. This policy will not affect all travelers but those from visa free countries who already enjoy visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
This new policy was introduced by the EU Commission to streamline the immigration progress for visa free visitors and to ensure that the identity of every traveler is vetted so questionable characters will not be allowed into the region. ETIAS will be an electronic system that will scan the traveler’s identity and only approve their entry if they do not pose any medical or security risks to the continent
Travelers will not have to visit the embassy of Andorra or any of the other countries to obtain the visa. All they have to do is go online and fill out the application, and if their record is clean, they will be issued the ETIAS approval.
How To Apply For ETIAS Andorra?
Applying for ETIAS Andorra is relatively straightforward on VisaHQ. The process is easy and takes only 10 minutes or less due to the limited information and documents required. Here is how to complete the process.
Visit VisaHQ
Select Andorra as your primary destination
Select your country of citizenship
Choose Etias
Fill out the application form
Attach copies of the required documents
Pay the application fee
Submit for approval
Application Details
When filling out the application form, there are details you must provide, such as your
Full Name
Date of birth and place of birth
Passport information like the number, the date of issue, and the expiry
Contact Address and Email
Health and security information
The visa waiver fee is paid with a debit or credit card and is non refundable. The fee is €7 for travelers between 18-70 years old, but travelers above 70 and minors pay no fees. Once the form is submitted, a passport notification will be sent to your email address, and the same will happen once the application is approved.
Kindly note that ETIAS Andorra must be applied for at least 96 hours before visiting the microstate, so visit VisaHQ now to submit your application.