The Principality of Andorra is a landlocked microstate in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees and bordering Spain and France.
Although prices are slowly falling, Andorra remains one of the most expensive places in Europe to use a mobile phone, both for purchasing a local SIM card and for roaming with a SIM card from outside Andorra. You should limit your data usage until you reach another region in France or Spain where the rates are much cheaper.
Andorra has the international prefix +376. Mobile phone numbers consist of 6 digits, starting with 3 or 6.
Roaming in the EU
Keep in mind that Andorra
is not part of the EU or EEA, where new international roaming rules have been in effect since June 2017. Therefore, roaming rates in Andorra
are not limited or regulated and can be significantly higher.
European mobile operators treat Andorra very differently: only a few charge the same as in the EU zone, but most add a significant surcharge for roaming in Andorra. It is best to check with your EU/EEA provider first before using the service, connect to a French/Spanish provider if possible, or buy a local SIM card.
Fortunately, these high costs can often be avoided, as Spanish or French antennas cover a large part of the country. So, as always in border areas covered by several networks, be sure to avoid roaming by selecting the network manually. In the valley, 3G/4G reception from Spain or France is very poor. If you are staying longer, you may want to consider purchasing a local SIM card, despite the high costs, or look for one of the few cheap roaming options.
Andorra Telecom
Andorra Telecom is the only network provider in this small country. The state-owned company was previously called Servei de Telecomunicacions d’Andorra (STA), also known as Som. It has 2G on the 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies and 3G/UMTS on the 2100 MHz frequency, as in most of Europe. 4G/LTE operates on the 1800 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies (bands 3 and 20). A 5G network is being rolled out since December 2021, which can also be used on prepaid plans.
Availability
Their prepaid product was previously called Mobiland Clic! It is now called Prepagament for prepaid services only. You can purchase a SIM card at Andorra Telecom’s head office at Av. Merixell 112 in Andorra la Vella or from its distributors . The SIM card comes in a triple cut, allowing you to choose between mini, micro or nano sizes. Andorra Telecom will ask you to show an identity document, so be prepared to bring it with you (passport or national identity card).
You will need to activate your SIM card with one of two basic plans, and there is no separate fee for the SIM card. You can also activate your eSIM online, and it will only cost you one month of service (you need to choose Tarifa S or Tarifa M). You will need to create an online account on the Andorra Telecom website, upload a photo of your passport and a selfie, and wait for an email confirming that your registration has been accepted. After that, follow the link to complete your online account creation and choose your preferred starting tariff.
Top-ups can be made with vouchers of 15, 30 or 60 euros, which can be purchased in stores, in the app or online using a debit or credit card, for any denomination from 5 to 60 euros. Any top-up extends the validity of the card by one year. Check the credit using *101#. Once the credit runs out, you have 2 months to top up the card. During this time, you will be able to receive national calls and SMS. If you do not top up the card within this time, the number will be automatically cancelled and you will not be able to restore it.
The pay-as-you-go plan without a base fee is no longer offered, but you can pause your base plan and keep your balance, phone number, and SIM card for up to 14 months for €3. You can pause and resume your base plan in the app.
Basic tariff plans
There are currently two basic 30-day plans that include both data, text messaging, and voice calls:
- Tariff S: 40 minutes of internal calls, 10 text messages and 3 GB for 10 euros
- Tariff M: 100 minutes of internal calls, 10 text messages and 12 GB for 20 euros
Data plans automatically renew when you have enough credit. Once you have used up your data limit, data will be turned off. Calls and texts that exceed your plan limit are charged per use. An additional 2GB of data for 7 days can be added for €5.
International roaming in Andorra
As Andorra is not part of the EU or EEA, their rules do not apply. For roaming in European countries including Turkey, as well as Canada and the US, they sell a daily roaming package for €3 with 1GB, valid until midnight. Once 1GB is reached, the package will be renewed.
More information
- APN: internet
- Andorra Telecom has an app that allows you to manage your tariff and top up your SIM card (works with both German Visa and Revolut cards).
- Website (partially in English, changes in the upper right corner): http://www.andorratelecom.ad/
Roaming options from foreign operators
As Andorra is not a member state of the EU/EEA, it is excluded from the common roaming area “roam like home” of almost all European providers. This means that data roaming on the single Andorra Telecom network is mostly charged at excessive rates. You should try to avoid any connection with Andorra Telecom and choose a Spanish provider instead. But coverage in the valley can be quite weak and unstable on Spanish 3G and 4G/LTE networks.
Roaming with Spanish mobile operators in Andorra
Spanish providers charge exorbitant rates ranging from €3.63 to €18.15 per MB. The only exception is Movistar , which charges a generous €9 for 3 GB per day only for contract subscribers, not pre-paid ones.
For all Spanish Orange SIM cards , such as Mundo SIM, you can activate the “Everywhere” option in your customer account, via the app or by sending an SMS message “EW” to 22095. This gives you 100 MB per calendar day at a price of 7 euros in Andorra.
Roaming with French mobile operators in Andorra
The situation with French providers is somewhat better, again thanks to Orange : Andorra is part of the EU zone for French Orange SIM cards and is charged at the domestic French rate. This applies to prepaid SIM cards such as Orange Holiday or Mobicarte, as well as contracts similar to Sosh.
Roaming with other foreign operators
Most other EU service providers now exclude Andorra from their reduced roaming zone, as they have to charge their customers for using the monopoly Andorra Telecom network at much higher wholesale rates. If you are staying for a short time, turn off data roaming or try connecting to a Spanish provider; if you are staying longer, buy a local SIM card.
These several EU providers offer roaming in Andorra under “Roam like home” conditions at domestic prices:
- Orange France, see France
- Vodafone Netherlands, see Netherlands
- Ay Yildiz Germany see Germany
International eSIM plans
The best option for Andorra seems to be to buy esim. You can see the best deals for Andorra at: esimdb