Travellers arriving directly in Andorra from outside Schengen will have to undergo Spanish or French border checks
Riba considers a direct helicopter arrival in Andorra from outside Schengen “almost impossible”
Travellers arriving directly in Andorra from outside the Schengen area will have to undergo Spanish or French border checks under the new border agreement. This exceptional scenario is specifically regulated for the first time under Article 19 of the text.
An almost theoretical scenario
According to RTVA, the new regulatory framework sets out the procedure to follow if someone arriving from a third country reaches the Principality without first travelling through a Schengen state.
At present, this possibility is virtually nonexistent, since the only way to do so would be by air, using a helicopter capable of flying directly to La Caubella heliport.
The Secretary of State for European Affairs, Landry Riba, explained that the experts involved in drafting the agreement consider this scenario “almost impossible” for technical reasons, as helicopters’ limitations would require the aircraft to stop first in Spain or France.
Riba clarified that the article was drafted to anticipate future possibilities rather than respond to an imminent situation. In fact, he said the scenario primarily envisaged when drafting the provision was the still-distant possibility of building an airport on Andorran territory.
The proposed procedure
Should this situation arise, Andorra would have to notify the Spanish and French authorities and ensure that the person undergoes the relevant border checks. In practice, this would mean directing the arriving traveller to one of the two borders with neighbouring countries so that the relevant law enforcement authorities could carry out their duties before authorising, where appropriate, entry into and a stay in the Principality.
Another article of the agreement provides for the possibility of operational agreements between the three states to establish the details of such procedures and strengthen cooperation between their respective authorities.
Once the mechanism was activated, Spain or France would be responsible for carrying out the relevant checks and screening, including those linked to the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which would ultimately determine whether the person could enter Andorran territory.
