Andorra isn't in the EU or Schengen, even though it uses the euro

Andorra isn’t in the European Union, and it trips people up because so much about it feels European. You pay in euros, you hear Catalan, Spanish and French on the same street, and the border can look like a formality. For a British visitor, though, the EU question plays out differently than it does for a Spaniard, because since Brexit you’re outside the EU too. What really counts is how you get in and how you get out.

How Andorra relates to the EU

Andorra Turisme says it plainly, the country is a member of neither the EU nor Schengen. What it has are agreements, which Spain’s Foreign Ministry lists in order. First came a customs union with the European Economic Community on 28 June 1990. Then a monetary agreement on 10 February 2011, which allowed it to use the euro officially and mint its own coins from 2014.

A third agreement isn’t signed yet. According to the Spanish ministry, Andorra has completed negotiations on an Association Agreement with the EU, and the Government has promised to put it to a referendum before signing. No date has been published. It’s the Andorran political story I’d keep an eye on, but for now none of it is in force. How those decisions get made is on Andorra’s government.

The euro without the EU

The euro has been legal tender since 2002, replacing the peseta and the French franc that were used side by side. Andorra uses it by agreement rather than membership. For you, paying works exactly as in Spain, but your UK card provider may charge differently for a country outside the EU, which I cover in Andorra’s currency.

Is Andorra in Schengen?

No, and for a British traveller this is the part that matters. gov.uk explains that you must travel through France or Spain to reach Andorra, so you have to follow Schengen passport rules even though Andorra isn’t in the area. Your passport needs an issue date less than 10 years before you arrive and an expiry date at least 3 months after you plan to leave Schengen.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry adds the other side of the coin. The moment you leave Andorra you’re back in Schengen, which is where non-EU visitors living outside the area have to satisfy its entry rules, the new Entry/Exit System included. In practice, expect border formalities in both directions, and read Andorra entry requirements before you book.

Four things that change on your trip

The first is customs. Coming back into France or Spain, what you’ve bought is subject to allowances, and gov.uk says you may have to pay taxes and duties on tobacco, spirits and luxury goods. It also warns that customs officers can impound excess tobacco and the vehicle carrying it.

The second is your phone. The European Commission says roam-like-at-home covers the EU, the EEA, Moldova and Ukraine, and no other countries. UK networks set their own roaming terms anyway, so check that Andorra is specifically included in yours.

The third is healthcare. gov.uk makes clear that British GHIC and EHIC cards are no use in Andorra, and that you need full travel and medical insurance. The details are in healthcare in Andorra.

The fourth is smaller but real. There are genuine customs posts in both directions, with the frontier open to travellers 24 hours a day, according to Spain’s Foreign Ministry. On busy days, those checks set the pace of the drive home.

Two knock-on effects people forget

Pets are one. gov.uk’s pet travel guidance says that to take a dog, cat or ferret from Great Britain into the EU you need a microchip, a rabies vaccination, with 21 full days after the first dose, and an animal health certificate signed by an official vet, which has to be used to enter the EU within 10 days. If you live in Great Britain, an EU pet passport won’t do. Andorra Turisme adds that animals from countries outside the EU and its short list of exceptions need an official health certificate. Everything’s pulled together in Andorra with a dog.

Cash is the other. Driving home through Spain, you must declare €10,000 or more at customs, according to the Spanish Tax Agency, just as you would coming from any country outside the EU.

What I’d have sorted before crossing

A passport that passes both Schengen date tests, insurance that covers Andorra by name, a roaming plan that includes it, and a shopping list within the allowances. With those in place, the border really is just a formality.