Family in Andorra

The legal framework for family relationships in Andorra covers, among other things, parentage, parental responsibility, marriage, stable partnership (unió estable de parella), maintenance, care, and child protection. Responsibilities are distributed among the Government of Andorra (Govern d’Andorra), the Civil Registry (Registre Civil), the Social Security Fund (CASS), courts, social services, and the seven parish councils (Comuns); there is no single family authority. The Qualified Law 30/2022 on the Person and the Family (Llei 30/2022 qualificada de la persona i de la família) provides a central family-law framework. Matters concerning inheritance and general civil law, however, mainly belong to the field of civil law. A civil marriage begins with a file at the Civil Registry. The required certificates may generally be no more than three months old; foreign documents may require an official translation or legalization. Both fiancés appear and sign. A marriage concluded abroad involving at least one Andorran spouse is registered in Andorra. A stable partnership requires adulthood, the absence of prohibited family relationships, and a stable, public, uninterrupted cohabitation of at least one year or a common child. At least one person must have Andorran nationality or legal, actual, and permanent residence in Andorra. A parallel marriage or registered partnership is excluded, and the partnership must be registered. Births in Andorra must be reported to the Civil Registry within 15 days. A birth that occurred abroad is first registered in the country of birth and then transcribed in Andorra if one parent is an Andorran national or at least one parent has their main or permanent residence in Andorra. For unmarried parents, a joint acknowledgment of legal parentage (filiació) may be required. Adoptions are handled through the adoption service (SEA). Applicants need legal and actual residence; eligible applicants include married couples, registered stable partnerships, de facto couples, and individuals. For couples, the general rule is at least five years of marriage, registration, or cohabitation. Training and a psychosocial and socioeconomic suitability assessment are part of the procedure. International adoptions are handled exclusively through the adoption service. Foster care and adoption remain separate: a foster family provides care temporarily or for a longer period and does not automatically replace the legal birth family. For births, government information for 2026 provides a total of 20 weeks for the parent who gives birth and six weeks for the second parent. The second benefit increases by two weeks per year and is intended to reach 20 weeks in 2033. Six weeks for the first parent and two weeks for the second parent are non-transferable and mandatory; consolidation is provided for single parents. For adoption or foster care, the total is 24 weeks in 2026, rising to 38 weeks by 2033, when it is intended to be divided into 19 weeks per parent. Older Social Security Fund pages still sometimes state two weeks; when applying and notifying the employer, the current implementation rule and valid form are therefore decisive. Law 6/2026 may change the duration or allocation of the adoption benefit. After more than three years of employment, an unpaid leave of absence of one month to two years may be available for birth, adoption, or foster care, and for caring for a family member up to the second degree who is ill, disabled, or dependent. Nurseries and authorized home care make it easier to reconcile family and work, but they are often partly financed by the user. The family benefit for a dependent child supports families with at least one child if income and asset limits are met. The application is submitted through the government’s electronic service; the information is reviewed annually. As a reference, ten percent of the individual LECS value per month was stated for 2025, with an additional 20 percent for a child with a disability. The current income threshold and amount must be checked when applying. Recognition as a large-family status (família nombrosa) generally begins at three children; recognition as a single-parent status (família monoparental) may apply, among other situations, in cases of single parenthood, separation, death, unpaid maintenance, or violence. Both recognitions may provide benefits and discounts, but they do not automatically create a cash payment. For children and adolescents aged 0 to 18, the child and adolescent support service (SEAIA) provides free public support in cases of serious risk or a threat to the child’s welfare. Mild or moderate risks are initially handled by the primary social service or the Area for the Care of People and Families (Àrea d’Atenció a les Persones i les Famílies). Measures range from advice and family intervention to support and supervision, and may include temporary separation from the household. The foster-care service (SEAF) first examines whether care by the extended family (família extensa) is possible; other foster families may then be considered. Foster carers must be at least 25 years old and have legal residence. The foster-care service provides preparation, advice, support, and financial assistance. After separation, parents may use the Mediation and Guidance Service (Servei de Mediació i Orientació) for voluntary mediation. It provides legal and social advice and support with agreements but does not replace a court decision. The first-instance court (Batllia) or the competent court decides, where necessary, on divorce, parental responsibility, the child’s residence, contact, and maintenance. The practical contact service (STF) organizes visiting arrangements, supervised contact, or handovers when required after separation, divorce, adoption, foster care, or guardianship. Contact between a child and parents or other family members remains guided by the child’s best interests and may be restricted if it has harmful effects. In cases of family or domestic violence, the family violence support service (SAVVDF) helps even without a prior report and without the affected person ending the cohabitation. The free and confidential number 181 is available around the clock every day; in an immediate emergency, the police can be reached at 110. Home care, personal assistance, household help, relief for carers, and day or residential services are available through home-care and social-support services (SAD) and the social services. Access follows a needs assessment, for example by the needs assessment body (COVASS) or the disability assessment body (CONAVA). A user contribution is often charged; exceptions may apply in cases of severe dependency. Widow’s, orphan’s, and death benefits from the Social Security Fund provide further financial support after a death.