Andorra Approves 800 New Residence and Work Permits, Down 11% from Last Year

The Andorran Council of Ministers has approved a quota of 800 new residence and work authorisations, an 11% drop of 100 permits from last October's allocation, after a positive review from the Economic and Social Council earlier this week. The measure, now active, aims to match economic demands with controlled population growth, currently at 1.9% for the first quarter versus 2.6% last year.

This includes 624 permits for residents and 176 for cross-border workers, with room to expand by up to 30% to 1,040 if needed. Adjustments reduce availability: 64-65 from a prior March allocation for key sectors, plus 150 for athletes—10 per top-division football team, 20 for FC Andorra SAOE, 20 for BC Andorra SAOE, and 10 others—leaving about 550-585 for general use. Requirements stay the same, such as six years' experience for non-EEA applicants and Catalan language skills.

Government spokesman Guillem Casal said the figure balances employer needs with manageable expansion. Business leaders and unions voiced worries at CES meetings. Gerard Cadena of the Andorran Business Confederation (CEA) deemed it "very tight," risking shortages in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, and construction, and called for prompt expansions like before. The CEA anticipates openings around May 1. SEP union's Sergi Esteves highlighted pressures from new commercial centres, forecasting a 2,000-permit shortfall over two years without planning; he suggested tailored quotas, relaxed non-EEA retention rules, and ties between commercial and immigration limits. Minister Conxita Marsol indicated impacts would be handled in two years.

In parallel, the government passed Immigration Law changes to align with the EU border management agreement and Entry/Exit System (EES). A key addition is a temporary conditional residence and work permit for third-country applicants who meet all local standards except security checks by Spain or France, expected within about 20 days. This provisional status allows stay and employment pending results: positive outcomes confirm full permits; negative ones revoke them automatically, requiring departure—even after 90 Schengen days.

Casal stressed the setup speeds processing without disrupting activity, limits data sharing to essentials, and mirrors Schengen standards on entries, short stays, and alerts. Andorrans, EU residents, and permit holders remain EES-exempt. He confirmed isolated improper EES checks on Andorrans, now correctable through set procedures, after the Foreign Affairs ministry sent advance notes to EU states. The bill heads to the General Council for approval.