Andorra Winter Work Permits Hit 96.8% of Quota Amid Shift to EU Hires

Andorra's temporary work permits for the 2025-2026 winter season stood at 96.8% of the quota on 24 January, with 4,834 authorisations granted out of 4,995 approved by decree.

Of these, 1,123 went to EU nationals, reaching 97.4% of their allocation, broken down into 34 frontier workers and 1,119 non-frontier workers. Non-EU nationals received 3,711 permits, or 96.6% of their 3,842 quota. Statistics department data highlight shifting hiring patterns, driven in part by the EU's Entry/Exit system, which tracks non-EU nationals' entries and stays, prompting more reliance on EU workers.

Mid-season figures show a 2.3% overall decline from the prior year at the same point, with 113 fewer permits issued. Non-EU authorisations dropped 7.1% (285 fewer), while EU permits climbed 18.1% (172 more). In contrast, the full 2024-2025 season saw gains: EU up 1.6%, non-EU up 6.7%, and total up 5.7%.

Sectors with the lowest uptake remained travel agencies (25 permits), cleaning (77), and retail (104), while demand focused on ski slopes, ski rentals, and tourism services. Services accounted for 43.4% of roles, mainly restaurant waitstaff and shop assistants, followed by unskilled positions at 32.9%, including hotel room attendants, kitchen aides, and ski lift operators.

EU hiring rose 6.7% on ski slopes, 90.7% in ski rentals, and 20.5% in hotels. Non-EU hiring dipped 9% in hotels but edged up 0.2% on slopes. The total quota of 4,995 has stayed steady since 2023.