ANDORRA
The little-known Principality of Andorra is nestled high in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Andorra has never had any personal taxes. Its residents enjoy an excellent quality of life, in a clean environment. Safety is one of Andorra’s key features, as there is virtually no crime. Andorra is also known for its excellent school facilities.
Andorra is often compared to Monaco, but Andorra offers much more spacious living at a much lower cost. One of the larger ‘micro-states’ in Europe, Andorra has a land area of 468 sq km, about two and a half times the size of Washington D.C. Its population is around 85,000. The Principality is an attractive residence base in Europe. Andorra is not part of the European Union, nor is it a signatory to the Schengen agreement, but residents of Andorra have an automatic right of visa-free transit through France and Spain.
Tourism accounts for over 80% of Andorra's economy, though it has a growing financial services sector and has recently passed new laws that make the country much more attractive to foreign investors.
Basically there are two ways to qualify for residence in Andorra:
- Investment of at least EUR 400,000 per family in property, bonds, or shares in an Andorran company. In this case the family has full rights of residence, but no right to work or run a business in Andorra. Of course, one can still do business outside Andorra. There is a legal obligation to spend at least 90 days per year in Andorra. The investment requirement may be waived completely in the case of artists, performers etc.
- Business: In this case there is no investment requirement, but the immigrant must set up and run an active business from within Andorra. The business must obtain at least 85% of its income from outside Andorra, and pay a 10% tax on profits, for which tax treaty benefits are available. Employees including the directors are also subject to Andorran social security charges, and of course they receive healthcare benefits in return for this. There is no income tax on salaries from the business.
We consider both immigration categories are attractive: the investment is ideal for high net worth individuals looking for a quiet, safe lifestyle with their families, while the Business category is new and opens up substantial opportunities for tax planning in a European and global context.
NTL has a local presence in Andorra via our associated company Andorra-Business.com For information and assistance please contact any NTL International office or contact Andorra directy.