Driving in Andorra with a Kazakhstan Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A valid Kazakhstan driving licence can be used in Andorra when it qualifies under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Andorra states that a foreign permit is valid for driving there for six months. A separate International Driving Permit (IDP) is not legally required when the national licence itself meets the Convention conditions, but rental-company language rules can create a practical problem.
Quick answer
| Question | Status |
|---|
| Licence recognition | Yes, if the valid Kazakhstan licence conforms to the 1968 Vienna Convention requirements for domestic permits |
| Vehicle categories | Only the categories shown as valid on the licence and recognised under the Convention framework |
| IDP legal status | Not legally required when the national licence itself qualifies for recognition under the 1968 Vienna Convention |
| IDP recommendation | Depends on practical or rental requirements. No Andorran official recommendation specific to Kazakhstan was verified |
| IDP model | 1968 Vienna Convention model if an IDP is used |
| Translation | Depends on licence format and the context. A separate visitor translation requirement specific to Kazakhstan was not verified |
| Visitor period | Andorra states that the validity period for driving with a foreign permit is six months |
| Rental requirements | Company-specific. Europcar Andorra requires the national licence and may require an international licence for language or character issues |
| Police or authority documents | unverified – confirm with official authority |
| Insurance | unverified – confirm with official authority |
| Key exception | Kazakhstan police stated in 2025 that International Driving Permits are not currently issued in Kazakhstan |
Legal treatment of a Kazakhstan licence in Andorra
Kazakhstan and Andorra are separate sovereign countries. Both are parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, with the Convention entering into force for Andorra on 25 September 2025. Under the Convention framework, Andorra recognises qualifying domestic permits issued by another contracting party. Recognition is limited to the vehicle categories for which the permit is valid.
Andorra announced in December 2024 that the period during which a foreign driving permit is valid for driving in the country was reduced from one year to six months. The government source expresses this as six months rather than a fixed number of days.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
For a Kazakhstan national licence that itself meets the Vienna Convention requirements, an IDP is not an additional legal prerequisite under that Convention. If an IDP is used for this Convention relationship, the relevant model is the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. No Andorran government source checked for this page gave a Kazakhstan-specific official recommendation to carry one.
There is an important practical constraint: the Almaty Police Department stated in 2025 that Kazakhstan does not currently issue IDPs and warned that documents sold by unauthorised private organisations have no legal force. This makes it especially important to check any rental-company demand for an IDP before booking.
Visitor and resident rules
The verified Andorran rule is a six-month validity period for driving with a foreign permit. Because the official wording is in months, no fixed day count is stated here. A Kazakhstan licence holder staying beyond the period should not assume the visitor rule continues indefinitely.
For exchange of a foreign permit, Andorra requires additional documentation from holders of licences issued outside the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the European microstates, including evidence of licence authenticity and category equivalence. The published procedure also requires a sworn translation when submitted documentation is not in French, English or Spanish, unless the permit is in the European format. The exact exchange outcome for every Kazakhstan licence category was not verified.
Rental-car requirements
Rental policy is separate from Andorran driving law. Europcar Andorra says renters must present their normal national driving licence. It also says an international driving licence is mandatory where the national licence is written in a language different from that of the renting country and/or uses characters that cannot be read there. The international document must accompany, not replace, the national licence.
Because Kazakhstan police says IDPs are not currently issued domestically, confirm the specific Andorra rental location's acceptance of your Kazakhstan licence before prepaying. No claim is made that Europcar's policy represents every rental company.
Police documents and insurance
Andorra-specific roadside document requirements beyond a valid recognised driving licence were not established from the authoritative sources checked for this pair. unverified – confirm with official authority
No Andorra-specific insurance rule making an IDP necessary for a Kazakhstan licence holder was verified. unverified – confirm with official authority
Relevant exceptions
Convention recognition depends on the licence being valid, fitting the Convention requirements and covering the vehicle category being driven. Rental firms may impose documentation rules that are stricter than the legal recognition rule. Resident exchange is a separate administrative process and can require authenticity, category-equivalence and translation documents.
Official sources used
Practical recommendation
Travel with the original valid Kazakhstan licence and check that its details and categories are clear. If renting, contact the exact Andorra branch before booking and ask whether it will accept the Kazakhstan licence without an IDP. Do not buy a purported Kazakhstan IDP from an unauthorised private seller, because Kazakhstan police says such documents have no legal force.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-10-02.