Peruvian Tourists Use Barcelona Buses to Reset Schengen Stays in Andorra

Rental buses from the Barcelona area have been spotted bringing groups of non-EU citizens, particularly from Peru, to Andorra for day trips primarily aimed at getting their passports stamped at Spanish border posts. The practice allows these visitors to record an exit and re-entry to the Schengen Area, resetting their stay counters and avoiding future administrative issues.

Eyewitness accounts, verified by *Altaveu*, indicate that in recent weeks these buses have arrived full, with passengers stopping mainly at Spanish police checkpoints to have their documents marked. While some may make purchases or grab refreshments in the Principat, the core purpose is to log the border crossing. Queues have formed at times, with 10 to 20 people waiting in sequence for the stamps.

This trend emerges amid broader challenges from the EU's upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES), which has already complicated hiring seasonal non-EU workers in Andorra this winter. The buses highlight creative efforts to stay compliant with Schengen rules, which track allowable stays—typically 90 days in any 180-day period.

Spanish police have not raised concerns about potential abuse of the system. However, full EES implementation is slated for April, pending final negotiations with the EU, Spain, and France on specifics for Andorra's borders. Andorra's position as a Schengen "island"—lacking internal borders but with external ones at its two entry points—raises fears of unmanageable queues if strict EU protocols are applied without adjustments.

Discussions continue to tailor controls and prevent disruptions, given the potential for severe congestion on both inbound and outbound routes. Authorities have not commented further on the bus trips or their implications.