Andorra
Europe · Southern Europe
Andorra is a landlocked microstate in the Pyrenees with no sea coastline, so there is no marine spearfishing. For inland (freshwater) fishing, spearfishing / underwater fishing is effectively prohibited. Article 27 of the consolidated Fishing and Aquatic Environment Management Act (Llei 26/2021) states that only rod fishing of fish is permitted ('Únicament està permesa la pesca de peixos amb canya'), and it expressly prohibits any other method or the use of instruments such as harpoons, tridents, nets and similar gear ('arpons, tridents, filats, salabres i altres de similars'). Fishing by hand and fishing with firearms are also prohibited (Art. 28). Authorised quarry is limited to salmonids (trout) and the red frog, taken only with a rod, by day, with a fishing licence, during the annually decreed season.
Last updated June 14, 2026
Governing framework
- §Llei 26/2021, del 25 d'octubre, de text consolidat de pesca i gestió del medi aquàtic (consolidated Fishing and Aquatic Environment Management Act)
- §Llei de pesca i de gestió del medi aquàtic, del 28 de juny del 2002 (original Fishing and Aquatic Environment Management Act)
- §Reglament, del 25 de febrer del 2010, de la pesca (Fishing Regulation)
- §Annual ministerial order / decree fixing the fishing season (published in the Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra, BOPA)
- License required
- Required
- Speargun
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Welcome
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Permitted fishing methods - rod only; harpoons and similar gear prohibited
Llei 26/2021, del 25 d'octubre, de text consolidat de pesca i gestió del medi aquàtic
Únicament està permesa la pesca de peixos amb canya. Qualsevol altre procediment o l'ús d'altres instruments com arpons, tridents, filats, salabres i altres de similars estan prohibits. La utilització de diverses canyes alhora, unides o no, està igualment prohibida. La pesca en canals de derivació, de rec o a les escales instal·lades a les preses està igualment prohibida.
Prohibited fishing practices (explosives, poisons, electrocution, hand fishing, firearms)
Llei 26/2021, del 25 d'octubre, de text consolidat de pesca i gestió del medi aquàtic
Està prohibit: 1. Pescar en trams vedats, així com estar en possessió o transportar productes de pesca originaris de zones vedades. 2. Pescar en dies i hores inhàbils durant la temporada de pesca establerta. 3. Pescar fora de la temporada de pesca establerta. 4. Utilitzar dinamita i materials explosius, substàncies químiques i verinoses, aparells electrocutants o paralitzants i fonts lluminoses artificials. 5. Pescar peixos a mà. 6. Pescar amb armes de foc. 7. Bastonejar les aigües i tirar-hi pedres per espantar la fauna aquàtica. 8. Construir obstacles o barreres amb qualsevol material per obligar els peixos a seguir una direcció determinada i alterar el curs de l'aigua per facilitar la pesca. 9. Encebar les aigües.
Fishing licence is mandatory
Llei 26/2021, del 25 d'octubre, de text consolidat de pesca i gestió del medi aquàtic
La llicència de pesca és el document personal i intransferible la tinença i el port del qual són obligatoris per practicar la pesca al Principat.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- OpenEstany d'Engolasters (intensive enclosure) and Riu Gran Valira no-kill enclosureMar 14 – unknown
Season opens on 14 March 2026 for the intensive enclosure at Lake Engolasters and the no-kill (sense mort) enclosure on the Gran Valira river.
- OpenRivers and river fishing enclosures (rest of country)Apr 4 – unknown
Opening of fishing for the rest of the rivers and river fishing enclosures on 4 April 2026.
- OpenLakes, mountain ponds (estanys/llacs) and remaining water bodiesJun 6 – unknown
Season for lakes, ponds and the rest of the enclosures begins on 6 June 2026.
- RestrictedAll fishing - daylight hours onlyunknown – unknown
Fishing is permitted only during daylight ('de l'albada al vespre' / from dawn to dusk). Fishing at night and on closed days/hours during the season is prohibited (Art. 28). The Government fixes opening and closing periods each year by decree/ministerial order published in BOPA.
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
Apply online via the e-Tràmits electronic portal (www.e-tramits.ad) with an electronic certificate, or download and submit form I1T001. Requires an administrative identification number (NIA).
Get your licenseOpens the official portal · e-tramits.ad
- Type
- Llicència de pesca (recreational fishing licence; rod fishing only). Possession and carrying mandatory for residents and non-residents. A specific foreigners/non-resident licence (llicència de pesca estrangers) also exists.
- Cost
- unknown
- Validity
- Annual season (2026 application/processing period 14-03-2026 to 15-11-2026).
- How to obtain
- Apply online via the e-Tràmits electronic portal (www.e-tramits.ad) with an electronic certificate, or download and submit form I1T001. Requires an administrative identification number (NIA).
- Authority
- Direcció General de Medi Ambient i Sostenibilitat (Ministeri de Medi Ambient, Agricultura i Ramaderia)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Only rod fishing of fish is permitted (Art. 27, Llei 26/2021).
- Harpoons (arpons), tridents, nets (filats) and similar instruments are prohibited (Art. 27).
- Using several rods at once, joined or not, is prohibited (Art. 27).
