The panorama for the popular Spanish ‘youtubers’ and ‘streamers’ who took refuge in Andorra for tax advantages is changing. The government of the Principality has announced that from 2024 it will be necessary to have a basic knowledge of Catalan to obtain or renew residence permits in the country.
Figures like El Rubius, Auronplay, WillyRex and Vegetta, among others, will be affected by this new measure.
The decision is part of the new law on the official language in Andorra and comes in response to the prioritization that has been given to Spanish in sectors such as hospitality and commerce in the country.
The regulations will imply that those applicants for residence or renewal who do not have a minimum level of Catalan (at least A2) must attend a 30-hour course to meet this language requirement.
The objective of the measure is that all citizens of the Principality can communicate at least in their official language. The new regulation will affect around 3,000 residence applications that are expected in the coming months. However, there is an exception: seasonal workers will be excluded from this rule, although ways to encourage them to learn the language will be explored.
For some years now, the arrival of Spanish ‘youtubers’ and ‘streamers’ to Andorra seeking tax benefits has been notorious. The lower tax burden, with personal income tax rates between 5% and 10%, compared to 47% in Spain for incomes over 300,000 euros, was the main incentive. The new linguistic measure marks a significant change in the outlook for these content creators who sought tax shelter in the neighboring country.
