Driving in Andorra with a Costa Rica Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A Costa Rica licence holder can drive in Andorra through the foreign-permit routes recognised by Andorran law. A national licence is valid if it conforms to the recognised Geneva or Vienna convention model. Andorra also expressly accepts qualifying 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna International Driving Permits (IDPs) when carried with the national licence. Whether an IDP is legally necessary therefore depends on the format of the individual Costa Rica licence.
Quick answer
The clearest documented option for a Costa Rica licence holder is a valid national licence accompanied by a qualifying IDP. The Automóvil Club de Costa Rica offers both 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna formats, while Andorran legislation recognises international permits conforming to either convention model. A separate IDP is not necessary where the national licence itself satisfies Andorra's recognised convention format.
How Andorra treats a Costa Rica licence
Article 14 of Andorra's current driving-permit regulation recognises national permits from non-EU and non-EFTA countries when they conform to Annex 9 of the Geneva Convention or Annex 6 of the Vienna Convention, including permits differing only through additional headings. The exact conformity of the current Costa Rica national licence was not established from an authoritative format comparison, so travellers should not assume that the national card alone qualifies without checking.
IDP requirement and recognised models
Andorra recognises international permits issued by non-EU and non-EFTA countries in accordance with Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 7 of the 1968 Vienna Convention. In either case the IDP must accompany the holder's national licence and applies according to the authorised vehicle categories. The Automóvil Club de Costa Rica's application system offers both a 1949 Geneva and a 1968 Vienna IDP. Costa Rica signed the 1968 Vienna Convention but the UN treaty record does not show ratification, while Andorra acceded in 2024 and the Convention entered into force for Andorra on 25 September 2025.
Visitor and resident rules
The current Andorran regulation does not establish a fixed visitor-day limit in the provision defining valid foreign licences, so no numerical visitor maximum is stated here. Residence changes the position. A qualifying foreign permit held by a habitual or temporary resident generally remains valid only while no more than six months have elapsed since residence was obtained, subject also to the permit remaining valid and to Andorran age and experience requirements. The regulation separately requires qualifying resident holders to change their foreign permit for an Andorran equivalent within one year, with the precise homologation treatment depending on the applicable licence route and reciprocity rules.
Rental-car requirements
No named rental-company policy was verified for the Costa Rica to Andorra combination. A rental company may impose documentary conditions beyond the legal rules for driving, so the traveller should confirm acceptance of the Costa Rica licence and the required IDP format directly with the company before booking or collecting a vehicle.
Documents for authorities and insurance
If driving under the IDP route, carry both the recognised IDP and the valid Costa Rica national licence because Andorran law expressly links the international permit to the national permit. Pair-specific insurance conditions were not verified, so insurance consequences should not be inferred from the licence-recognition rules.
Relevant exceptions
Recognition covers only the vehicle categories authorised by the relevant valid documents. Residence creates additional conditions, including the six-month foreign-permit validity rule. The legal treatment of a national licence without an IDP also depends on whether that licence conforms to the convention model recognised by Andorra.
Official sources used
- Andorra Legal Portal, current Regulation on driving permits and the driving-permit register, checked 2 October 2026, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B
- Andorra Legal Portal, Law 12/2021 Road Traffic Code, checked 2 October 2026, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/L2021012
- United Nations Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic status, checked 2 October 2026, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?clang=_en&objid=080000028003745e
- Automóvil Club de Costa Rica, International Driving Permit application, checked 2 October 2026, https://forms.automovilclubcr.com/RequestLicenceSportInternationals/Create
Practical recommendation
For the least ambiguous documentation, carry the valid Costa Rica national licence together with a recognised IDP. This avoids relying solely on an unverified conclusion about whether the particular Costa Rica licence card conforms to the national-licence model specified by Andorran law. Confirm any additional requirements with the rental company separately.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed Andorran, United Nations and Costa Rican issuer sources on 2 October 2026.