Religion in Andorra

The Roman Catholic Church is locally dominant in Andorra. Ecclesiastically, the country belongs to the Diocese of Urgell, whose bishop is also one of Andorra’s two Co-Princes. Seven parish districts (parròquies) with their priests, together with the Meritxell Sanctuary (Santuari de Meritxell), form the country’s widespread Catholic structure. Muslim, Jewish, Anglican, Orthodox, Hindu, Adventist, Bahá’í, Mormon, New Apostolic and Jehovah’s Witness communities, among others, are also documented in Andorra. There are no reliable national membership figures or complete religious statistics. The Constitution protects freedom of conscience and religion as well as individual and communal religious practice. No one has to disclose their religious beliefs. Restrictions are permitted only on legal grounds such as public security, order, health, morality or the fundamental rights of others. The Catholic Church also has a special cooperation and legal status; the 2008 agreement between the Holy See and Andorra regulates, among other matters, ecclesiastical institutions, canonical marriage law, religious education and church finances. Worship services and pastoral care are generally organized by the relevant parish, community or association. Catholic services and sacraments are comparatively widely accessible throughout Andorra. Minority communities sometimes use rented or shared premises. Opening hours, pastoral care, rites, available premises and possible fees must therefore be checked directly with the relevant institution; there is no uniform state fee schedule for religious ceremonies. The state working calendar is established annually and supplemented by parish holidays. Religiously influenced days include Nadal (Christmas), Reis (Epiphany), Divendres Sant (Good Friday), Pasqua (Easter), Pentecosta (Pentecost), Assumpció (Assumption), Tots Sants (All Saints’ Day), Immaculada Concepció (Immaculate Conception), Nadal and Sant Esteve (Saint Stephen’s Day), among others. 8 September, Our Lady of Meritxell (Nostra Senyora de Meritxell), is the national holiday, marked by a central Eucharist at the Meritxell Sanctuary and high public visibility. Holidays of smaller religious communities do not have general national-holiday status; time off must be arranged depending on the employment or school context. In the Andorran education system, schools offer Catholic religious education during compulsory schooling. Participation is voluntary; pupils who do not participate receive alternative instruction in ethics, values and the history of democracy. In public schools, conspicuous religious signs and symbols are generally prohibited during school hours, lessons and curricular supplementary activities unless they are inherent or necessary. This rule cannot automatically be applied to French or Spanish school sections. Since 19 August 2025, the Ministry of Justice has maintained the public Religious Entities Register (Registre d’entitats religioses). A nonprofit religious institution generally needs at least 20 natural persons and at least one adult with full legal capacity who is an Andorran national or resident. The application is submitted through the Procedures Service (Servei de Tràmits) and is free of charge; a decision is generally issued within two months and may be extended by a further two months. Registration grants the institution legal personality and general benefits available to nonprofit organizations. Changes must then generally be reported within three months, and an operating declaration (de funcionament) must generally be submitted every two years. Foreign institutions must provide, among other things, registration in their country of origin, proof of recognition and, where applicable, an apostille or legalization and a translation. Abusive or illegal proselytism may prevent registration. For unregistered institutions, members are jointly and severally liable for their obligations; the Catholic Church is subject to its own constitutional and treaty framework. Registration may be cancelled after ten years of inactivity. Under Law 2/2025, Article 14 (Llei 2/2025 Art. 14), the Government must provide communication and dialogue channels with registered religious institutions. The interfaith dialogue group (Grup de diàleg interreligiós) works with the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO (Comissió Nacional Andorrana per a la UNESCO); in addition, the Catalan Parliament of Religions (Parlament Català de les Religions) took place in Escaldes-Engordany in 2024. There is no documented independent state umbrella institution for all religious communities. Religious baptisms, initiation ceremonies, weddings, funeral services and burials are organized by the relevant community. A religious rite generally does not replace the required civil registration. In a canonical marriage, the priest forwards the certificate to the Civil Register (Registre Civil); birth, marriage and death certificates are obtained from the civil registry, not from parish archives. A functioning multi-faith cemetery has not currently been verified. According to a report dated 27 August 2026, the La Plana site was rejected after a hydrogeological assessment, and the Government is looking for an alternative. Access to Jewish or Muslim burials should therefore be clarified in advance directly with the responsible bodies.