- Fishing with firearms is prohibited (Art. 28.6).
- Fishing fish by hand is prohibited (Art. 28.5).
- Explosives, chemical/poisonous substances, electrocuting/paralysing devices and artificial light sources are prohibited (Art. 28.4).
- Boats and floating equipment are reported as prohibited (secondary source).
Because the law restricts permitted fishing to rod-and-line only and explicitly bans harpoons/tridents, spearguns and any underwater spearfishing gear are not lawful in Andorra's inland waters.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
8 specimens (salmonids/trout) per fisherman per day (does not accumulate across days). Exact per-zone limits are fixed annually; e.g. at Estany de l'Estanyó up to 8 brook trout (salmó de font) over 20 cm may be kept.
Minimum sizes
- Trout / salmonids (general waters)min 18 cm
- Trout (Gran Valira from Spanish border to Andorra la Vella)min 30 cm
- Brook trout / salmó de font (Estany de l'Estanyó)min 20 cm
Authorised quarry is limited to the salmonid family (trout) and, per Art. 29 of the Act, the red frog (rana roja). Daily limits and minimum sizes are set annually by decree/ministerial order. Daily-limit and minimum-size figures are from a secondary fishing guide and an annual order summary; the per-zone figures vary year to year. Live bait, fish eggs and cheese are reported as prohibited baits (secondary source).
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
AllowedSpecial license required
Requirements
- Carry a valid Andorran fishing licence (possession and carrying mandatory for residents and non-residents).
- A dedicated non-resident/foreigners fishing licence (llicència de pesca estrangers) is available via e-Tràmits.
- Requires an administrative identification number (NIA).
Restrictions
- Same gear and method rules apply: rod only, no harpoons/spearguns, no spearfishing.
Foreigners may fish recreationally (rod only) with the appropriate licence. The 2025 foreigners-licence application window ran 05-03-2025 to 12-11-2025; the 2026 season window opens for renewals/applications around 14-03-2026 to 15-11-2026. Spearfishing remains prohibited for everyone.
Residents
Llicència de pesca (annual recreational fishing licence)
Requirements
- Possession and carrying of a valid fishing licence is mandatory.
- Apply/renew via e-Tràmits with an electronic certificate (or form I1T001).
- Administrative identification number (NIA) required.
Andorran fishers, residents and non-residents are all subject to the same licence and method rules. Spearfishing is not permitted for residents either.
Where on the coast
Allowed & prohibited zones
Named areas that are open to or closed for spearfishing. See the full picture on the interactive map.
Prohibited areas
- All inland waters of Andorra (rivers, lakes, ponds)national prohibition (only rod fishing permitted; spearguns/harpoons banned)
Spearfishing / underwater fishing is prohibited everywhere in Andorra. Article 27 of Llei 26/2021 permits only rod fishing and bans harpoons, tridents, nets and similar instruments nationwide. There is no sea coastline, so no marine spearfishing is possible.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Llei 26/2021, del 25 d'octubre, de text consolidat de pesca i gestió del medi aquàtic (consolidated text) - Portal Jurídic d'Andorra
Officialportaljuridicandorra.adAccessed Jun 14 - [02]
Llei de pesca i de gestió del medi aquàtic, del 28 de juny del 2002 - Portal Jurídic d'Andorra
Officialportaljuridicandorra.adAccessed Jun 14 - [03]
Reglament, del 25 de febrer del 2010, de la pesca - Portal Jurídic d'Andorra
Officialportaljuridicandorra.adAccessed Jun 14 - [04]
Pesca - Govern d'Andorra (official government fishing page)
Officialgovern.adAccessed Jun 14 - [05]
Llicència de Pesca - Seu Electrònica Govern d'Andorra (e-Tràmits)
Officiale-tramits.adAccessed Jun 14 - [06]
Llicència de pesca estrangers FAP - Seu Electrònica Govern d'Andorra (e-Tràmits)
Officiale-tramits.adAccessed Jun 14 - [07]
La temporada de pesca 2026 arrencara el 14 de marc amb l'obertura d'Engolasters i Gran Valira - Diari d'Andorra
Secondarydiariandorra.adAccessed Jun 14 - [08]
La pesca a la truita a Andorra - reglaments, preses i informacions (catch limits, minimum sizes)
communityhola-andorra.comAccessed Jun 14
Researcher notes
Andorra is a landlocked Pyrenean microstate (no sea coastline), so marine spearfishing does not apply. Spearfishing / underwater fishing in freshwater is effectively prohibited: Article 27 of Llei 26/2021 permits only rod fishing and explicitly bans harpoons (arpons), tridents and similar instruments; Article 28 additionally bans hand fishing and firearms. Permitted recreational fishing is rod-only for salmonids (trout) and the red frog, by day, with a mandatory licence, within the annually decreed season. Verbatim legal text (Art. 27, 28, 31) was retrieved from the official Portal Jurídic d'Andorra. Season dates are for 2026 (from a national newspaper; the binding figures are set each year by ministerial order in BOPA). Catch-limit and minimum-size figures come from a secondary fishing guide and an annual-order summary and vary by zone and year. Licence costs were not published on the fetched official pages (marked unknown).
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