Driving in Andorra with a Nepal Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A Nepal driving licence is not automatically recognised merely because it was issued in Nepal. Andorra recognises non-EU and non-EFTA national licences that meet specified Geneva or Vienna Convention formats, and qualifying 1949 or 1968 International Driving Permits (IDPs) when accompanied by the national licence. Whether the standard Nepal licence meets the prescribed national-licence format could not be verified from an authoritative Nepal source.
Quick answer
The legal position is conditional. A Nepal licence can qualify if it conforms to a national-licence model accepted by Andorra. Alternatively, Andorran rules recognise qualifying 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna IDPs accompanied by the original national licence. The exact IDP model officially issued or available to Nepal licence holders was not verified.
Legal treatment of a Nepal licence in Andorra
Article 14 of Andorra's current driving-permit regulation recognises national licences from countries outside the EU and EFTA when they conform to Annex 9 of the Geneva Convention or Annex 6 of the Vienna Convention, or differ only through additional headings. The available authoritative Nepal material did not establish that a standard Nepal licence satisfies either prescribed model, so recognition of the Nepal document alone should not be assumed.
IDP requirement, recommendation and model
Andorra recognises international permits from non-EU and non-EFTA countries that conform to Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 7 of the 1968 Vienna Convention. Such an IDP must accompany the holder's national licence and does not independently authorise driving. Because the conformity of the Nepal national licence and the exact IDP model available from Nepal were not authoritatively verified, the IDP requirement for this pair is recorded as dependent on the documentation used. An official Andorran recommendation specifically directed to Nepal licence holders was not found.
Visitor and resident rules
The current regulation does not state a fixed visitor maximum in Article 14 that can safely be stored as a universal number of days for this pair. Residents are treated differently. A qualifying foreign licence generally remains valid for no more than six months after the holder obtains habitual residence, subject to the regulation's conditions, while Article 15 requires applicable foreign-licence exchanges before one year has elapsed. Temporary residents are also subject to a six-month condition from obtaining temporary residence.
Rental-car requirements
No named rental-company policy was verified for a Nepal licence holder in Andorra. Rental eligibility should therefore be checked separately from the legal recognition rules. A company may ask for documentation beyond the minimum required to drive legally.
Police documents and insurance
Andorra's regulation requires drivers to possess and carry their driving permit, necessary complementary authorisations and required vehicle documents, all valid and current, and to present them to competent authority agents when requested. A pair-specific insurance condition for a Nepal licence holder was not verified, so insurance is unverified – confirm with official authority.
Relevant exceptions
Licence categories remain subject to the categories authorised by the recognised document and Andorra's corresponding age and category conditions. For resident homologation, the Registre de Permisos de Conduir may request evidence from a competent body confirming authenticity and validity, including a certificate translated into Andorra's official language and endorsed by the relevant embassy. Reciprocity can also affect the tests required during homologation.
Official sources used
- Portal Jurídic d'Andorra, Decree 226/2025 and the Regulation on driving permits, checked 2026-10-03, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B. This verifies recognised foreign national and international permits, resident conditions, exchange rules, document-carrying duties and homologation procedures.
- Government of Andorra, accession announcement concerning the Vienna Conventions, checked 2026-10-03, https://www.govern.ad/ca/w/el-govern-aprova-l-adhesio-als-convenis-de-viena-per-facilitar-el-reconeixement-dels-permisos-de-conduir-1. This provides official background on Andorra's accession.
- United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968, checked 2026-10-03, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?clang=_en&objid=080000028003745e. This verifies Andorra's accession on 25 September 2024 and entry into effect for Andorra on 25 September 2025.
- Nepal Department of Transport Management, driving licence and vehicle registration system, checked 2026-10-03, https://dotm.gov.np/pages/driving-license-and-vehicle-registration-system-1/. This confirms the official Nepal driving-licence administration source but did not establish the licence's conformity with the Andorran-recognised convention models or an IDP model for this journey.
Practical recommendation
Confirm with the Andorran transport authority that your exact Nepal licence format is recognised before relying on it alone. If you can obtain a genuine IDP conforming to a model accepted by Andorra, carry it together with the original Nepal licence. If renting, confirm the company's own licence and IDP requirements separately before collection.
Last verified date
This information was checked against the listed sources on 2026-10-03. Driving-licence, residence and rental requirements can change, so recheck the official rules before travel.