Gestoria · Andorran social security

CASS: what you pay in, and what you get back

The Caixa Andorrana de Seguretat Social is the compulsory scheme for everyone working in Andorra, employed or self-employed. It covers two branches, health and old age, at an overall rate of 22 %. It does not cover unemployment: that risk falls to a Govern allowance, not to CASS.

The figure that matters

What you pay in, depending on your status

The overall rate is the same for everyone, 22 %. What changes is who pays, and on what basis.

Employee

22 % of gross pay, split

Employer share15,5 %

of which health7 %

of which old age8,5 %

Employee share6,5 %

of which health3 %

of which old age3,5 %

Self-employed

22 % entirely at your own expense

Health10 %

Old age12 %

Calculation basisaverage wage

Possible reductions25 à 75 %

For the self-employed, the contribution is calculated on the average monthly wage declared by all employees in Andorra, not on your personal income nor on your turnover for the month; your income only sets which reduction band applies. Reductions of 25 to 75 % of the basis apply depending on the previous year’s results, or at the start of trading. It is the least used lever among those who set up on their own.

What nobody tells you

There is no unemployment insurance in Andorra

The Andorran scheme covers health and old age. Not unemployment: CASS does not cover that risk. Allowances exist at the ministry of Social Affairs, subject to residency and means tests, but they are not contributory benefits. If you leave French employment for Andorran employment, you trade a safety net for a deduction rate three times lower. That is a trade-off, not a detail of the paperwork.

The reimbursement trap

How you are reimbursed, and when you are not

CASS reimburses against a reference tariff, like the French health service. The rates depend on the type of care:

75 % for outpatient care, 65 % for physiotherapy
90 % for hospital costs
up to 100 % for particularly costly illness, or insufficient means
20 % if the practitioner is not contracted with CASS, except in an emergency

That last line is the one that surprises people. A non-contracted practitioner leaves you 80 % of the bill to pay. Checking whether a practitioner is contracted before the appointment, rather than after, makes a real difference to a family health budget. It is also why most residents take out private top-up cover.

When cover starts

You are not covered on the day you arrive

For a first claim you must be registered, show 25 days of contributions, and earn at least the legal monthly minimum wage. For later claims, the length of cover depends on how long you have been contributing: 60 days covered if you have been paying in for under six months, 90 days between six months and three years, 120 days beyond that.

Sick pay follows a different rule: 90 days of contributions over the preceding six months, or 180 days over the preceding twenty-four months.

Your family

Who is covered alongside you

Your dependants are covered on the same terms as you: a non-working spouse subject to conditions, children up to and including 24 with no study requirement, grandchildren dependent on a child under 25, and adults under guardianship. The scheme is identical for employees and the self-employed, which is not the case in many neighbouring countries.

Your questions

What we are asked most about CASS

What is the CASS contribution rate?

The overall rate is 22 % for everyone. For an employee it splits into 15.5 % paid by the employer and 6.5 % withheld from gross pay. For the self-employed, the full 22 % is theirs to pay, split between 10 % for health and 12 % for old age.

Are there unemployment benefits in Andorra?

No. Unemployment insurance does not exist in the Andorran scheme, which covers only health and old age. The ministry of Social Affairs may pay allowances subject to residency and means tests, but these are social benefits, not contributory entitlements earned through your payments.

How much does CASS reimburse for care?

75 % of the reference tariff for outpatient care, 65 % for physiotherapy, 90 % for a hospital stay, and up to 100 % for costly illness or insufficient means. With a non-contracted practitioner, reimbursement drops to 20 %, except in an emergency.

Am I covered as soon as I arrive in Andorra?

No. You must be registered and show 25 days of contributions for a first claim, with income at least equal to the legal minimum wage. Plan private cover for the period before your entitlement opens, particularly if you are moving with a family.

Can a self-employed person reduce their contributions?

Yes. Reductions of 25 to 75 % of the calculation basis apply depending on the previous year’s results, or at the start of trading. They are not automatic and depend on your declaration. It is the lever most often missed by those who handle their own paperwork.

Is my family covered with me?

Yes. A non-working spouse subject to conditions, children up to and including 24 with no study requirement, grandchildren dependent on a child under 25, and adults under guardianship all receive health cover on the same terms as you, whether you are employed or self-employed.

Registration in practice

What we take care of

Registering with CASS is not a one-off formality: it follows from your status and tracks your company. We handle your registration and that of your employees, the monthly returns, the follow-up on the reductions you are entitled to, and dealings with the fund when a file gets stuck. One point of contact, the same one year after year.

Let us talk about your situation

Sources: the Andorran social security scheme and the contributions sheet from the Centre des liaisons européennes et internationales de sécurité sociale (CLEISS), a French public body, 2024 data; Llei 17/2008 de la seguretat social. The contribution and reimbursement rates shown here are structural. Amounts revised each year, such as the self-employed calculation basis or the minimum wage, are deliberately left off this page: we give you the current figures at your appointment.

Taking social cover and life in Andorra further

Registering with CASS follows from your residency status and shapes access to healthcare, schooling for your children and hiring staff. These pages cover each of those points.

By Setup Andorra