Legal drinking age
Europe

Legal drinking age

Section Title: Europe
Table Section Text: None

Country	State/region/province	De jure	Notes

Drinking age	Purchase age

Albania	18

Andorra	18

Armenia	None	18	There are no laws mandating alcohol vendors to ID potential underage drinkers. ID checks are very rarely, if ever, carried out

Austria	Burgenland Lower Austria Vienna	16

Carinthia Upper Austria Salzburg Styria Tyrol Vorarlberg	16 (beer, wine and cider) 18 (distilled beverages)	Carinthia also requires adolescents to maintain a blood alcohol level below 0.05%.

Azerbaijan	None	18	It is illegal to sell or serve alcohol to a minor under 18 years of age.

Belarus	None	18	The law prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years. However, the law is rarely enforced.

Belgium	None	16 (beer, wine and cider) 18 (spirits)	Since 10 January 2010, it is illegal to "sell, serve, or offer" any form of distilled alcohol to those under the age of 18 or any alcoholic drink to those under 16.

Bosnia and Herzegovina	None	18	Selling alcohol to a minor under the age of 18 years is an offence. The law does not prohibit minors from buying, attempting to buy or consuming alcohol.

Bulgaria	None	18	By law, it is illegal to serve or sell alcohol to any child under the age of 18. There is no restrictions for minors consuming alcohol.

Croatia	None	18	It is prohibited to sell or serve alcohol to anyone under 18 years of age. There is no minimum age to buy or consume alcohol by law.

Cyprus	None	17	It is illegal to sell or serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 17 years. There is no minimum age to buy, attempt to buy or consume alcohol in public.

Czech Republic	None	18	It is illegal to provide alcohol to minors (punishable by fine or up to 1 or 2 year(s) imprisonment). Consumption itself is not prohibited by law.

Denmark	None	16 (<16.5% ABV) 18 (≥16.5% ABV)	While there is no age requirement for drinking alcohol in Denmark, there are laws that prevent minors from buying alcohol: In order to buy alcohol above 1.2% and below 16.5% ABV in stores, one must be 16 years of age.

Estonia	18	It is illegal to sell, serve or supply alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 18 years. Alcohol found in possession of any child can be confiscated by the police.

Finland	18 (possession and purchase of 1.2–22% ABV) 20 (for possession and purchase of 23–80% ABV) 18 (for all in bars, clubs and restaurants)	All major grocery chains have implemented a policy to ask for ID if the customer looks under 30. Stores may refuse to sell alcohol if the customer is accompanied by a minor, or if proxy purchasing is suspected.

France	None	18	France has no explicitly stated consumption age, but selling alcohol to a minor (under 18) is illegal and can be fined 7500 euros.

Georgia	None	18	By Georgian law, the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 18 years is prohibited.

Germany	14(beer, wine and cider if accompanied) 16 (beer, wine and cider) 18 (spirits and aliments containing spirits above negligible amounts)	It is illegal to sell, serve or supply fermented alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, cider and sparkling wine) to anyone under 16 years of age.

Gibraltar	None	18 16 (beer, wine and cider)	It is illegal to sell alcoholic drinks to anyone under the age of 18, other than the following two exceptions. The minimum age to be served in licensed premises is 16 if: The alcoholic beverage is beer, wine or cider below 15% ABV, or The alcoholic beverage is served in a bottle, or a pre-packaged container below 5.5% ABV.

Greece	None	18	In 2008, the consumption of alcoholic beverages was prohibited for minors in public. However, the law does not apply to private events or private premises.

Hungary	18

Iceland	None	20	Possession or consumption of alcohol by minors is not an offence, but supplying them with alcohol is.

Ireland	None (on private residence with permission from parents or guardians)	18	It is illegal for minors to buy alcohol or for a third party to attempt to buy it for minors. It is illegal to purchase alcohol for anybody under the age of consent without permission from their guardians.

Italy	None	18	In 2012 the then Health Minister Renato Balduzzi proposed to raise the age to 18. Selling alcohol to those under the age of 18 in shops carries a fine between €250 and €1000.

Kosovo	None

Latvia	None	18	It is illegal to sell or serve alcoholic beverages to any minor under the age of 18 years. There is no minimum age to consume or possess alcohol.

