Driving in Andorra with an Illinois Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
Yes. A visitor holding a valid Illinois driving licence can drive in Andorra, but U.S. Department of State guidance says an International Driving Permit (IDP) must be obtained before arrival, and Andorran law recognises a 1949 Geneva IDP only when it is carried with the national licence. No separate certified translation requirement was found for this visitor case. The six-month foreign-licence limit applies after becoming resident, not as a fixed tourist driving period. [Travel.state.gov](https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.and.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Quick answer
For an Illinois licence holder, the practical document set is the valid Illinois licence plus a valid U.S.-issued 1949 Geneva Convention IDP. The IDP does not replace the state licence and must be carried with it. USA.gov identifies AAA and AATA as the two official U.S. organisations authorised to issue IDPs. [USAGov](https://www.usa.gov/international-drivers-license?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Legal treatment of an Illinois licence in Andorra
Andorra recognises foreign driving documents through defined legal categories. Its Traffic Code expressly recognises international permits made under Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention when accompanied by the holder's national licence, and also recognises certain national permits that conform to the convention models. For a U.S. traveller, the U.S. Department of State gives the simpler destination-specific instruction: obtain an IDP before arrival in Andorra. [Portal jurídic del Principat d’Andorra](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012)
Recognition is limited to the vehicle categories authorised by the documents carried. Because Illinois and Andorra use different category systems and no authoritative Illinois-to-Andorra category-conversion table was verified for visitors, exact category equivalence is unverified – confirm with official authority.
IDP requirement, recommendation and applicable model
An IDP is required for this trip. The U.S. Department of State states that travellers planning to drive in Andorra must obtain an IDP before arrival. U.S. government guidance says AAA and AATA are the two official U.S. issuers, while AAA explains that the U.S. IDP is issued under the 1949 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and is valid only as a supplement to a valid U.S. licence. [Travel.state.gov](https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.and.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
The applicable document for an Illinois licence holder is therefore the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP. There is no separate visitor translation requirement verified in the Andorran rules used here when the traveller carries the required IDP and original licence.
Visitor and resident rules
The current Andorran regulation does not state a fixed maximum number of tourist days for a non-resident using recognised foreign driving documents, so no fixed visitor-day value should be inferred. The six-month rule is residence-based: once a person obtains habitual residence or temporary residence in Andorra, the foreign permit remains valid only while no more than six months have elapsed, subject to the other validity conditions. [Portal jurídic del Principat d’Andorra](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B)
The same regulation says a resident who must exchange a foreign permit for an Andorran equivalent must do so before one year from obtaining habitual residence. That does not extend driving validity to one year: the foreign permit can cease to be valid for driving after six months. Exact Illinois resident-exchange examinations and category equivalence are unverified – confirm with official authority. [Portal jurídic del Principat d’Andorra](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B)
Rental-car requirements
Rental policy is separate from Andorran law. Europcar's Andorra page says renters must present their normal driving licence, an identity document such as a passport or national identity card, and a valid credit card. It also says an international driving licence is mandatory when the national licence is written in a language different from the rental country and/or uses characters that cannot be read there, and that the international document is valid only with the normal licence. No broader claim is made for every rental company. [Europcar](https://www.europcar.com/en-us/places/car-rental-andorra/andorra-la-vella?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Police documents and insurance
Andorra's Traffic Code requires a driver to carry a valid driving permit, the vehicle registration certificate, current insurance proof and, where applicable, the vehicle inspection certificate, and to show them to traffic authorities on request. For this pair, carry both the Illinois licence and IDP as the driving-permit documents. [Portal jurídic del Principat d’Andorra](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012)
Foreign vehicles circulating in Andorra must have insurance that at least covers the liability responsibilities required for Andorran-registered vehicles. This is a vehicle-insurance rule, not a statement that any particular U.S. personal policy automatically provides sufficient cover. [Portal jurídic del Principat d’Andorra](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Relevant exceptions
The main distinction is visitor versus resident status. The six-month foreign-permit limit starts from obtaining habitual or temporary residence, not simply from entering Andorra as a tourist. The current sources checked do not establish a special Illinois exemption or a fixed visitor-day cap.
Official sources used
- Portal Jurídic d'Andorra, Llei 12/2021 del Codi de la circulació, verifying recognised foreign permits, carried documents and insurance rules, checked 2026-10-03. [Official text](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012)
- Portal Jurídic d'Andorra, Decret 226/2025 and current driving-permit regulation, verifying the six-month residence rule and one-year exchange deadline, checked 2026-10-03. [Official regulation](https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B)
- U.S. Department of State, Andorra Travel Advisory transportation section, verifying the instruction to obtain an IDP before arrival and to carry driving, vehicle and insurance documents, checked 2026-10-03. [Official guidance](https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.and.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
- USA.gov, International driver's license for U.S. citizens, verifying AAA and AATA as the two official U.S. IDP issuers, checked 2026-10-03. [Official guidance](https://www.usa.gov/international-drivers-license?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
- AAA International Relations, verifying that the U.S. IDP is based on the 1949 Convention and supplements a valid U.S. state licence, checked 2026-10-03. [Issuer information](https://www.aaa.com/international/idp.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
- Europcar Andorra, verifying the named company's published pickup-document and IDP policy, checked 2026-10-03. [Rental policy](https://www.europcar.com/en-us/places/car-rental-andorra/andorra-la-vella?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Practical recommendation
Obtain the 1949 Geneva IDP in the United States before travel, then carry it with the valid Illinois licence. Keep the vehicle registration and insurance proof in the vehicle and check the exact rental-company terms for the booking. If becoming resident, begin the Andorran homologation or exchange process early because foreign-permit driving validity is generally limited to six months from residence. [USAGov](https://www.usa.gov/international-drivers-license?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Last verified date
This Illinois-to-Andorra information was checked against the sources listed above on 2026-10-03.