Andorra Winter Tyres 2026: Compulsory 1 Nov-15 May

Andorra is not a country where winter tyres are optional. Article 1 of the Reglament de les fases i colors de la neu, approved by Decret 279/2021 and published in BOPA núm. 94, is unambiguous: “Des de l'1 de novembre fins al 15 de maig els equipaments especials són obligatoris per circular a tota la xarxa viària del Principat d’Andorra” — from 1 November to 15 May, special equipment is compulsory to drive anywhere on the Andorran road network (mobilitat.ad).

That is six and a half months, in a country whose lowest road sits above 800 m and whose highest passes clear 2,400 m. Most visitors arrive in a car hired in Spain or France, which is exactly the car least likely to be equipped.

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Tyre Law Summary for Andorra

What “Special Equipment” Means

Article 72 of Llei 12/2021, del 13 de maig, Codi de la circulació sets the general duty: every motor vehicle must run with special equipment — winter or M+S tyres, studded tyres, snow chains or equivalent devices such as fabric chains or spiders — where the carriageway is wholly or partly covered in snow or ice, and must match that equipment to the road’s condition and to the phase the authorities have declared.

The Reglament then turns that into a calendar: 1 November to 15 May, network-wide.

The Four Snow Colour Phases

Phases are activated and stood down by the Servei de Viabilitat Hivernal del COEX, and each one keeps the restrictions of the phase before it.

Winter maintenance and emergency vehicles are exempt from the chain requirement at red, and from the ban at black.

Red is the phase that catches out drivers who reasoned that winter tyres were enough. At red, winter tyres are not enough: the Reglament requires chains on all vehicles regardless of what is fitted.

Tread Depth in Andorra

The Reglament relatiu a les condicions tècniques dels vehicles sets the figure for vehicle categories M1, N1, O1, O2 and L: “la profunditat del dibuix serà com a mínim d'1,6 mm i han de tenir indicadors de desgast” — a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm, with wear indicators.

For winter driving the same body of guidance is blunter: do not go below 3 mm, and equip all four wheels rather than one axle, because a worn tyre means a serious loss of adhesion. On an Andorran descent that is not an abstract point.

All-weather tyres used where the road is snow-covered must carry the M+S inscription and hold a speed category at least equal to the vehicle’s maximum — not below 130 km/h for category L, or 160 km/h for categories M and N.

Studded Tyres in Andorra

Authorised, and unusually for western Europe. The Reglament states that studded tyres may be used only from 1 November to 15 May, and that the competent department may determine the dimensions and shape of the studs. Outside that window they are not permitted.

The practical caveat is the border. Spain does not permit studs on the approach roads, so a studded set means fitting and removing them in Andorra rather than driving up on them.

Chains: How They Are Meant to Be Used

• Fit them to the driven wheels
• Once fitted, do not exceed 50 km/h
• Chains come in sizes matched to specific wheel and tyre dimensions — not every set fits every car
• Test-fit them at home. Doing it for the first time in a lay-by, in the dark, in snow, is how people end up driving without them
• Park in a proper pull-in to fit them, not on the carriageway

Pressure, Cold and the Rest of the Car

Cold lowers measured tyre pressure, so the Andorran winter advice is to add about 0.2 bar to the recommended figure. Battery, ignition and washer fluid are the other three things worth checking before a winter drive here, because a car that will not start at 2,000 m is a bigger problem than one that will not grip.

Penalties and the Insurance Question

Driving without the required equipment inside the window is an offence under the Codi de la circulació and its sanctions regulation. The exposure that usually costs more is the insurance one: after an incident on a snow-covered Andorran road, non-compliant equipment gives an insurer a clean line of argument.

How Andorra Compares to Its Two Neighbours

Andorra borders Spain and France, and its rule is stricter and longer than either:

• Spain: no national winter tyre mandate. Equipment is imposed by sign on specific roads when conditions require it, and studded tyres are prohibited.
• France: the loi Montagne applies in designated mountain communes from 1 November to 31 March, not nationwide, and not to 15 May.

Driving up from either side, the switch happens at the Andorran border: a car that is entirely legal in the Ariège or in Lleida may not be legal on the Port d’Envalira.

For speed limits, traffic rules, and licence requirements in Andorra, see our Driving in Andorra guide.

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