Family reunification in Andorra: requirements, recent changes and income thresholds

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🏁 Context and purpose of family reunification

Family reunification allows legal residents in Andorra to live with their direct relatives — spouse, children, or ascendants — provided they can prove sufficient income and adequate housing.

The goal is to preserve family unity while ensuring that the presence of dependents does not create a burden on the State.

This procedure is regulated under the Qualified Immigration Law 9/2012, as amended by the Law 5/2025 of 6 March (Omnibus Law), and implemented by Decree 256/2025, which approves the new Immigration Service Regulation.
The same Omnibus Law also introduced important changes in taxation and foreign investment, explained in Omnibus Law: a paradigm shift in foreign investment and housing policy in Andorra (2025).

⚖️ Changes introduced by the Omnibus Law

Before 2025, the family reunification process had different waiting periods and conditions depending on the resident’s nationality:

• Nationals of Spain, France or Portugal could reunite family members after three months of residence.
• All other foreign nationals had to wait twelve months.

With the Law 5/2025 (Art. 38), this distinction has been completely abolished. Any person with a valid residence and work permit can now reunite family members after only three months of legal, effective and permanent residence in the Principality.

The law also redefines the concept of a dependent person and updates the economic and cohabitation requirements, harmonising them with the 2025 Regulation.
This reform strengthens the appeal of Andorra’s immigration system, as detailed in Types of residence in Andorra: active, passive and professional.

👨‍👩‍👧 Who can apply for family reunification

According to Article 103 of the Qualified Immigration Law, the following may apply for family reunification:

• Andorran nationals residing in the Principality.
• Foreign residents with a valid residence and work permit, after three consecutive months of legal residence.

The following family members may be reunited:

• The spouse or stable partner.
• Minor children, whether biological or of the spouse, under legal custody.
• Adult children who are dependent and under legal guardianship.
• Ascendants who are dependent, over 65 or retired.

This regime is particularly relevant for individuals seeking long-term or permanent residence in Andorra.

If you are not yet familiar with the differences between tax residence and administrative residence, you can read Tax residency in Andorra: requirements and real advantages

💶 Economic requirements

To obtain the authorisation, the resident must demonstrate sufficient financial means to support themselves and the reunited family members without relying on public assistance.

The Immigration Service Regulation (Art. 15.3) establishes reference thresholds based on the Andorran minimum wage, currently set at €1,447.33 (see the official minimum wage published in the 2025 BOPA:

• Adult (sponsor or dependent): 100 % of the minimum wage → €1,447.33
• Minor: 70 % of the minimum wage → €1,013.13

Therefore, to reunite one minor child, the sponsor must prove stable income of at least €2,460 per month (100 % + 70 %).

This requirement ensures that family reunification applies to financially independent families who are genuinely integrated into the Andorran labour market.

🧮 How income is calculated

The regulation allows both partners’ incomes to be combined if each holds a valid residence and work permit, provided they jointly authorise it before the Immigration Service (Art. 15.3.c of the Regulation).

Example: if one parent earns €1,800 and the other €1,200, both with residence and work permits, their incomes can be combined to reach the minimum threshold.
In this case, reuniting one minor child requires meeting 170 % of the minimum wage.

This flexible approach aligns with recent measures aimed at supporting resident integration and financial stability.

🏠 Other requirements

In addition to financial sufficiency, the sponsor must prove:

• Adequate housing (rented, owned, or with written consent from the property owner).
• Health insurance for the reunited family members. If one parent contributes to the CASS and the child is registered as a dependent, no additional insurance is required.
• Effective cohabitation and no criminal record.

To better understand the Andorran social security system and its health coverage, see The CASS in Andorra: contributions, coverage and key facts for 2025.

💼 What about passive residents?

Passive residents — those without economic activity — do not follow a standard “family reunification” process but rather an inclusion of dependents under their residence authorisation.

This mechanism, regulated in Articles 97 and 98 of the Qualified Immigration Law, allows a spouse, partner or dependent children to become beneficiaries of the same authorisation, provided the cohabitation and solvency requirements are met.

In this case, they are referred to as dependents (passive residence) rather than reunited persons, even though the legal effect is the same: lawful residence in Andorra under the sponsor’s financial responsibility.

The economic thresholds, however, are significantly higher:

• Active resident: 100 % per adult / 70 % per minor.
• Passive resident: 300 % of the minimum wage for the holder + 100 % for each dependent.
• Minimum investment: €600,000 in Andorran assets (Law 5/2025).
• Effective presence: at least 90 days per year in Andorra.

💡 Example:
A passive resident with a spouse and one minor child must prove:

• 300 % of the minimum wage (€4,341.99) for the holder,
• +100 % for the spouse (€1,447.33),
• +100 % for the child (€1,447.33).
  ➡️ Total minimum: €6,236.65 per month, in addition to the mandatory €600,000 investment and required deposits.

This regime is explained in more detail in Passive residence in Andorra: requirements, benefits and obligations

🧭 In summary

Active residents, whether employees or self-employed, may reunite their relatives after three months of legal residence, provided they demonstrate income equal to 100 % of the minimum wage for themselves and 70 % for each minor dependent.

Passive residents, meanwhile, may include family members as dependents under their authorisation but must meet much stricter requirements: at least 300 % of the minimum wage for the holder, plus 100 % per dependent, and maintain a minimum investment of €600,000 in Andorran assets.

Before the Omnibus Law, the waiting period for reunification was twelve months for non-EU residents and three months for EU citizens, but the 2025 reform has unified the criteria, modernising Andorra’s immigration framework and simplifying procedures.

Today, both active and passive residents benefit from a clear and objective system for legally reuniting or including family members, reinforcing Andorra’s legal coherence and facilitating the integration of families choosing the Principality as their long-term home.

👉 If you’d like to know which residence option best fits your situation — active, passive or professional — you can book a personalised consultation below or complete the contact form.

Last review date: November 2025