Driving in Andorra with a Nicaragua Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A Nicaragua driving licence can be used directly in Andorra only if it meets an accepted foreign-licence format under Andorran law. Andorra also accepts qualifying 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna International Driving Permits (IDPs) when accompanied by the national licence. The current Nicaragua licence format and the exact IDP model officially available to Nicaragua licence holders could not be authoritatively verified, so the IDP position depends on the documents held.
Quick answer
Andorra recognises foreign national licences conforming to Geneva Convention Annex 9 or Vienna Convention Annex 6, including documents differing only through supplementary entries. It separately recognises qualifying Geneva Annex 10 and Vienna Annex 7 IDPs with the original national licence. Do not assume that a Nicaragua licence automatically satisfies one of those formats without checking the actual document.
Legal treatment of a Nicaragua licence in Andorra
Article 14 of Andorra's current driving-permit regulation lists national permits from other countries as valid when issued in conformity with Annex 9 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention, or when they differ from those models only through additional entries. The authoritative sources checked did not establish that the current Nicaragua licence format satisfies this test. Direct use of the national licence is therefore conditional on its conformity with an accepted model rather than on nationality alone.
IDP requirement and accepted models
Andorran law recognises international permits issued in accordance with Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention and Annex 7 of the 1968 Vienna Convention when they are accompanied by the holder's national licence and used for the authorised categories. An IDP does not replace the original licence. The exact Convention model that an authorised Nicaragua issuer can currently provide was not verified, so travellers should not obtain an unofficial document merely labelled as an international driving permit.
Visitor and resident rules
The current regulation does not express the ordinary visitor rule as a fixed number of tourist days, so no fixed maximum is stored for visitors. A specific limit applies after residence begins. For holders with habitual residence or a temporary residence permit in Andorra, the relevant foreign permit is valid only while it remains valid and unrestricted, the holder satisfies Andorran age and experience requirements for the equivalent category, and no more than six months have passed since residence was obtained. The regulation also provides for changing qualifying foreign permits to an Andorran permit.
Rental-car requirements
No named rental-company policy was verified for this origin and destination combination. A rental company may impose documentation, age, licence-holding-period or IDP conditions under its own contract even where a document is legally recognised for driving. Confirm the requirements with the company that will actually supply the vehicle.
Documents for authorities and insurance
Andorra's Circulation Code requires the driver to carry a valid driving permit, the vehicle registration certificate, proof that the vehicle insurance is current and, where applicable, the vehicle inspection certificate, and to show these documents when requested by traffic authorities. A recognised IDP must be accompanied by the original national licence. Foreign vehicles must have insurance covering at least the liabilities required for vehicles registered in Andorra.
Relevant exceptions and limits
The decisive issue for a Nicaragua national licence is its conformity with an accepted licence model. Recognition is also limited to the categories authorised by the relevant permit. Residents face additional validity, age, experience and six-month residence conditions. No Nicaragua-specific bilateral recognition exception was verified in the sources checked.
Official sources used
- Andorra Legal Portal, Regulation of 2 July 2025 on driving permits and complementary administrative authorisations, especially Articles 14 and 15, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B, checked 2026-10-03.
- Andorra Legal Portal, Law 12/2021 Circulation Code, especially Articles 87 to 90 and 98, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012, checked 2026-10-03.
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic status, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsV.aspx?Temp=mtdsg5&chapter=11&clang=_en&mtdsg_no=XI-B-1&src=IND, checked 2026-10-03.
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic status, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetailsIII.aspx?chapter=11&clang=_en&mtdsg_no=XI-B-19&src=TREATY, checked 2026-10-03.
Practical recommendation for Nicaragua licence holders
Confirm that the physical Nicaragua licence meets one of Andorra's accepted national-permit formats before relying on it alone. If an IDP is to be used, verify that it is an officially issued Geneva or Vienna model accepted by Andorra and carry the original Nicaragua licence with it. Check rental-company requirements separately because contractual requirements can differ from the legal recognition test.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed Andorran legal sources and United Nations treaty records on 2026-10-03.