Building a house in Andorra

One country, seven parishes

Andorra is divided into seven parishes: Canillo, Encamp, Ordino, La Massana, Andorra la Vella, Sant Julià de Lòria and Escaldes-Engordany. Each has its own Comú, which approves the parish planning scheme and grants building permits. So the first question is not «can you build in Andorra?» but «what does this parish’s plan allow on this plot?».

Step 1: if you are a foreigner, the authorisation

Since Law 5/2025 on sustainable growth and the right to housing (Llei 5/2025, per al creixement sostenible i el dret a l'habitatge), foreign real-estate investment is more tightly regulated. A non-resident foreign investor needs prior authorisation from the Government and can only own:

• one plot of land or one detached house, or
• up to two apartments or studios, with a limited number of associated parking spaces and storerooms.

In addition, Law 3/2024 created the foreign real-estate investment tax, with a progressive rate according to the number of properties. In January 2026, Law 2/2026 was passed, extending these measures. The rules have changed several times in a short period: before buying, confirm the current wording with your advisor or with the Government.

Step 2: reading the plot

Before signing the purchase you need to know what can be built:

• Zoning in the parish planning scheme.
• Buildable area, site coverage and height.
• Slope and geotechnics. In Andorra, retaining walls and excavation can weigh heavily on the budget.
• Vehicle access, in winter too.
• Orientation. In a mountain valley, the hours of winter sun are not the same on both slopes.
• Natural hazards such as avalanches or rockfalls, which the planning identifies in some areas.

Step 3: the design and the architect

The law regulating the architecture profession in Andorra requires anyone practising in Andorra to be registered with the Col·legi Oficial d'Arquitectes d'Andorra. The design is submitted with the college’s approval stamp and the documents the Comú asks for. As with any new build, there is a basic design phase, which defines the house, and a construction design phase, which develops it for building.

Step 4: the Comú permit

With the design, you apply to the parish Comú for the building permit. The Comú checks that the house complies with its plan and bylaws, which in Andorra often include aesthetic conditions on roofs, façade materials and colours to keep it consistent with the mountain landscape.

Step 5: building in the mountains

A mountain house is built with other priorities:

• High-performance insulation and windows: winter is long.
• Roofs designed for snow loads.
• Buried walls that are well waterproofed and drained.
• Building season: at high altitude, winter shapes the schedule.
• Stone and timber, which here are the materials of the climate and the landscape.

How we support you

We help you from before the purchase: we read the plot, estimate what fits and what it will cost, and organise the design, the filing and the construction. The first visit is free. More in architecture in Andorra.