Driving in Andorra with a Belgium Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A visitor can use an eligible valid Belgian driving licence in Andorra under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. For a domestic permit conforming to Annex 6, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required and the Convention does not require a separate translation. Recognition covers only the vehicle categories shown on the licence and lasts under the Convention until Andorra becomes the holder's place of normal residence.
Quick answer for Belgian licence holders
Belgium and Andorra are both parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention. Its current driving-permit rule requires Andorra to recognise qualifying domestic permits issued by another contracting party, so the domestic Belgian licence is the key document for an eligible visitor rather than an IDP.
Legal treatment of a Belgian licence in Andorra
Belgium ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 16 November 1988. Andorra acceded on 25 September 2024, with the Convention entering into force for Andorra on 25 September 2025. Article 41 provides for recognition of a valid domestic permit conforming to Annex 6 when issued by another contracting party. Recognition is limited to the vehicle categories covered by the permit and does not extend to learner-driver permits.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
An IDP is not legally required where the Belgian domestic permit itself qualifies for recognition under Article 41. The Convention separately recognises an international permit conforming to Annex 7 when presented with the corresponding domestic permit. If an IDP is obtained for this treaty framework, the relevant model is the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. No Andorra-specific government recommendation telling Belgian visitors to obtain an IDP despite recognition of their domestic permit was verified. Belgian official guidance does state more generally that an IDP can reduce inconvenience when driving abroad in countries where English is not commonly spoken.
Visitor and resident rules
The Convention does not express the Belgian visitor rule as a fixed number of days. It states that driving permits issued by one contracting party are recognised in another contracting party until that territory becomes the holder's place of normal residence. For that reason no fixed max_visitor_days value is stated here. Once Andorra becomes the driver's place of normal residence, the visitor recognition rule should not be relied upon. The Government of Andorra publishes procedures for homologating foreign driving permits, including direct homologation where available and a procedure involving an examination where the relevant conditions apply.
Rental-car requirements
Legal recognition of the Belgian licence does not guarantee that every rental company will accept exactly the same documents. No named rental-company policy was verified for this pair, so company-specific requirements such as an IDP, minimum age or minimum period of licence holding should be checked directly before booking or vehicle collection.
Police documents and insurance
The Convention supports recognition of the qualifying driving permit, but the checked sources did not establish a sufficiently specific Andorran list of every document that a Belgian visitor must produce during a roadside check. Those additional document requirements are unverified – confirm with official authority. Specific insurance consequences or conditions tied to the Belgian licence were also not verified, so no claim is made that an IDP changes insurance validity.
Relevant exceptions and limits
The permit must remain valid and only authorises the categories it covers. Learner-driver permits are excluded from the Convention recognition rule. The Convention also permits contracting parties to refuse recognition for drivers under 18 and, for specified C, D, CE and DE categories, for drivers under 21. Conditions recorded on a licence, including conditions connected with a disability, must also be observed where applicable.
Official sources used
- United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968, used to verify the treaty status of Belgium and Andorra and Andorra's entry-into-force date, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?chapter=11&mtdsg_no=XI-B-19&src=TREATY, checked 2026-10-02
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Convention on Road Traffic 1968, used for the Article 41 driving-permit recognition rules and Annex 6 and Annex 7 framework, https://unece.org/DAM/trans/conventn/crt1968e.pdf, checked 2026-10-02
- Government of Andorra Electronic Office, Homologació directa d'un permís de conduir estranger, used to verify the existence of Andorra's direct foreign-permit homologation procedure, https://www.e-tramits.ad/tramits/ca/homologacio-directa-dun-permis-de-conduir-estranger/p/GV000297, checked 2026-10-02
- Government of Andorra Electronic Office, Homologació d'un permís de conduir estranger amb examen, used to verify the alternative foreign-permit homologation procedure and its stated legal framework, https://www.e-tramits.ad/tramits/ca/homologacio-dun-permis-de-conduir-estranger-amb-examen/p/GV001716, checked 2026-10-02
- Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs, Driving licence guidance, used for the general Belgian official statement that an IDP can minimise inconvenience when driving abroad in countries where English is not commonly spoken, https://singapore.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/consular-services/driving-licence, checked 2026-10-02
Practical recommendation
For a short visit, use the original valid Belgian licence and make sure its category covers the vehicle being driven. The 1968 Convention does not require an IDP in addition to an Annex 6-compliant domestic permit. An IDP can still be carried as an additional practical document, particularly if a rental company requests one, but that is distinct from the treaty-based legal requirement. Residents should check Andorra's homologation process promptly.
Last verified
This Belgium-to-Andorra licence and IDP information was checked against the sources listed above on 2026-10-02. Driving-permit, residency and rental requirements can change, so company-specific rental terms and resident procedures should be rechecked when relevant.