Buying property in Andorra: the process, step by step

Buying a home in Andorra follows the civil-law pattern familiar from Spain and France, with two differences that matter: there is no state land registry, and a buyer who is not Andorran or a long-standing resident needs the Government's authorisation before the deed. Taxes and fees are in Taxes and costs of buying in Andorra.

Who is involved

• The agency. Most homes are sold through an estate agency, which usually acts for the seller and is paid by the seller.
• The notary. The notary (notari) prepares and authorises the deed, checks the title and charges, collects the taxes due at signing and is the central professional in the transaction. The buyer usually chooses the notary.
• A lawyer (advocat). Not compulsory, but useful for reviewing the deposit agreement, for a new build bought off plan, or when you do not read Catalan.
• The bank, if you take a mortgage: it values the property and signs the mortgage deed at the same notary appointment.
• The comú, the parish council, which keeps the parish cadastre and records the change of owner.
• The Government's foreign-investment service, if you need the foreign-investment authorisation (see Buying in Andorra as a foreigner).

The process step by step

1. The offer

You make an offer through the agency, in writing or by email. An accepted offer does not bind either side until the deposit agreement is signed.

2. The deposit agreement (contracte d'arres)

Buyer and seller sign a deposit agreement, the contracte d'arres, which fixes the price, the items included (parking space, storage room, furniture), the date by which the deed must be signed and the conditions, such as obtaining a mortgage or the foreign-investment authorisation. The deposit is commonly 10% of the price, paid to the seller or into the agency's client account. Under the usual arrangement, if you withdraw you lose the deposit, and if the seller withdraws they return it twice over.

If you need a mortgage or the authorisation, the agreement should say what happens to the deposit if either is refused.

3. Checks

Andorra has no state land registry of the kind Spain and France keep. Ownership is proved by the chain of notarial deeds and by the comú's cadastre. The notary checks the seller's title deed, any mortgages or other charges, and the property's situation in the cadastre, and confirms that the comú's taxes are paid. Check the community of owners' accounts and planned works yourself (see below).

4. The foreign-investment authorisation

If you are not an Andorran national and have not been resident for the required period, you must obtain the Government's foreign-investment authorisation before the deed can be signed. The notary or a lawyer usually prepares the application. Since 2024 a separate tax on foreign real-estate investment also applies. Both are covered in Buying in Andorra as a foreigner.

5. The deed (escriptura)

You and the seller, or your representatives under a power of attorney, sign the deed of sale before the notary. The balance of the price is paid at signing, usually by banker's draft or bank transfer, and the transfer tax and the notary's fees are paid at the same time. If you take a mortgage, the mortgage deed is signed immediately after. You receive the keys at signing unless the deposit agreement says otherwise.

6. Recording at the comú

The notary notifies the transfer, and the comú records you as the new owner in the parish cadastre. From then on the comú's yearly taxes are billed to you. Transfer the electricity (FEDA) and water (comú) contracts into your name.

How long it takes

For a resident buyer paying cash, four to eight weeks from accepted offer to deed is typical (2026). A mortgage adds the bank's valuation and approval, usually a few weeks. The foreign-investment authorisation takes several weeks on its own, so a non-resident buyer should plan for two to three months or more.

Mortgages

Andorran banks lend to residents and to non-residents. As a rough guide, residents borrow up to 60 to 80% of the bank's valuation and non-residents less, over terms of up to 25 to 30 years (2026). The bank values the property itself, and it lends against the valuation, not the price, so a valuation below the price means a larger deposit from you. Expect to open an account with the lending bank and document your income and the source of your funds. Mortgage costs are listed in Taxes and costs of buying in Andorra.

What to check in a flat

• Community fees. Ask for the monthly or quarterly community fee, the latest accounts and the minutes of recent owners' meetings. Minutes show planned works, such as a new roof, a lift or façade repairs, that may bring an extra levy.
• Heating and energy. Many buildings have communal oil or gas heating shared out by meter or by share; others have individual electric heating or heat pumps. Ask for last winter's bills: at altitude, heating is a significant cost. Ask whether an energy certificate exists for the home.
• Parking and storage. In Andorra a parking space and a storage room (traster) are usually separate units with their own cadastral entry, their own deed item and their own comú tax. Check whether the price includes them, how many are included and whether they are in the same building.
• Licences. For an extension or a converted attic, check with the comú that the works were authorised.
• Tourist use. To let to tourists, check the rules first; see Renting in Andorra.

New build or resale

A new build bought from the developer pays IGI, the Andorran indirect tax, at 4.5% instead of the 4% transfer tax on a resale (2026). Off-plan purchases are paid in stages; ask how your payments are guaranteed before completion, what the delivery date is and what the developer's warranty covers. A resale can be seen as it is, with its running costs known, but may need work on heating, windows or insulation. In the resort parishes many flats were built for holidays and may be smaller and less insulated.

Where to look

Prices and stock differ widely between the seven parishes. The price guide and the market page show current asking prices by parish, and each parish has a guide: Andorra la Vella, Escaldes-Engordany, Encamp, Canillo, La Massana, Ordino and Sant Julià de Lòria. To search, start with flats for sale in Andorra or a parish, for example homes for sale in La Massana.

Laws and taxes change. This guide is general information, not legal advice: check with a notary or an adviser before you sign.