Understanding the Legal Drinking Age in Spain
The legal drinking age in Spain is 18. You must be 18 to buy alcohol in shops, bars and restaurants, and to drink it in public, across every region of the country. Asturias was the last region to raise its limit from 16 to 18, with its 2015 law on drugs and alcohol, so since then the rule is the same nationwide with no exceptions for wine or beer.
Can tourists drink at 18 in Spain?
Yes. The age applies to everyone in the country, residents and visitors alike, and shops and bars can ask for ID. There is no lower age for beer or wine the way some countries have, and a parent's permission does not make it legal to sell or serve alcohol to someone under 18.
Is drinking in the street legal in Spain?
Mostly no. The outdoor group drinking known as botellón is banned in most cities under regional or local rules, such as Andalusia's 2006 law on open-air drinking, and fines vary by region and city, even though buying alcohol at 18 is legal. If you are settling in, drink in licensed venues or at home rather than in squares and parks.
How much does Spain actually drink?
Quite a lot, by world standards. The World Health Organization's latest estimate puts Spain at about 12.1 litres of pure alcohol per person per year (ages 15 and up) for 2024. That is among the 15 highest of the roughly 200 countries WHO tracks, ahead of France, Germany and the UK, though behind Portugal. Most of it is beer and wine, usually with food, rather than spirits. You can see exactly where Spain sits, and how every other country compares, in our alcohol consumption by country ranking.
What this means if you are moving to Spain
Alcohol is cheap, everywhere, and woven into daily social life, from the midday caña to long dinners. Plenty of people move here partly for that social life. Just keep in mind how easy it is to drink every day without noticing. For the tax, cost and visa side of a move, see our full Spain country profile.