Andorra for athletes: real advantages of living, training and planning from the country

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🌄 An environment designed to protect and enhance an athletic career

More and more professional athletes are choosing Andorra as a stable base for their career. It is not simply a matter of taxation or a media trend: the country offers a set of benefits that very few European destinations can replicate.

The combination of real privacy, altitude favourable to performance, proximity to major cities, a predictable legal environment and an economic structure oriented towards athletes makes Andorra an exceptional choice for anyone who wants to protect their career, optimise their peak years and plan their long-term wealth strategically.

This article summarises the factors that explain why Andorra has become a privileged environment for high-level sports profiles.

In addition, athletes are not the only ones choosing the country. Discover also Why so many entrepreneurs move to Andorra, as many reasons are shared.

🔒 Privacy and quality of life: a balance that is hard to find

One of the aspects most valued by athletes living in Andorra is real privacy. The scale of the country, its socially discreet culture and the absence of media saturation allow for a completely normal life, without constant exposure or external pressure.

Unlike other destinations, residents — including top-tier profiles — can train, walk or go about their daily lives without interruptions. The peace and sense of security become an intangible but essential asset for mental well-being and stability during a professional career.

Several well-known figures already live in the country: football players, MotoGP riders, Dakar competitors, world-class cyclists and other motorsport athletes. The Andorran sports hub is increasingly relevant — and that is not a coincidence.

Additionally, leisure, restaurants, shopping and high-end services are all within extremely short distances, ensuring a comfortable life without long commutes or logistical stress.

🏔️ Altitude, climate and nature: an environment that improves performance

Andorra is located in a mountain environment whose altitude has a direct impact on sports performance. Spending extended periods in the country works, for many athletes, as a “natural hyperbaric chamber”: continued exposure to altitude stimulates the production of red blood cells and improves oxygen transport.

This environment is especially appreciated by endurance athletes, but it also benefits recovery and physical preparation in any discipline.

The climate is pleasant, with many sunny days, a stable winter and immediate access to natural spaces, trails, sports facilities, gyms and specialised medical centres.

If you want more information about the climate, you can read Climate in Andorra: pure air, four seasons and quality of life.

✈️ Strategic connections: Barcelona and Toulouse only two hours away

Despite being a mountain country, Andorra is exceptionally well connected:

• Barcelona, 2 hours by road
• Toulouse, 2 hours
• Andorra–La Seu Airport, with regular flights to Madrid and seasonal connections

If you want to know more, you can consult Andorra–La Seu Airport: history, improvements and future of the country’s air gateway.

This combination allows athletes to maintain an international sports life without giving up the privacy and calm of the country. Coaches, trainers, agents or family members can travel easily, and athletes can reach competitions, events or professional commitments quickly. Everything is within reach.

🏅 A sports-oriented and truly sports-friendly country

Andorra understands the athletic profile extremely well. The country has:

• High-performance specialised centres
• Fast and high-quality healthcare services
• Financial institutions accustomed to working with international athletes
• Top-level medical professionals
• A social and professional ecosystem that naturally integrates elite profiles

This institutional and economic environment is particularly favourable and makes administrative and operational life easier.

➤ To better understand the healthcare system, you may find useful Healthcare in Andorra: how it works and what it really covers, or the more specialised article Social security contributions for self-employed workers (CASS).

If you want to explore the types of residence permits available, you can read Types of residence in Andorra: all administrative categories.

🧩 Efficient structures: contracts, image rights and wealth planning

Andorra’s legal and tax framework allows for efficient organisation of:

• Image rights
• Contracts with clubs, sponsors or federations
• Corporate structures for exploitation
• Long-term wealth planning
• Relations with neighbouring jurisdictions (Spain, France) and international regulations
• Formation of holding or asset-management companies

Learn more in Holding companies in Andorra: taxation and main advantages.

Proper planning protects an athlete’s career during peak performance years and helps consolidate stable long-term wealth.

Andorra has no wealth tax, inheritance tax or gift tax, which makes long-term planning responsible and efficient. To understand the international context of this tax, read Wealth tax in Europe: where it exists and why Andorra is an exception.

In addition, the taxation of financial income is extremely favourable, allowing savings accumulated during a sports career to be reinvested with a very low tax impact. You can learn more in How financial income is taxed in Andorra.

🛍️ Consumption, shopping and taxation: a comfortable and advantageous environment

Living in Andorra also offers additional advantages:

• Reduced taxation on high-value goods (vehicles, watches, technology, property). See Taxation in Andorra.
• Efficient cost of everyday goods, thanks to an extremely low IGI (Andorran VAT). More information in VAT in Andorra: how the general indirect tax works (IGI).
• A large commercial offering concentrated in just a few kilometres

This combination of convenience, proximity and lower taxation significantly improves well-being and the athlete’s capacity to save.

And if that weren’t enough, Andorra allows visitors and residents to enjoy the tax-free regime, as it is outside the European Union. This means being able to make purchases worldwide without taxes.

🌐 Languages, integration and international banking

Andorra’s linguistic environment allows immediate integration:

• Almost the entire population speaks Spanish
• A very high percentage speaks French
• Many residents also speak English

Andorra also has a modern banking system fully integrated into SEPA, accustomed to international transactions, club or federation payments and complex income structures.

➤ To delve deeper, you can read Andorra’s banking system: banks, regulation and international presence.

And if you want to understand how SEPA works in the country, read SEPA in Andorra.

🎯 A better-planned future: security, performance and long-term strategy

For a professional athlete, a career is short and every decision matters. Having the best consultants and advisers by your side guarantees greater peace of mind, financial efficiency and, above all, time — the most valuable resource. If you are unsure whether you need a manager, an adviser or a consultant, you can learn the differences in our article Differences between managers, advisers and consultants: which one do you need?.

In this sense, Andorra offers an environment where performance improves, privacy is respected and long-term wealth can be built with clarity and maximum efficiency.

At ELYSIUM, we support athletes from many disciplines: we structure their income, protect their rights, plan their wealth, negotiate their contracts and optimise every decision with a long-term perspective.
Our role is clear: to ensure that the athlete lives better today and is better protected tomorrow. That effort, sacrifice and risk translate into the greatest possible benefit for them.

If you would like an assessment tailored to your professional and financial situation, you can book a confidential meeting or contact us using our form.

Last revision: November 2025