Safety in Andorra

Overall: One of the safest countries in the world, with almost no street crime. The only realistic threat is pickpocketing in the crowded malls of the capital.
On the mountain: Watch the piste markings and stay inside the prepared areas. Avalanches and sudden weather changes are normal in winter and spring.
Driving: Take the switchbacks seriously, especially in ice or heavy fog. Snow chains in the boot are legally required in winter.
Health: Healthcare is private and expensive, so insurance covering winter sports is genuinely necessary. If you are injured, you will be taken to the country's single central hospital.
Water: Tap water in the towns is clean and safe to drink, straight from mountain sources. That alone saves a fair amount on plastic bottles.
Police: Patrols are frequent, polite and happy to point a visitor in the right direction. Behave reasonably and you will never have any dealings with the law.
After dark: You can walk the capital or the resort villages at any hour. The lighting is good and the chance of trouble for a visitor is close to zero.

Andorra is a tiny Pyrenean principality with among the lowest crime rates in the world. There is hardly anyone here to cheat a tourist.

Shops. Andorra lives on duty-free trade: alcohol, perfume, electronics and tobacco are cheaper than in Spain and France. Deception is rare, but compare prices — not everything here is a bargain, and some shops target impulse buying.

Customs limits. The key detail: Andorra is outside the EU, and limits apply when you leave for Spain or France. Exceeding the alcohol and tobacco allowances means confiscation and a fine, and the road posts genuinely operate.

Ski hire. Damage claims on return occur. Record the condition.

Parking. Paid zones in Andorra la Vella, with no spaces at all in season.

ATMs. Decline the machine's currency conversion.

Borders and limits. Andorra is formally outside the EU and Schengen, but can only be reached through Spain or France, so a Schengen visa is required. Andorra issues no stamps. Strict limits apply on departure: roughly a litre and a half of spirits, 300 cigarettes and a set value of purchases per person. They are checked.

Mountain rules. FIS rules apply on the slopes and helmets are compulsory for children. Going beyond the marked area when slopes are closed is grounds for an insurer to refuse.

Drones. Permission is required.

Drink-driving. The limit is 0.5 per mille, enforcement exists, and the roads are continuous hairpins.

Driving. Winter tyres or chains are compulsory from November to May. The single pass road closes during snowfall.

Drugs. The law is strict.

Documents. You need your passport: border posts stand between Andorra and its neighbours, though checks are selective.

Vaccinations. None.

Water. Tap water is excellent mountain water.

Altitude. Andorra la Vella sits at 1,000 metres and the resorts rise to 2,600. Altitude sickness is unlikely, but some people get breathlessness and poor sleep on the first night.

Mountain sun. UV at altitude plus reflection off snow: people burn worse here in winter than on a summer beach. Sunscreen and goggles are essential.

Avalanches. The off-piste risk is real and a bulletin is published daily.

Rescue. Evacuation from the mountain is charged and expensive. Your insurance must cover skiing and helicopter evacuation — a basic travel policy does not.

Healthcare. One hospital for the whole country, Nostra Senyora de Meritxell in Andorra la Vella, at a good standard. Serious cases go to Barcelona or Toulouse. Treatment for foreigners is chargeable.

Emergency numbers: 112 unified, 116 ambulance, 118 police.

Andorra is one of the safest countries in the world. Violent crime is nearly nonexistent and the police deal mainly with tourists and traffic.

Numbers. 110 for police, 112 unified.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. Catalan is official, with Spanish and French in daily use and English in the tourism sector.

Traffic police. There are many cameras for such a small territory, with fines issued on the spot.

What actually matters. In Andorra the danger comes from the mountains and from customs limits, not from people. The two things that count are insurance with mountain evacuation and knowing how much alcohol you may take out.