Five decrees set 5,100 temporary immigration quotas for the 2026-2027 winter

The Government has set the total number of temporary immigration and temporary cross-border work authorizations at 5,100 for the 2026-2027 winter season, distributed across five sectors of tourism activity. This is done through decrees 409/2026 to 413/2026, approved in the session of October 21, 2026, and published in the Official Bulletin of the Principality of Andorra (BOPA) no. 120, dated October 22, 2026, in section 3. Government / Regulations. The five texts enter into force on the day of publication.

The regulations are issued under section 7 of article 23 of Law 9/2012, of May 31, amending the Qualified Law on Immigration, and come at the proposal of the Minister of Justice and Interior, after having been submitted for consideration to the Economic and Social Council. They are signed by the Head of Government, Xavier Espot Zamora, in Andorra la Vella on October 21, 2026.

The Government justifies the quota due to the seasonal increase in activity in the country and because the job seekers registered with the Employment Service do not allow the needs of economic agents to be covered. This year, as in the previous season, the hiring of non-EU nationals is not limited, given the difficulty of finding European labor. The regulations are only applicable to seasonal companies.

The hotel sector absorbs two-thirds of the quota

Decree 413/2026 sets 3,363 authorizations for the hotel sector —2,624 for temporary immigration and 739 for temporary cross-border work— a figure that represents nearly 66% of the global contingent. The regulation includes hotels in general, nightclubs, and bars and restaurants at ski resorts, and excludes positions such as manager, director, head chef, dining room manager, hotel facilities maintenance technician, and middle-level accounting technician.

Establishments that are open to the public only during the winter season may hire, within the limits of the regulation, persons performing any type of work activity. The authorizations for this sector are valid until June 15, 2027.

Skiing, commerce, travel agencies, and cleaning

The other four decrees distribute the remainder of the contingent:

• Decree 409/2026: 1,064 authorizations for ski resorts (830 temporary and 234 cross-border), including medical clinics for slope care authorized by the Ministry of Health and ski clubs; bars and catering at the resorts are excluded.
• Decree 410/2026: 480 authorizations for retail trade, rental and maintenance of sports equipment, and real estate activities (375 temporary and 105 cross-border).
• Decree 411/2026: 82 authorizations for travel agencies (64 temporary and 18 cross-border).
• Decree 412/2026: 111 authorizations for cleaning companies and laundry and dry cleaning services (87 temporary and 24 cross-border).

Deadlines, salaries and requirements for companies

The application period for the Immigration Service begins with the entry into force of the decrees and ends on March 31, 2027. Authorizations are valid until May 2, 2027, for skiing, commerce, travel agencies, and cleaning, and until June 15 in the hotel sector.

The number of authorizations per company is calculated using formulas that take into account the difference between the average workforce from December to March and that from June to September, using data from the Andorran Social Security Fund. Minimum salaries are listed in the Immigration Salary Classification (CSI) of each annex, referring to the legal working day of 40 hours per week:

• Waiters, bartenders and similar: €1,609
• Cooks and other food preparers: €1,754
• Shop assistants and demonstrators: €1,609
• Ski slope workers: €1,747
• General cleaning staff: €1,609
• Real estate agents: €1,708

Workers from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area must prove adequate training or two years of experience, and the employer must guarantee repatriation expenses. The global quota can be exceptionally expanded by up to an additional 30% if the scope of the applications justifies it.

The five decrees establish the hiring calendar for the snow season and provide legal coverage for temporary staff in hotels, slopes, shops, agencies, and cleaning services, with a salary and vacancy ceiling that companies must respect to access foreign labor.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Principality of Andorra, no. 120, October 22, 2026, section 3. Government / Regulations, p. 1 (official reference: Decree 409/2026, Decree 410/2026, Decree 411/2026, Decree 412/2026 and Decree 413/2026).