Andorra-Spain Agree to Border Deal Skipping Routine EES Checks from 2026

Andorra and Spain confirmed bilateral negotiations will start in early 2026 to roll out a border management agreement sparing the Principat from routine Entry/Exit System (EES) checks at their shared frontier, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced during Thursday's meeting in Madrid with Andorran counterpart Imma Tor.

The agreement, enabled by prior EU talks, will retain random border inspections while shifting to advance security checks for residence permits through Schengen databases. These screens target overstay risks and public safety threats, with two alert levels: one for exceeded Schengen stays and another for broader security concerns. Officials stressed no queues or disruptions to daily cross-border movement for residents, workers, and tourists are expected. Spain will launch EES at the Andorra border in April 2026, matching the EU's 9-10 April deadline after yielding to Andorran requests to delay from an earlier February plan. This timing avoids winter tourism impacts.

Andorran Interior Minister Ester Molné, speaking Friday to parliamentary committees alongside Tor, outlined immigration adjustments including provisional work permits during extended EU vetting—pending approval via upcoming law changes. Andorran nationals and legal residents remain exempt from EES when traveling in the EU, prompting a planned information campaign with formal notes to countries to prevent airport issues.

The Madrid talks reviewed wider ties, with Tor thanking Spain's support for Andorra's EU association agreement. Albares reaffirmed Madrid's push for consensus on its legal framework and endorsed cross-border projects like the Organyà special economic zone as an anti-depopulation tool. Both backed a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), with Andorra eyeing Occitania's involvement; Albares pledged fresh momentum. He invited Andorra to Spain's 2026 Ibero-American Summit on 4-5 November and both sides welcomed his potential official visit next year to seal pending accords. The Andorran embassy in Madrid held events for the local community and diplomats.

On immigration enforcement, Molné reported 1,452 checks since July yielded 11 work permit revocations for "false border workers"—permit holders mainly employed in La Seu d'Urgell—with 64 statements taken and 54 cases ongoing. These steps address population pressures on neighbors while sustaining ties with Catalonia's government and La Seu d'Urgell authorities. Broader measures include tightened quotas, permit restrictions, and repatriation protocols for non-EU nationals with revoked status, to be detailed in bilateral pacts with Spain and France. As of 18 December, 4,445 authorizations had been issued versus 4,656 in 2024.