Liechtenstein	16 beer, wine and cider 18 spirits and spirit-based beverages	Wine, beer and ciders as well as some other party drinks sometimes without spirits may be purchased by the age of 16.

Lithuania	20	It is illegal to sell, serve or supply alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 20 years. People under the age of 20 are prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages or from possessing them.

Luxembourg	None	16	It is illegal to sell or serve alcoholic beverages >1.2% ABV to any person under the age of 16 years. Violation is fined €251 to €1.000.

Malta	17	Must provide identification upon request.

Moldova	None	18	It is illegal to sell, or serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 18 years. It is not illegal for minors to buy, attempt to buy or consume alcohol.

Montenegro	18

Netherlands	18	The legal age for purchasing and consumption of alcoholic beverages was raised from 16 to 18 since 2014. Alcohol is commonly available upon parental permission.

North Macedonia	18	Must show an ID card upon request. In certain smaller places, such as family-owned convenience stores and street kiosks, there is little to no enforcement on how old or young somebody purchases alcohol.

Norway	None	18 (<22%) 20 (≥22% ABV)	Selling alcohol to or buying alcohol for minors is illegal. Minors are defined as under 18 for beer and wine, under 20 for drinks that contain 22% ABV or more.

Poland	None	18	Article 15 of The Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism clearly states that buyers or persons being served must be at least 18 and prove it with ID if they look like they may not be at least that age.

Portugal	None	18

Romania	None	18	According to law 61/1991 updated in 2008, paragraphs 21-25, it is illegal to serve or sell alcohol to minors.

Russia	None	18	There is no law or regulation in Russia that prohibits minors from consuming alcohol, but selling alcohol to minors is prohibited by federal and additional regional laws.

San Marino	16

Serbia	None	16

Slovakia	18

Slovenia	None	18	There is no law regulating the possession and consumption, but it is illegal to sell or offer alcohol of any kind to minors.

Spain	18	Asturias was the last autonomous community in Spain where the drinking age was increased to 18 (previously 16) on 1 May 2015.

Sweden	None	None (less than 2.25% ABV) 18 (bars and restaurants) 18 (2.25%–3.5% ABV in food shops) 20 (Systembolaget shops),	See also: Alcohol in SwedenIt is legal for anyone at any age to drink, but it is illegal to supply anyone under the age of 20, any beverage containing more than 3.5%ABV, and supply anyone under the age of 18 beer containing more than 2.25%ABV, except in a venue licensed to sell alcohol, who are allowed to sell alcohol to anyone over 18.

Switzerland	Switzerland (federal law)	None (See notes)	16 (fermented alcoholic drinks with less than 15% ABV and natural wines with less than 18% ABV) 18 (spirits)	Whoever offers or supplies alcoholic beverages to a child under the age of 16 years in an amount which is harmful to one's health is punished with imprisonment up to 3 years or a fine.

Ticino	18	Canton Ticino prohibits the selling of any type of alcohol to minors under the age of 18.

Turkey	18	See also: Alcohol laws of Turkey

Ukraine	18

United Kingdom	England Wales	18 16 (beer, wine or cider with meal) 5 (private) None (under medical supervision, or in an emergency)	Legislation in England and Wales: It is illegal to sell, serve, offer or consume alcoholic beverages on licensed premises under the age of 18, other than the following two exceptions: Minors aged 16 or 17 may consume wine, beer or cider on licensed premises when ordered with a meal, and accompanied by an adult.

Scotland	18 None (private)	Legislation in Scotland: It is illegal to sell, serve, offer or consume alcoholic beverages in public under the age of 18.

Northern Ireland	18	Legislation in Northern Ireland: It is illegal to sell, serve, offer or consume alcoholic beverages in public under the age of 18.

Challenge 21 and Challenge 25 (applies to all of the United Kingdom)	Under the BBPA's Challenge 21 and Challenge 25 schemes, customers attempting to buy alcoholic beverages are asked to prove their age if in the retailer's opinion they look under 21 (or optionally 25) even though the law states they must be a minimum of 18.

Sentence(s)

According to Denmark's law, the minimum age for off-premises sale of alcohol is for < 16.5% ABV is 16 years of age and > 16.5% ABV is 18 years of age.

final_sentence: According to Denmark's law, the minimum age for off-premises sale of alcohol is for < 16.5% ABV is 16 years of age and > 16.5% ABV is 18 years of age.