Andorra Cuts Work Permit Quota by 11% to 800 Amid Business Pushback

The Andorran government approved a new quota of 800 authorizations for residence and work permits, as well as cross-border work permits, on Wednesday. This represents an 11% reduction, or 100 fewer slots, compared to the previous quota validated last October.

Spokesperson Guillem Casal described the measure as a balance between business needs and sustainable growth. He noted that population growth has slowed to 1.9% by the end of the first quarter, down from 2.6% last year, allowing the country to maintain quality of life while providing essential services.

From the total, 624 authorizations are allocated for residents and 176 for cross-border workers. However, around 60 to 65 have already been granted through an advance approved in March for professions that exhausted prior quotas. An additional 150 are reserved exclusively for professional athletes: 10 each for the 10 teams in the Primera Divisió of the Andorran football league, 20 for FC Andorra, 20 for MoraBanc (formerly BC Andorra), and 10 for other sports. This leaves approximately 550 to 585 authorizations available for general business hiring.

Business leaders, including Confederació Empresarial Andorrana (CEA) president Gerard Cadena, called the quota insufficient amid strong demand in sectors like tourism, hospitality, restaurants, and construction. Cadena warned it would strain the labor market further and urged flexibility, such as guaranteed expansions if slots run out early, as occurred previously.

The quota, which received a favorable opinion from the Consell Econòmic i Social (CES) earlier this week under Minister Conxita Marsol, remains expandable by up to 30%, potentially reaching 1,040. Requirements stay unchanged: non-EU workers, including athletes, need six years of prior experience, with more flexible rules for EU/EEA nationals. Unused athlete slots could shift to the general quota, but not vice versa.