- Abortion legal status
- Illegal
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: travelsafe-abroad.com, numbeo.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- The main dedicated women's support contact is the Associació de Dones d'Andorra (ADA), based just over the border in Escaldes-Engordany, essentially contiguous with Andorra la Vella.
- 181 is Andorra's free, confidential national helpline for situations of violence or abuse — a good first call if you're unsure where else to turn.
- Emergency contraception (the morning-after pill) can be bought at pharmacies in Andorra without needing a prescription, based on a 2018 regulatory change.
- Historically, Andorra has not had dedicated domestic-violence shelters — women needing emergency housing have been placed in private apartments arranged through the government or local women's associations, so plan for the possibility that formal shelter options may be limited.
- For routine hormonal contraception (the pill, IUD, or implant), confirm locally with a pharmacy or doctor in Andorra la Vella what documentation or prescription is required — we could not verify Andorra-specific rules for these methods.
- Abortion is completely illegal in Andorra with no statutory exceptions — women needing one typically travel to Spain or France, both a few hours away by car, where it's legal on request up to 14 weeks.
- Andorra's government has been in serious, ongoing talks with the Vatican since 2023–2025 about decriminalizing abortion (complicated by the fact that the Bishop of Urgell is a constitutional co-prince), but at the time of research no law had actually changed — don't assume decriminalization has happened.
- For routine gynecological/OB care, the public option is the Gynecology and Obstetrics service at Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell (Andorra's only hospital, just next to Andorra la Vella in Escaldes-Engordany); there are also several private OB-GYN practitioners with offices in central Andorra la Vella.
- Some sources claim that even traveling abroad specifically to get an abortion is legally risky for Andorran residents — we could not independently confirm this against primary legal sources, so treat it as an open question worth asking a local lawyer or clinic about rather than a confirmed fact.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Multiple safety guides describe street harassment as uncommon in Andorra la Vella. One safety report rates the risk to women travelers as low, noting the city is clean, well lit, and socially conservative, with very little street harassment reported, and that solo female travelers often find the atmosphere welcoming.
Walking Alone at Night
Crowd-sourced safety data rates walking alone at night in Andorra la Vella as very high, with a score of 92.72 out of 100, close to the daytime score of 94.42. Travel guides similarly describe the city center as calm after dark, though quiet, poorly lit side streets are still worth approaching with normal caution if walking alone late at night.
Overall Crime Environment
Canada's government travel advisory places Andorra at its lowest risk tier, advising travelers to take normal security precautions, the same level it recommends for travel within Canada itself. It notes the crime rate is low, though petty crimes such as pickpocketing and purse snatching may occur, so travel documents and belongings should be kept secure at all times.
Nightlife Areas and Isolated Spots
Safety reporting on Andorra la Vella notes that opportunistic incidents, while uncommon, are somewhat more likely late at night around nightlife spots or parking areas than elsewhere in the city. The general advice given is to use normal caution in these specific settings rather than avoiding them outright, since the city overall is considered low risk.
Practical Precautions
Guides recommend standard precautions rather than city-specific restrictions: staying in well-lit, populated areas at night, keeping someone informed of plans when heading into quieter or more remote spots, and keeping an eye on belongings in crowded shopping and tourist areas. No neighborhoods within Andorra la Vella are flagged by these sources as places women should avoid after dark.
Abortion Law And OB-GYN
Abortion Law
- Details
- Abortion in Andorra is illegal in all cases; Andorra, along with Vatican City, are the only two European countries where abortion is completely illegal. The law has no explicit exceptions to its prohibitions, though under the Catholic-influenced principle of double effect, a medical intervention that unintentionally ends a pregnancy in order to save the woman's life (for example, treating an ectopic pregnancy) is permitted. Under general criminal-law necessity principles, an abortion can also be performed to save the pregnant woman's life even though this is not written into the abortion statute itself.
- Summary
- Abortion is banned in Andorra in all circumstances, with no explicit statutory exceptions written into the law itself.
- Penalties
- A pregnant woman who has or consents to an abortion faces up to two and a half years' imprisonment. If another person performs the abortion with her consent, the penalty rises to up to four years, or up to six years if the person is a physician or health professional; a nonconsensual abortion carries up to 10 years, and up to 12 years if it results in serious injury or death of the woman.
- Legal Status
- illegal
- Access Routes
- Because abortion is illegal domestically, women in Andorra who seek one travel to neighboring Spain or France, both of which permit abortion on request up to 14 weeks and are geographically close (Barcelona and Toulouse are each a few hours' drive). Abortion is relatively accessible in neighboring France and Spain, though this option can be expensive for Andorrans, since it is not covered by Andorra's public health system and involves travel and paying as a non-resident patient abroad.
- Reform Status
- As of late 2025/early 2026, the Andorran government has been in active, ongoing dialogue with the Vatican about decriminalizing abortion, since one of Andorra's two constitutional co-princes is the Bishop of Urgell, who must co-sign any law. A government delegation met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in October 2025 to continue this dialogue, with both sides describing the issue as legally and institutionally complex and reaffirming only a shared intent to keep working toward a solution — no legislative change had been enacted at the time of research.
