Andorra is a tiny independent principality located between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It known mostly for its ski resorts and having a favorable tax regime where there are no wealth, inheritance or capital gains tax. It also boasts of having one of the best healthcare systems in the world if not the best. Andorra ranked the highest among 195 countries with a score of 95/100 in the Healthcare Access and Quality Index study made by the Institute of Evaluation and Metrics of the University of Washington, USA between 1990 and 2015 and published in The Lancet, a publication University of Washington, USA in 2017. You can enjoy this healthcare system thanks to the Golden Visa Andorra.
This is evident in that Andorra has the highest life expectancy in the world. In a 2010 survey, it was 79.8 years for men, and 85.2 years for women. This can be attributed to locally grown and grazed food like green leafy vegetables and cows and horses that graze high in the mountains, a population of only 70,000 people and a high per capita income.
A big part of the culture of Andorra is lots of exercise where sports and outdoor activities are combined. Much of the principality sits on mountainous land so hiking is a normal activity even to visit a neighbor and skiing is a beloved sport that most Andorrans indulge in. Despite its modernization and progress, Andorrastill boasts of fresh mountain air. The pace of life is also slower and less stressful in Andorra.
Healthcare system characteristics
Andorrans have made the most of these natural attributes. Almost all traditional healthcare services are available in Andorra and there are many specialists in different fields. There are specialized medical, beauty and wellness centers that are staffed with professional and qualified staff. There are integrative health services that bring conventional and complementary medical approaches together to care for the whole person like regenerative medicine, sports medicine and biomedicine treatments. Holistic therapies for both body and mind are also offered.
The healthcare system of Andorra is a major contributor to the high standard of living in the principality. It is a highly efficient, simplified and centralized system. The CASS or Caiza Andorran Seguretat Social is the single body that regulates all societal requirements and medical coverage in Andorra. 92% of Andorran citizens are covered by CASS and in most cases, 100% of medical expenses are covered.
The effectiveness of healthcare in Andorra is based on three fundamental principles:
- Co-responsibility – Andorran citizens pay for part of their treatment and consistently contribute to the CASS.
- Solidarity – Andorran citizens who cannot afford to pay for part of their treatment are not excluded from the system.
- Free choice of doctors – Patients can choose their own doctors Andorra has a ratio of 3.33 doctors per 1000 residents and 2.5 beds per 1000 residents in the only hospital in Andorra, the Hospital Nosra Senyora de Meritxell where both public and private physicians practice. There are also 10 health centers and more than 50 pharmacies scattered throughout the principality.
CASS also has agreements with Spain and France for specialized treatments if they are not available in Andorra.
How obtain the Golden Visa Andorra
The Golden Visa is the easiest to acquire and requires only the following:
- A minimum investment of € 350,000 through a bank deposit, real estate rent or purchase, or purchase of company shares or to start a business
- A minimum stay of 183 days in the country
- Regular contributions to CASS
In return, the possessor of a Golden Visa Andorra will enjoy the following benefits:
- The same excellent health care services that Andorran citizens enjoy
- Favorable tax options
- Visa-free travel to Spain and France
- Excellent quality of life for the possessor and his family
- The same high standard of living Andorrans enjoy