- Abortion Time Limits
- Not applicable — there is no legal pregnancy window in which abortion on request is permitted; the prohibition applies throughout pregnancy.
- Cross Border Legal Risk Note
- One tertiary source (a general Wikipedia overview of European abortion law) states that, unlike most other restrictive jurisdictions, traveling abroad specifically to obtain an abortion is itself treated as illegal for residents of Andorra. This is a significant claim, but we could not corroborate it against Andorra's actual penal code text or a government/legal-primary source, so it should be treated as unconfirmed rather than settled fact.
OB-GYN Options In Andorra La Vella
Public Hospital
- Name
- Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell — Servei de Ginecologia i Obstetrícia
- Type
- Public hospital, the only hospital in the Principality of Andorra, run by SAAS (Servei Andorrà d'Atenció Sanitària)
- Services
- The hospital provides comprehensive care through several medical services including a dedicated Servei de Ginecologia i Obstetrícia (Gynecology and Obstetrics Service), alongside pediatrics/neonatology, surgery, and other specialties. It is the only hospital in the Principality of Andorra and the central pillar of the country's public healthcare system.
- Location Note
- Located in Escaldes-Engordany, immediately adjoining Andorra la Vella (effectively the same urban center, well within a 10-minute drive/walk of the capital).
Listed Ob Gyn Staff
- Dra. Sandra Cano Bachs (Cap de Servei / Head of Service)
- Dr. Julià Álvarez
- Dr. Ernesto Bejarano
- Dra. Neus Bons
- Dra. Marta Bueno
- Dra. Meritxell Cosan
- Dr. Josep Duran
- Dr. Martín Espinosa (breast surgery)
- Dra. Yolanda Guillemat Font
- Dra. Estefania Llanos
- Dra. Mireia Martinez Sancho (breast surgery)
- Dra. Nuria Porta
Private Practices In Andorra La Vella
Institut Ontomedic — Dra. Codina
- Phone
- +376 865 850
- Address
- Av. de Tarragona 101 A, 2-4, Andorra la Vella
Dra. Lidia M. Iturbe García
- Phone
- +376 825 229
- Address
- C. Prat de la Creu 59 D, 3-5A, Andorra la Vella
Dr. David Ferré Bonet
- Phone
- +376 812 612
- Address
- Av. del Fener 11, 2-4, Andorra la Vella
Dra. Neus Bons Tomàs
- Phone
- +376 802 820
- Address
- C. Prat de la Creu 8, 2-205, Andorra la Vella
- Note
- Also part of the OB-GYN staff at Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell.
Dra. Marta Bueno Grau (Ginecologia)
- Phone
- +376 807 700
- Address
- C. Sant Salvador 10, 3-6, Edifici Plaza, Andorra la Vella
- Note
- Also part of the OB-GYN staff at Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell.
Assault And Domestic Violence Resources
Associació De Dones d'Andorra (Andorran Women's Association)
- Phone
- +376 360760
- Type
- Women's support NGO / assault & domestic violence support
- dona@ada.ad
- Location
- Av. Fiter i Rossell, 71, AD700 Escaldes-Engordany (immediately adjacent to Andorra la Vella)
- Notes
- Long-standing local women's association providing support and advice to women, including victims of violence.
181 — Government Helpline
- Phone
- 181
- Type
- National telephone helpline
- Notes
- Andorra's free and confidential telephone helpline for anyone experiencing or witnessing a situation of violence or abuse.
Totbé Chat Service
- Type
- Chat/text support (aimed at adolescents, may assist younger nomads/students)
- Contact
- WhatsApp: 651 651
- Notes
- Confidential psycho-emotional support chat service, primarily oriented toward adolescents.
Emergency Services
- Type
- Police / medical emergency dispatch
- Notes
- Contact local police/emergency dispatch immediately after any assault; operators can direct you to the nearest police station or medical facility for care and evidence preservation.
Contraception And Emergency Contraception
Pill IUD Implant
- Status
- Not independently confirmed for Andorra
- Details
- No Andorra-specific, primary-sourced information was found confirming whether the birth control pill, IUD, or contraceptive implant can be obtained without a prescription in Andorra. Andorra's small healthcare system is closely linked to both Spanish and French medical networks, but this does not by itself confirm local prescription rules, so no claim is made here.
Emergency Contraception
- Status
- Available over the counter (no prescription required) at pharmacies
- Details
- Andorra changed its regulations so that emergency contraceptive (EC) pills can be sold without a prescription, a shift confirmed by the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception in 2018.
- Pricing
- Not confirmed — no current, Andorra-specific pharmacy pricing for EC pills was found in available sources.
System Context
- Shelter Availability
- Government sources indicate Andorra historically has had no dedicated domestic violence shelters; the government and the women's associations have instead placed abused women and children in private apartments of volunteers willing to provide temporary housing.
- Reporting Environment
- Some women have reported difficult treatment from police when filing complaints, and victims of domestic violence have reportedly been reluctant to file police complaints for fear of reprisal, according to older human rights reporting.
- Legal Note
- Rape, including spousal rape, is prohibited by law in Andorra and is punishable by up to 15 years' imprisonment; authorities were reported to enforce this law effectively.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Andorra la Vella
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.